Say this for the Pacers: they give you plenty of entertainment options on the weekend.
As if last week's Conseco Fieldhouse red carpet premiere of the ESPN 30 for 30 movie "Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. the New York Knicks" wasn't enough, this weekend you get an entirely new production, courtesy of HBO.
This time, the subject is the rivalry and relationship between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson in the movie "Magic & Bird: A Courtship of Rivals" premiering Saturday at 8 p.m.
According to HBO's synopsis:
The film traces the history of the competition between Los Angeles Lakers immortal Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Boston Celtics great Larry Bird, which began 30 years ago when they led their midwest universities to the 1979 NCAA Championship game, through a decade of dominance, when the two won three NBA MVP awards apiece and a combined eight NBA titles. Debuting on the eve of March Madness, the exclusive HBO presentation also examines the different cultures that helped shape them and contributed to their unique styles, as well as exploring their unlikely friendship.
Though sharing Midwestern roots and following the same team-oriented philosophy, the introverted Bird (from the small town of French Lick, Ind.) and the extroverted Johnson (from the industrial state capital of Lansing, Mich.) couldn’t be more different in personality. The two superstars talk about each other at length in the film and provide intimate insights into their remarkable lives.
The special’s high-profile list of interviewees also includes: Hall of Famer Pat Riley, who coached Johnson on the great Lakers teams of the 1980s; teammates Kevin McHale, Cedric Maxwell and Michael Cooper; George Fox, Johnson’s high school coach; siblings Evelyn Johnson and Mark Bird; entertainer Arsenio Hall; former CBS Sports executive Ted Shaker; and sports journalists Bryant Gumbel, Jackie MacMullan, Charles Pierce and Steve Springer.
It will re-air several times on HBO and HBO2 and will be available on HBO On Demand from March 8-28.
As for "Winning Time," which attracted more than 8,000 fans to Conseco Fieldhouse last weekend (be sure to check out highlights of Pacers Crate Live from the Red Carpet), it had its New York premiere on Tuesday and will reach the ESPN airwaves next Sunday, March 14, at 9 p.m. – after the NCAA tournament bracket show.
Where else but prime time would you expect to find Reggie?
O'Brien re-affirms Hansbrough out for year
Jim O'Brien's weekly radio show on 1070 The Fan is become a must-listen for medical updates on Tyler Hansbrough.
Last week, O'Brien said he expected Hansbrough would be out the rest of the season, the first time that's been mentioned as a possibility.
Last night, responding to a caller's question, O'Brien expanded on Hansbrough's predicament.
"As best they can understand and I don't know how accurate they are but he has an inner ear infection and possibly a post-concussion problem from getting hit in the head," he said. "But the bottom line is he's got a lot of dizziness or vertigo which is preventing him from exercising so he can't practice and as a result it's pretty much determined that he will not be with us on the court for the rest of the year which is very disappointing to Tyler and the rest of us."
Hansbrough will miss his 22nd consecutive game tonight in Denver.
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