[186] In addition to these business ventures, Johnson has also created the Magic Card, a pre-paid MasterCard aimed at helping low-income people save money and participate in electronic commerce. He also held the title of team vice president. [100] Mike Dunleavy became the Lakers' head coach in 199091, when Johnson had grown to be the league's third-oldest point guard. In the decisive Game 7 in Boston, as the Lakers trailed by three points in the final minute, opposing point guard Dennis Johnson stole the ball from Johnson, a play that effectively ended the series. He had become more powerful and stronger than in his earlier years, but was also slower and less nimble. Johnson averaged 8.0 points per game during the Olympics, and his 5.5 assists per game was second on the team. [28] After the game, Fred Stabley Jr., a sports writer for the Lansing State Journal, gave him the moniker[32] despite the belief of Johnson's mother, a devout Christian, that the name was sacrilegious. [43] After two years in college, during which he averaged 17.1points, 7.6rebounds, and 7.9assists per game, Johnson entered the 1979 NBA draft. [144][145] The rivalry was also significant because it drew national attention to the faltering NBA. After making a bunny appear out of Samuel L. Jackson's cap, he begins sawing Jim Nantz in half for his final signoff, as Barkley, Jackson and Spike Lee look on in laughter. The girl who changed Magic Johnson | CNN Earvin "Magic" Johnson, William Novak. [213] He won the WNBA championship as the owner in 2016. [107] At the time, only a small percentage of HIV-positive American men had contracted it from heterosexual sex,[92][108] and it was initially rumored that Johnson was gay or bisexual, although he denied both. Cedric Ceballos, upset over a reduction in his playing time after Johnson's arrival, left the team for several days. [146] With the two future Hall of Famers, the league won a whole generation of new fans,[147] drawing both traditionalist adherents of Bird's dirt court Indiana game and those appreciative of Johnson's public park flair. [4] Several of his achievements in individual games have also been named among the top moments in the NBA. [195] Another major project is with insurance services company Aon Corp.[196] In 20052007, Johnson was part of a syndicate that bought the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower, then the tallest building in Brooklyn, for $71 million and converted the 512-foot high landmark structure from an office building into luxury condominiums. He insisted that his health was not an issue, while downplaying questions about returning as a player, saying, "I'm retired. [200] Johnson sold his ownership stake in the Lakers in October 2010 to Patrick Soon-Shiong, a Los Angeles surgeon and professor at UCLA,[201] but continued as an unpaid vice president for the team. Personal Birth date: August 14, 1959 Birth place: Lansing, Michigan Birth name: Earvin. Magic Johnson Development Corporation, which develops commercial property in long neglected . Magic Johnson: My Life. [102] Johnson performed well during the season, with averages of 19.4points, 12.5assists, and 7.0rebounds per game, and the Lakers reached the 1991 NBA Finals. [224] He hosted a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign on August 22, 2016. [101] Under Dunleavy, the offense used more half-court sets, and the team had a renewed emphasis on defense. Advertisement NBA legend Magic Johnson 's son, EJ Johnson, is on his way of becoming a fashion icon as well as a voice for the transgender community. Johnson's mother, originally from North Carolina,[29] had also played basketball as a child, and she grew up watching her brothers play the game.[26]. [40] Playing with future NBA draftees Greg Kelser, Jay Vincent, and Mike Brkovich, Johnson averaged 17.0points, 7.9rebounds, and 7.4assists per game as a freshman, and led the Spartans to a 255record, the Big Ten Conference title, and a berth in the 1978 NCAA tournament. [87][88], Before the 198788 NBA season, Lakers coach Pat Riley publicly promised that they would defend the NBA title, even though no team had won consecutive titles since the Celtics did so in the 1969 NBA Finals. [80] After the Lakers defeated the Celtics in six games, Abdul-Jabbar and Johnson, who averaged 18.3points on .494shooting, 14.0assists, and 6.8rebounds per game in the championship series,[81][82] said the Finals win was the highlight of their careers. The majority of NBA fans consider Jordan to be the best ever, with Magic being the best point guard ever. In 1991, . He nearly got into a fight with another player before head coach George Fox intervened. The pair launched an initiative to support minority and female-owned businesses, by providing customized health care plans for issues that disproportionately affect people of color. [155] Johnson is the only player in NBA Finals history to have triple-doubles in multiple series-clinching games. Magic Johnson Commercial 1980 1 - YouTube Magic Johnson Commercial 1980 1 101,222 views May 22, 2016 This is an old commercial I shot with Magic Johnson for Quality Dairy back in 1980. so. Magic Johnson Investments He has had partnerships previously with Starbucks, 24-Hour Fitness, T.G.I Fridays, and AMC Theatres. This is the untold truth of Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. . [69] Johnson later said that his third season was when the Lakers first became a great team,[70] and he credited their success to Riley. