[148][149] Johnson appeared at Bird's retirement ceremony in 1992, and described Bird as a "friend forever";[113] during Johnson's Hall of Fame ceremony, Bird formally inducted his old rival. [171][172], Johnson is a Christian[173] and has said his faith is "the most important thing" in his life. Magic Johnson's Friendship With Larry Bird Explained - Grunge.com His plans underwent a dramatic change when he learned that he would be bused to the predominantly white Everett High School instead of going to Sexton,[26][30] which was predominantly black. [23], Johnson was first dubbed "Magic" as a 15-year-old sophomore playing for Everett High School, when he recorded a triple-double of 36points, 18rebounds, and 16assists. [75] In Game 3, Johnson responded with 21assists in a 137104 win, but he made several crucial errors late in the contest during Game 4. [25], Johnson came to love basketball as a young man. In this dramatic, exciting, and inspirational autobiography, Magic Johnson allows readers into his life, into his tirumphs and tragedies on and off . [28] In his final high school season, Johnson led Everett to a 271 winloss record while averaging 28.8points and16.8 rebounds per game,[28] and took his team to an overtime victory in the state championship game. 17 in their "50 Greatest Athletes of the 20th Century"[159] In 2006, ESPN.com rated Johnson the greatest point guard of all time, stating, "It could be argued that he's the one player in NBA history who was better than Michael Jordan. [188][189] In 2004, Johnson and his partner Ken Lombard sold Magic Johnson Theaters to Loews Cineplex Entertainment. [76][77] During the Finals, Johnson averaged 18.0points on .560shooting, 13.6assists, and 7.7rebounds per game. [96], In the 198889 NBA season, Johnson's 22.5points, 12.8assists, and 7.9rebounds per game[44] earned him his second MVP award,[97] and the Lakers reached the 1989 NBA Finals, in which they again faced the Pistons. [41], During the 197879 season, Michigan State again qualified for the NCAA tournament, where they advanced to the championship game and faced Indiana State, which was led by senior Larry Bird. [144][145] The rivalry was also significant because it drew national attention to the faltering NBA. Converse Commercial (1986) with Larry Bird and Magic Johnson Magic Johnson wanted to hit Howard Stern after radio host in 1998 said In 1991, . [4] Several of his achievements in individual games have also been named among the top moments in the NBA. [9] Johnson was a member of the 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team ("The Dream Team"), which won the Olympic gold medal in Barcelona. Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). [63][64] Early in the 198182 season, Johnson had a heated dispute with Westhead, who Johnson said made the Lakers "slow" and "predictable". Johnson and his wife, Cookie, also have a daughter named Elisa, whom they adopted in 1995. Anna Faris, Gatorade TV Spot, 'Make Your Rival Your Fuel' Featuring J.J. Watt, Honda CR-V Super Bowl 2017 TV Spot, 'Yearbooks' Ft. Steve Carell, Tina Fey [T1], Google Pixel 6 TV Spot, 'Anthem: NBA' Ft. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Magic Johnson, NBA League Pass TV Spot, 'Classic Games: Free Preview', NBA TV Spot, 'Welcome to NBA Lane' Feat. After leaving the NBA in 1991, Johnson formed the Magic Johnson All-Stars, a barnstorming team that traveled around the world playing exhibition games.[10]. [137] By the time he returned to the Lakers in 1996, the Magic Johnson All-Stars had amassed a record of 550, and Johnson was earning as much as $365,000 per game. Johnson had never seriously considered coaching, but he agreed to take the head coaching position with the Lakers in 1994 at Buss' request. Similarly, Bird admitted that Johnson's daily box score was the first thing he checked in the morning. [185], Johnson runs Magic Johnson Enterprises, a conglomerate company that has a net worth of $700million;[13] its subsidiaries include Magic Johnson Productions, a promotional company; Magic Johnson Theaters, a nationwide chain of movie theaters; and Magic Johnson Entertainment, a film studio. [165] In an impromptu news conference on April 9, 2019, Johnson resigned from the Lakers, citing his desire to return to his role as an NBA ambassador. [226][228] He was also the main speaker for the United Nations (UN) World AIDS Day Conference in 1999,[227] and has served as a United Nations Messenger of Peace. Magic Johnson's Net Worth: The 'They Call Me Magic' Star Is A - Bustle Magic Johnson Enterprises serves as a catalyst for fostering community and economic empowerment by providing access to high-quality entertainment, products and services that answer the demands of multicultural communities. [39], Johnson did not initially aspire to play professionally, focusing instead on his communication studies major and his desire to become a television commentator. "We had. [49][50] Johnson averaged 18.0points, 7.7rebounds, and 7.3assists per game for the season, was selected to the NBA All-Rookie Team, and was named an NBA All-Star Game starter. [125][176] After Johnson ended his coaching stint, Buss sold him a 4% stake in the Lakers for $10 million, and Johnson served as a team executive. [26] He also idolized players such as Earl Monroe and Marques Haynes,[27] and practiced "all day". [79], In