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40 years ago, the Final Four came to Utah and gave fans Bird vs. Magic — and the tournament hasn't been the same since

AP

Michigan State's Earvin (Magic) Johnson raises his finger to indicate the Spartans are number one after defeating Larry Bird's Indiana State team 75-64 to win the NCAA Championship in Salt Lake City, March 26, 1979. (AP Photo)

SALT LAKE CITY — The headlines that week were all about Middle East peace talks, the sharp rise in the U.S. inflation rate and a special counsel investigating President Jimmy Carter’s family peanut business. A local newspaper story touted the advantages of spring in Utah, how one could go skiing in the mountains for $7 one day and play 18 holes of golf in the valley for $2 the next.