I caught the new play Magic/Bird while I was in New York last month. The play still was in previews. So technically, it wouldn’t be fair to do a complete review.

Then again, I’m not the New York Times.

I came away thinking the play was good, not great. Everyone knows the story of the Magic Johnson-Larry Bird rivalry so well, it’s hard to feel like you’re seeing something new.

Still, there’s something to be said of the novelty of seeing a sports tale played out on a stage.

The play begins with Johnson’s HIV announcement in 1991. Then it quickly flashes back to the root of the relationship: their first meeting in the 1979 NCAA title game.

The rivalry builds from there, as does their friendship. The big scene is a lunch at Bird’s home in 1985 during a commercial shoot. Bird’s mother is portrayed as bringing the stars together, and she (played by Deidre O’Connell) gets the audience laughing by professing her love for Bill Laimbeer, much to Bird’s dismay.

The actor who plays Bird, Tug Coker, has the mop of blond hair and has the look of a basketball player. He does a nice job capturing Bird’s low-key demeanor.

Kevin Daniels has a much bigger challenge playing Johnson. If people feel he comes up short, it’s not his fault. In real life, the Lakers legend is a huge presence with a huge personality. It’s easier to play low-key than high voltage. The only person who really could have played the role was Magic himself.

On the positive side, the staging was effective with video boards and stadium lights and a hoop dropping down from above. It wasn’t game 7 in the Boston Garden, but then again, few things are.

It’s good to see Broadway taking on sports. This play was done by the same people who did Lombardi, which previously ran on Broadway. There’s no shortage of material in sports, and I hope there will be more.

If you’re a sports fan, you’ll probably enjoy the play. I can’t say for sure about non-sports fans. You see, my wife decided to go see Jesus Christ Superstar instead.