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson spent years competing against each other and being compared to each other. [227] Johnson was later criticized by the AIDS community for his decreased involvement in publicizing the spread of the disease. The series started poorly for the Lakers when they allowed an NBA Finals record 148points to the Celtics in a 34-point loss in Game 1. According to the Los Angeles Times, Magic Johnson's earliest and arguably most vocal champion was a childhood friend named Reggie Chastine.A fellow playground baller in Lansing, Michigan, Chastine was teammates with Johnson at Everett High School and got the future star thinking about being a future star, that achievements like all-state and All-American selections were possible, if not probable. and his parents couldn't be happier for their kid. He had become a dominant junior high player, once scoring 48 points in a game. [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. 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. Johnson would often help his father on the garbage route, and he was teased by neighborhood children who called him "Garbage Man". "[119] Johnson said that despite the physical, highly competitive practices and scrimmages leading up to the 1992 Olympics, some of those same teammates still expressed concerns about his return to the NBA. Magic Johnson Comes Out 'Swinging' in They Call Me Magic Docuseries John Fogerty On 50 Year Battle To Recapture The Music Of Creedence [28], At the age of 36, Johnson attempted another comeback as a player when he re-joined the Lakers during the 199596 NBA season. The Celtics won Game 4 in overtime, and the teams split the next two games. Magic Johnson The retired point guard welcomed his first child, son Andre, 42, with ex-girlfriend. Charles Barkley Just Showered Larry Bird and Magic Johnson With The [175], Johnson had an extremely close relationship with Lakers owner Jerry Buss, whom he saw as a mentor and a father figure. [131][132] He missed two games and was stripped of his title as team captain. Johnson asserted that for him, the 82-game regular season was composed of 80 normal games, and two LakersCeltics games. [126] He was coaching a team that had five of his former teammates on the roster: Vlade Divac, Elden Campbell, Tony Smith, Kurt Rambis, James Worthy, and Michael Cooper, who was brought in as an assistant coach. Basketball legends Larry Bird and Earvin "Magic" Johnson visited the "Late Show With David Letterman" Wednesday to discuss their friendship - which began in . He led all scorers with 39 points. It's safe to say that without their common sponsor bringing them together, they likely wouldn't have hung out that day. Larry Bird, Magic Johnson became friends in 1987 during a commercial Old Navy Partners with Magic Johnson to Inspire Future Generations Capital One TV Spot, 'Final Four' Feat. Charles Barkley, Samuel L [23] When recalling the events in his autobiography, My Life, he talked about how his time at Everett had changed him: As I look back on it today, I see the whole picture very differently. [44] He also joined Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson as the only NBA players to tally at least 700points, 700rebounds, and 700assists in the same season. Larry Bird - Wikipedia From Magic Johnson Theaters and Starbucks to Simply Healthcare and The Dodgers, MJE is a measurable success factor in achieving significant return on investment. The talent already on Michigan State's roster also drew him to the program. 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. "A Midsummer Night's Magic" eventually came under the umbrella of the Magic Johnson Foundation, which he founded in 1991. Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson has become a living testament to advances in medicine that have turned human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) from a . [230] He has advertised GlaxoSmithKline's drugs,[231] and partnered with Abbott Laboratories to publicize the fight against AIDS in African American communities.[230]. [212], Together with Guggenheim, Johnson was also involved in the February 2014 purchase of the Los Angeles Sparks team in the WNBA. "We think there is a lot of fun to be had with the Barkleylounger," he says. [83], Johnson again averaged a double-double in the 198586 NBA season, with 18.8points, 12.6assists, and 5.9rebounds per game. 