the 198485 regular season, Johnson averaged 18.3points, 12.6assists, and 6.2rebounds per game, and led the Lakers into the 1985 NBA Finals, where they faced the Celtics again. Magic Johnson or Michael Jordan: Who'd Be Better To Build a Franchise [135] Johnson led the way to a Game 2 victory with 26 points, but averaged only 7.5 points per game for the remainder of the series, which the Rockets won three games to one. [20], Earvin Johnson Jr. was born in Lansing, Michigan, to General Motors assembly worker Earvin Sr. and school janitor Christine. [138][139] On November 1, 2002, Johnson returned to play a second exhibition game against Michigan State. Magic Johnson joined Shaquille O'Neal and celebrity coach Spike Lee to lead the blue team to a 147132 victory over the white team, which was coached by Arsenio Hall. [225], After announcing his infection in November 1991, Johnson created the Magic Johnson Foundation to help combat HIV,[226] although he later diversified the foundation to include other charitable goals. Johnson said that what was "most amazing" about joining the Lakers was the chance to play alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,[46] the team's 7ft 2in (2.18m) center who became the leading scorer in NBA history. [48] Lakers coach Jack McKinney had the 6-foot-9-inch (2.06m) rookie Johnson, who some analysts thought should play forward, be a point guard, even though incumbent Norm Nixon was already one of the best in the league. Magic Johnson: My Life by Earvin "Magic" Johnson | Goodreads Johnson learned everything he could about business, often meeting with corporate executives during road trips. Despite two triple-doubles from Johnson during the series, Finals MVP Jordan led his team to a 41win. [222] He endorsed and appeared in campaign ads for unsuccessful Los Angeles mayoral candidate Wendy Greuel in 2013. "Earvin Johnson" redirects here. Magic Johnson opens up on living with HIV 30 years after his diagnosis He led all scorers with 39 points. [36] Johnson, who finished his high school career with two All-State selections, was considered at the time to be the best high school player ever to come out of Michigan[34] and was also named to the 1977 McDonald's All-American team. He led the league in regular season assists four times, and is the NBA's all-time leader in average assists per game in both the regular season (11.19 assists per game) and the playoffs (12.35 assists per game). Johnson would often help his father on the garbage route, and he was teased by neighborhood children who called him "Garbage Man". ", "Hillary Clinton Fundraisers Coming to Beverly Hills", "The Greatest Is Honored by The Diplomat", "Magic Johnson combats AIDS misperceptions", "Magic Johnson assists drugmaker to advertise HIV treatment", "Iconic Staples Center changing its name to Crypto.com Arena in reflection of changing times", "NBA unveils new trophies, awards honoring Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Bob Cousy, Oscar Robertson", "2017 Class of FIBA Hall of Fame: Dream Team", "1992 U.S. Olympic Men's Basketball Team", "Magic Johnson and Natalie Cole Honored at NAACP Awards Show", Basketball-Reference.com: Magic Johnson (as a coach), NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player, 1979 NCAA Men's Basketball Consensus All-Americans, NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant Most Valuable Player Award, Grammy Award for Best Audio Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording, Citizen Kane (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), Gertrude Stein, Gertrude Stein, Gertrude Stein, Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Movie on Record, The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography, Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents Earth (The Audiobook), America Again: Re-becoming the Greatness We Never Weren't, Blowout: Corrupted Democracy, Rogue State Russia, and the Richest, Most Destructive Industry on Earth, Wayland Baptist Women's Teams (19481982), Lakers versus Celtics and the NBA Playoffs, The Last Season: A Team in Search of Its Soul, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship, NAACP Image Award Jackie Robinson Sports Award, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Magic_Johnson&oldid=1142219451, African-American sports executives and administrators, African-American television talk show hosts, All-American college men's basketball players, American chief executives of food industry companies, American expatriate basketball people in Denmark, American expatriate basketball people in Sweden, American sports executives and administrators, Basketball players at the 1992 Summer Olympics, Michigan State Spartans men's basketball players, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees, National Basketball Association All-Stars, National Basketball Association broadcasters, National Basketball Association players with retired numbers, Olympic gold medalists for the United States in basketball, Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball), United States men's national basketball team players, Pages containing links to subscription-only content, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia indefinitely move-protected pages, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected biographies of living people, Pages