Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas were best friends early on in their careers ... said that Isiah's controversial comments regarding Larry Bird in 1987 were a big blow to their relationship.

Larry Bird and Isiah Thomas of the Detroit Pistons were embroiled in a controversy in 1987. It all stemmed from Zeke's comments on Bird, in which he said that if the Celtics star was black ...

NBA legend Isiah Thomas holds ... But if the big guy comes to the game and he doesn't make mistakes – he's really smart, he's like Kareem, he's like Magic, he's like Bird – you know them ...