The historic onset of one of the most famous individual rivalries in all of sport is represented in this pair of full tickets to the 1979 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Finals at the University of Utah on March 24 and 26. That championship represented the first meeting of Indiana State sharpshooter Larry Bird, and Michigan State phenom Earvin "Magic" Johnson. Attached tickets represent both the semi-finals and finals, and each is magnificently signed in 10/10 blue marker by both Johnson and Bird, with Magic adding the inscription "Finals MOP" (Most Outstanding Player) to the Monday ticket. Combined, the panel measures 4x6" and the piece is encapsulated by PSA/DNA with a perfect Auto 10 grade, while the tickets themselves grade Good 2. That grade could be considered a tough one as the front presents cleanly with no visible tears or blemishes, however the blank back does have lines, apparently from the card stock of the tickets bleeding through with age. If this is the main deduction, the presentation side would certainly warrant a much higher grade. Johnson's Spartans defeated Bird's Sycamores by a 75-64 margin in what was then the highest rated game in the history of American basketball; savvy fans had already spotted the inevitable Hall of Fame talent of both players even in their college days, and the eventual Los Angeles Lakers vs Boston Celtics rivalry featuring the two superstars remains one of the most formidable in sports history.