using multiple image with auto scaled images, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, 10-time NBA champion (five as a player, five as owner/executive), Trophy named in Johnson's honor (Earvin "Magic" Johnson Trophy) awarded to, 1992 Olympic gold medal (U.S. national team), 1977 Michigan high school state champion (Lansing Everett High School). We give our clients and partners the edge needed to effectively capitalize on the growing purchasing power and value of multicultural communities. [38] His college decision came down to Michigan and Michigan State in East Lansing. [77][109], Johnson's HIV announcement became a major news story in the United States,[108] and in 2004 was named as ESPN's seventh-most memorable moment of the previous 25 years. [68] During the championship series against the Sixers, Johnson averaged 16.2points on .533shooting, 10.8rebounds, 8.0assists, and 2.5steals per game. [3][4][5][6] Johnson played 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Johnson's half-court shot at the buzzer would have won the game, but it fell short. "[177] Buss acquired the team from Jack Kent Cooke in 1979, shortly before he drafted Johnson with the #1 pick in the 1979 NBA draft. [217] In 2018, Los Angeles FC debuted in MLS as an expansion team, and in 2022 won the MLS Cup. Magic Johnson TV Commercials - iSpot.tv "[3] Bleacher Report also listed Johnson first in its all-time NBA point guard rankings. [72] In a losing effort against Philadelphia, Johnson averaged 19.0points on .403shooting, 12.5assists, and 7.8rebounds per game. Magic Johnson Magic Johnson Celebrates Son EJ's 30th Birthday: 'So Honored' - Peoplemag [128] A few days later, Johnson changed his mind and retired permanently, saying, "I am going out on my terms, something I couldn't say when I aborted a comeback in 1992. [92] Johnson later accused Isiah Thomas of spreading the rumors, a claim Thomas denied. [18] As such, in 2014, Johnson was named one of ESPNW's Impact 25. [23][31] Johnson's sister Pearl and his brother Larry had bused to Everett the previous year and did not have a pleasant experience. From his humble beginnings to his league debut as the Los. The Lakers did not reach the playoffs during Johnson's executive tenure. [129] On February 14, Johnson recorded the final triple-double of his career, when he scored 15 points, along with 10 rebounds and 13 assists in a victory against the Atlanta Hawks. In an appearance Wednesday on The View, former Los Angeles Laker Earvin "Magic" Johnson said Dr. Anthony Fauci was one of the doctors who helped him understand and treat HIV after his 1991. [206], In January 2012, Johnson joined with Guggenheim Partners and Stan Kasten in a bid for ownership of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team. His father played high school basketball in his home state of Mississippi,[29]and Johnson learned the finer points about the game from him. Magic Johnson's 3 Kids: Everything to Know - people.com "In the. [175], Johnson had an extremely close relationship with Lakers owner Jerry Buss, whom he saw as a mentor and a father figure. [129], After the Lakers lost to the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs,[136] Johnson initially expressed a desire to return to the team for the 199697 NBA season, but he also talked about joining another team as a free agent, hoping to see more playing time at point guard instead of power forward. [16] Many articles praised Johnson as a hero, and the then-U.S. President George H. W. Bush said, "For me, Magic is a hero, a hero for anyone who loves sports. He also has a son, Andre Johnson, from a previous relationship. Johnson left after eight months, saying that the White House had "utterly ignored" the work of the panel, and had opposed the commission's recommendations, which included universal healthcare and the expansion of Medicaid to cover all low-income people with AIDS. [36] Johnson played with the team frequently over the next several years, with possibly the most memorable game occurring in November 2001. [183] He has also worked as a motivational speaker,[15] and was an NBA commentator for Turner Network Television for seven years,[184] before becoming a studio analyst for ESPN's NBA Countdown in 2008. Our company We Build Businesses Two-time Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame inductee: College Basketball Hall of Fame (class of 2006), 2016 WNBA champion (as part owner of the Sparks), 2020 World Series champion (as part owner of the Dodgers), This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 04:30. "[28][33] Johnson could dominate a game without scoring, running the offense and distributing the ball with flair. He also missed several games due to a calf injury. He's faced challenges all of his life, but now Magic Johnson faces the biggest challenge of all, his own brave battle with HIV. [48] Johnson became the only rookie to win the NBA Finals MVP award,[48] and his clutch performance is still regarded as one of the finest in NBA history. Kenan Draughorne. As. "A Midsummer Night's Magic" eventually came under the umbrella of the Magic Johnson Foundation, which he founded in 1991. The franchise reached an agreement with free agent LeBron James on a four-year contract in 2018, but efforts to trade for Anthony Davis during the 201819 season proved unsuccessful. [141][142] Johnson also became a co-owner of the club;[143] however, the project failed after one season and the club was forced into reconstruction. 