“Larry and Magic kind of brought the league into prominence” – Dan Shaughnessy on how the NBA went from rags to riches due to superstar appeal originally appeared on Basketball Network.
While modern-day fans recognize the NBA as one of the most profitable and commercialized leagues in the sports world, it’s important to remember that its rise to global prominence was no accident.
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Veteran sports writer Dan Shaughnessy once explained how the vision of former NBA Commissioner David Stern, combined with the generational talent and superstardom of Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan, drove American basketball to unprecedented heights.
Shaughnessy on how Bird and Magic ‘saved’ the NBA
Though the ’60s and ’70s featured magnetic players like Wilt Chamberlain and ‘Pistol’ Pete Maravich – players who routinely packed arenas with their dominance and playing style, the NBA as a whole struggled. Financial instability, where players were forced to work other jobs, drug abuse and the lack of national television appeal hindered the league’s growth.
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In contrast, college basketball was far more popular. As a matter of fact, out of the 10 most-watched basketball games in that era, the NBA featured merely once – at number nine – with the 1974 Finals showdown between the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics.
The turning point came with the budding rivalry of Bird and Magic, which captivated the eyes of fans worldwide. Their contrasting backgrounds, as well as the media-driven racial undertones, split fan bases but ultimately brought the NBA into mainstream conversations. As a result, their 1984 NBA Finals matchup became the most-watched championship round showdown in history.
Shaughnessy admitted that Bird, idolized as the great white hope, and Magic, whose flashy playmaking brought fans to their feet, collectively transformed the league into a financial powerhouse.
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“When he (Bird) came to the league in 1979, the NBA was in trouble. Seventeen out of 23 teams were losing money. The NBA Finals were broadcast on tape delay. They weren’t even primetime. It was small time, and we were staying in Holiday Inns. There was a vending machine next to the rusty old pool downstairs. Snowflakes were coming through the cracks of the windows. It was not the NBA of the five-star hotels and the charter aircraft and all that,” Shaughnessy wrote. “Larry and Magic kind of brought the league into prominence.”
Jordan took the NBA to another level
Then came Michael Jordan, whose superstardom eclipsed even that of Bird and Magic. MJ wasn’t just a phenomenal athlete; he became a cultural icon. Brands clamored to feature him in commercials and billboards. The popularity of the Air Jordan brand skyrocketed as fans couldn’t get enough of “Mike.” His presence elevated the NBA’s global appeal, making the league not just an American product but an international phenomenon.
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According to Shaughnessy, the league’s surge in popularity culminated with the 1992 Dream Team, as fans all across the globe tuned in to watch the finest collection of basketball talent in history.
Since then, the NBA has become a household name all around the globe, where aspiring players, even in Europe and Asia, consider different NBA players as their role models
“Then Michael Jordan came in ’84. David Stern took over as commissioner. By 1992, the Dream Team in the Barcelona Olympics is a global entity,” Shaughnessy continued. “The league has never looked back.”
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The financial evolution of the NBA is equally telling. For example, when Dallas joined the league in 1980, the franchise paid an expansion fee of just $12 million. By contrast, when Charlotte was granted a new franchise in 2004, the fee had ballooned to $300 million. An enormous leap that reflects the NBA’s growth, largely fueled by the era of superstar-driven appeal.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 16, 2025, where it first appeared.