March Madness: Greatest March Madness Moments Ever

#2 Magic Johnson duels Larry Bird - 1979

Magic Johnson and Larry Bird faced off during the 1979 Championship Game (Picture Credit - Sports Illustrated)

Back in 1979, two future Hall of Famers met in a Championship Game which still holds the record of being the highest-rated televised college basketball game of all-time. The game also handed basketball fans a glimpse into the future, as both Magic Johnson and Larry Bird demonstrated exactly why they would go on to become two of the best players to ever play the game.

The game itself was slightly one-sided as Bird's Michigan State came away with a comfortable 75-64 victory over Johnson's Indiana State, although the individual performances kept things interesting.

Johnson led the game with 24 points on 8-of-15 shooting whereas Bird recorded 19 points and 13 rebounds. In the summer following the tournament, both players turned professional, and the duo soon developed a legendary rivalry in the NBA.