1,006 ratings37 reviews. Earvin Johnson III . A Shoe Commercial Is What Finally Helped Larry Bird and Magic Johnson The basketball game was part of festivities organized to celebrate Obama's 49th birthday. Johnson delivers a passionate message about his life story and everyone can make a difference their own community. Johnson averaged 8.0 points per game during the Olympics, and his 5.5 assists per game was second on the team. [158] ESPN's SportsCentury ranked Johnson No. Basketball legends Larry Bird and Earvin "Magic" Johnson visited the "Late Show With David Letterman" Wednesday to discuss their friendship - which began in . They became friends . When Magic Johnson heard of the proposal he told Converse ' You're crazy, I'm not shooting no commercial with Larry .' Eventually, Magic was persuaded and expected to shoot the commercial in LA. [162] In 2022, the NBA began awarding MVPs for the conference finals; the Western Conference Finals MVP trophy is named in Johnson's honor, while the Eastern Conference trophy is named after Bird. In December 2018, Magic Johnson's daughter, Elisa Johnson, and nine of her friends had a terrifying encounter when two armed men broke into a Californian Airbnb house they were staying in. [28] Buss was also unhappy with the Lakers' offense and had intended on firing Westhead days before the WestheadJohnson altercation, but assistant GM Jerry West and GM Bill Sharman had convinced Buss to delay his decision. Magic Johnson, Paul George Song by Dreamville, Old Navy This Way Onward TV Spot, 'Introduction' Featuring Magic Johnson, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention TV Spot, 'COVID-19: NBA: Together', Google Pixel 6 TV Spot, 'Anthem: NBA Playoffs' Ft. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Magic Johnson, Capital One TV Spot, 'Final Four' Feat. He had become a dominant junior high player, once scoring 48 points in a game. Although he played in a celebrity game to honor coach Jud Heathcoate in 1995,[45] this was Johnson's first meaningful game played in his hometown of Lansing in 22 years. Johnson was a member of the 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team ("The Dream Team"), which won the Olympic gold medal in Barcelona. Well, the 2010 NBA Finals are here, and it's time to treat you to a 1986 commercial for Converse shoes featuring two of the NBA's greats of the decade: Larry. [143], Johnson and Bird were first linked as rivals after Johnson's Michigan State squad defeated Bird's Indiana State team in the 1979 NCAA finals. Larry Bird and the Rise and Fall of Converse - Basketball Noise Ten of the 12 players on the team were named on the NBA's list of, Principal owners of the Los Angeles Dodgers franchise, Brooklyn Atlantics/Grays/Bridegrooms/Grooms/, Michigan State Spartans men's basketball 197879 NCAA champions, 1992 Tournament of the Americas Gold medal, 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, List of career achievements by Magic Johnson, List of athletes who came out of retirement, List of National Basketball Association career assists leaders, List of National Basketball Association career steals leaders, List of National Basketball Association career turnovers leaders, List of National Basketball Association career free throw scoring leaders, List of National Basketball Association career playoff scoring leaders, List of National Basketball Association career playoff rebounding leaders, List of National Basketball Association career playoff assists leaders, List of National Basketball Association career playoff steals leaders, List of National Basketball Association career playoff turnovers leaders, List of National Basketball Association career playoff free throw scoring leaders, List of National Basketball Association players with most assists in a game, List of National Basketball Association players with most steals in a game, "Magic weekend is on tap as Johnson set for NBA encore", "202122 Big Ten Men's Basketball Media Guide", "Daily Dime: Special Edition The 10 Greatest Point Guards Ever", "NBA All-Time Player Rankings: Top 10 Point Guards", "NBA 75: Top 75 NBA players of all time, from MJ and LeBron to Lenny Wilkens", "NBA 75: At No. Earvin "Magic" Johnson, William Novak. Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson has become a living testament to advances in medicine that have turned human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) from a . They bonded during that day but also made a great commercial. [84] In the next season, Johnson averaged a career-high of 23.9points, as well as 12.2assists and 6.3rebounds per game,[44] and earned his first regular season MVP award. [73], Prior to Johnson's fifth season, Westwho had become the Lakers general managertraded Nixon to free Johnson from sharing the ball-handling responsibilities. [177] It was this arrangement that allowed Johnson to coach the team without receiving any additional salary. [47] Despite Abdul-Jabbar's dominance, he had failed to win a championship with the Lakers, and Johnson was expected to help them achieve that goal. [36] He officially returned to the team on January 29, 1996,[128] and played his first game the following day against the Golden State Warriors.