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. That initial battle was an appetizer for the decade that followed as the pair became two of the greatest basketball players in NBA history who developed a fierce personal rivalry during the 1980s that included three meetings in the NBA Finals. [62], In 1981, after the 198081 season, Johnson signed a 25-year, $25million contract with the Lakers (equivalent to $75,000,000 in 2021), which was the highest-paying contract in sports history up to that point. The rivalry continued in the NBA, and reached its climax when Boston and Los Angeles met in three out of four NBA Finals from 1984 to 1987, with the Lakers winning two out of three Finals. [51], The Lakers compiled a 6022record in the regular season and reached the 1980 NBA Finals,[52] in which they faced the Philadelphia 76ers, who were led by forward Julius Erving. MBA CREF 2022: Magic Johnson Building Real Estate - Commercial Observer [45], Johnson was drafted first overall in 1979 by the Los Angeles Lakers. Random House. In the past 30 days, commercials featuring Magic Johnson have had 27,434 airings. Magic Johnson And Cigna Team Up To Improve Minority Healthcare Johnson was apprehensive at first because he and Bird never had a serious conversation at that point, and while he agreed to do the commercial, the two superstars didn't talk to each other during the actual shoot (via NPR ). Johnson's autobiography is Johnson, Earvin (1992). [26] He also idolized players such as Earl Monroe and Marques Haynes,[27] and practiced "all day". 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. He is known to have owned 105 Starbucks outlets and a 4.5% stake in . EXCLUSIVE. [71], During the 198283 NBA season, Johnson's first of nine consecutive double-double seasons, he averaged 16.8points, 10.5assists, and 8.6rebounds per game, and earned his first All-NBA First Team nomination. [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. By using iSpot.tv, you accept our, Visit California TV Spot, 'Living the Dream' Feat. Taking a look at his Instagram we can see how clothes are one of his biggest passions. The rising reality star is the son of NBA legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson and his wife, Earlitha "Cookie" Johnson. [58] Johnson returned before the start of the 1981 playoffs, but the Lakers' then-assistant and future head coach Pat Riley later said Johnson's much-anticipated return made the Lakers a "divided team". [133] Nick Van Exel received a seven-game suspension for bumping referee Ron Garretson during a game on April 9. Magic Johnson's Son EJ Flaunts Curves and Strong Legs in a - AmoMama Magic Johnson was also having success in college at Michigan State.In his senior year, Magic led his school to a 26-6 record that was good enough . They're Midwesterners, they were bigger players who handled the ball skillfully and they thought about their teammates' success. Google Pixel 6 TV Spot, 'For All the Fans: NBA Playoffs' Featuring Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend", Bird is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time.He is the only person in NBA history to be named Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player, Finals . [106], After a physical before the 199192 NBA season, Johnson discovered that he had tested positive for HIV. During his retirement, Johnson began intense workouts to help his fight against HIV, raising his bench press from 135 to 300 pounds, and increasing his weight to 255 pounds. Magic Johnson Fast Facts | CNN Visit California TV Spot, 'Living the Dream' Feat. [94] Despite not being named MVP, Johnson had a strong championship series, averaging 21.1points on .550shooting, 13.0assists, and 5.7rebounds per game. They Call Me Magic - Apple TV+ Press Johnson has become a leading voice on how to invest in urban communities, creating redevelopment opportunities in underserved areas, most notably through his movie theaters and his partnership with Starbucks. [56][160][161] At the 2019 NBA Awards, Johnson received the NBA Lifetime Achievement Award (shared with Bird). [28] The Spartans reached the Elite Eight, but lost narrowly to eventual national champion Kentucky. . Who is Magic Johnson's Youngest Son EJ Johnson? - Parade: Entertainment Although Andre was raised by his mother, he visited Johnson each summer, and later worked for Magic Johnson Enterprises as a marketing director. 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. [13][169] The couple adopted a daughter, Elisa, in 1995. [34] He gave Chastine much of the credit for his development as a basketball player and as a person,[35] saying years later, "I doubted myself back then. Magic Johnson Jr. | Speaker Agency, Speaking Fee, Videos 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. Magic Johnson Net Worth 2022, Salary & Endorsements - Sportskeeda Magic Johnson, who has spearheaded developments in underserved urban communities in the decades since his ending his legendary NBA career, is pushing for more investments from commercial real estate into initiatives that benefit minority areas. [168] Johnson and Cookie have one son, Earvin III ("EJ"), who is openly gay and a star on the reality show Rich Kids of Beverly Hills. [37], Although Johnson was recruited by several top-ranked colleges such as Indiana and UCLA, he decided to play close to home. [174], In 2010, Johnson and current and former NBA players such as LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Bill Russell, as well as Maya Moore from the WNBA, played a basketball game with President Barack Obama as an exhibition for a group of military troops who had been injured in action. [217] In 2018, Los Angeles FC debuted in MLS as an expansion team, and in 2022 won the MLS Cup. [67] Despite his off-court troubles, Johnson averaged 18.6points, 9.6rebounds, 9.5assists, and a league-high 2.7steals per game, and was voted a member of the All-NBA Second Team.
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