[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. Sign up to track 37 nationally aired TV ad campaigns for Magic Johnson. 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. [78] Johnson later described the series as "the one championship we should have had but didn't get". 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. [229], HIV had been associated with intravenous drug users and homosexuals,[226] but Johnson's campaigns sought to show that the risk of infection was not limited to those groups. "[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. ", "NBA & ABA Career Leaders and Records for Assists Per Game", "NBA & ABA Career Playoff Leaders and Records for Assists Per Game", "NBA & ABA Career Playoff Leaders and Records for Assists", "Magic Johnson Says It Breaks His Heart That Kobe Bryant Won't Be At Hall Of Fame Ceremony", "Magic Johnson's HIV activism hasn't slowed 22 years after historic announcement", "7: Magic Johnson announces he's HIV-positive", "Magic Touch: Magic Johnson's Fast Break Into Business", "Magic Johnson and other Dodgers owners purchase the Sparks", "Magic Johnson now has championship rings in the NBA, MLB and WNBA", "Rebounding from basketball court to boardroom", "Detroit Board's Busing Decision Termed 'Unwise', "State Basketball Championships Are Now History", "Everett High School - Archives Yearbook (Lansing, MI), Class of 1977", "Consensus All-America Teams (196970 to 197879)", "Magic Johnson Returns To The Breslin Center", "Rookie Makes the Lakers Believe in Magic", "The Extra Pass: Talking "Showtime" Lakers with author Jeff Pearlman", "NBA's Greatest Moments: Magic Fills in at Center", "Sports of The Times; Magic Johnson's Legacy", "Johnson rubs LA's Magic lantern for 25 million bucks", "Seven Ways to Compute the Relative Value of a U.S. Dollar Amount 1790 to Present", "Moses Helps Dr. J, Sixers Reach Promised Land", "Ticker: Jerry West still fielding Magic Johnson-Norm Nixon questions", "Celtics Win First BirdMagic Finals Showdown", "Isiah blasts Magic Johnson over criticisms in forthcoming book", "Kareem, Lakers Conquer the Celtic Mystique", "Waiting Game Ends for Impatient Pistons", "Johnson Not Ready To Pass Mantle; For 9th Time, Lakers Show Magic Touch", "Bulls Finally Get That Championship Feeling", "Still stunning the world 10 years later", "Knee injury knocks Magic out of Dream Team lineup against Germany", "Magic Johnson wishes he hadn't retired so early (Video)", "Magic Johnson's Gala Midsummer Night Magic Gets $1.3 Mil for UNCF", "Game worn Shaquille O'Neal jersey from "A Midsummer Night's Magic" charity game", "Pro Basketball; Los Angeles Lakers Hire Magic Johnson To Be Head Coach", "199394 Los Angeles Lakers Schedule and Results", "Johnson gets win in first game as coach", "199394 Los Angeles Lakers Roster and Stats", "Pro Basketball; Leaving on His Terms, Johnson Retires Again", "Hitting Referee Costs Van Exel $187,000", "Magic Raises Questions About Laker Confusion", "Outside the Lines: Magic 10 Years Later, and Limits of Loyalty", "Men's Basketball Opens Exhibition Season Against Magic Johnson All-Stars", "Memory Lane: Magic records triple-double in exhibition win vs. Mich. St", "Historias nrdicas: Magic Johnson, el vikingo", "Book review: When the Game Was Ours by Larry Bird and Magic Johnson", "HBO Documentary Revisits Magic JohnsonLarry Bird Rivalry That Saved Basketball", "All-Time Playoffs Individual Career Leaders", "Top N. American athletes of the century", "Jordan to Bird: Top 10 moments in NBA All-Star history", "Larry Bird and Magic Johnson Receive NBA Lifetime Achievement Award", "Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak, exec Jim Buss relieved of duties as Magic Johnson takes over basketball operations", "Magic Johnson abruptly resigns as Lakers' president", "Magic Johnson steps down as Lakers' president of basketball operations", "Magic Johnson: Los Angeles Lakers legend resigns", "Earvin Johnson III, Magic Johnson's Gay Son, Goes Public With Boyfriend, Parents Very Proud (Video)", "Magic Johnson's House in Southern California", "Hot property: For Magic Johnson, Dana Point vacation home's a slam dunk", "Magic Johnson on Jeremy Lin: 'God is Good', "Magic Johnson Testifies His Christian Faith in God at Connecticut Huskies vs. Michigan State Spartans NCAA's March Madness 2014 Game", "Magic Johnson, NBA all-stars join Obama, play hoops for troops", "Report: Johnson to became part owner of Lakers", "To Magic Johnson, Jerry Buss was friend, mentor and 'second father', "Magic says Buss made him the man he is today", "Magic Johnson Gives His Label an Assist", "Sports Briefing Pro Basketball; Magic Johnson Signs With ESPN", "Magic Johnson joins ESPN, ABC as NBA studio analyst", "Magic Johnson on his growing foodservice business", "Former Magic Johnson Theaters reopens as Rave Cinemas", "Starbucks Acquires Remaining Interest in Magic Johnson Enterprises' Urban Coffee Opportunities (UCO)", "Magic Johnson sells his 105 Starbucks franchises", "Magic Johnson wows the crowd and talks minority-owned businesses", "Magic Johnson Says He Wouldn't Have Joined Bird After LeBron James's Move", "Bank On Condos: NBA Great In $71M Tower Deal", "Manhattan-style condos come to Fort Greene", "Magic Johnson buys into D.C.-area Pepsi bottling operation", "Magic Johnson Becomes Part Owner of Lakers", "Magic Johnson would be interested in buying Clippers, source says", "Magic Johnson reportedly interested in buying Clippers, NBA plans Tuesday press conference on Donald Sterling investigation", "Magic Johnson buys life insurance company", "Wizards, Warriors, and Magic: A Strategic Partnership", "Magic Johnson leads dream team bidding for Dodgers", "Magic Johnson-led group is picked as Dodgers' next owner", "From bankruptcy to a World Series title: Dodgers' ascension is Magic", "New Dragons owners say they won't mess with success", "Capital Buzz: D.C. businessman buying Dayton baseball team", "Magic Johnson, 55, Los Angeles Sparks Co-Owner", "Sparks defeat Lynx for first WNBA championship since 2002", "Magic Johnson, Mia Hamm among owners of new L.A. pro soccer team", "MLS Wants Fans' Help To Pick Team Name, Logo For New 'LA Football Club', "LA's MLS expansion team announces official club name: Los Angeles Football Club", "Justin Bieber, Magic Johnson, Will Ferrell among many stars at MLS Cup 2022", "Magic Johnson backs Angelides for Governor", "Magic Johnson, Bill Clinton team up for Hillary", "Magic Johnson Backing Barbara Boxer for US Senate", "Magic Johnson Endorses President Barack Obama", "Magic Johnson endorses Wendy Greuel for L.A. mayor", "I feel @HillaryClinton will be a great President for the American people and she will make sure that everyone has a voice! In the past 30 days, commercials featuring Magic Johnson have had 27,434 airings. [113], Several journalists hypothesized that the JohnsonBird rivalry was so appealing because it represented many other contrasts, such as the clash between the Lakers and Celtics, between Hollywood flashiness ("Showtime") and Boston/Indiana blue collar grit ("Celtic Pride"), and between blacks and whites. [202] In February 2017, Johnson returned to the Lakers as an advisor to Jeanie Buss. [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. [89] Johnson had another productive season with averages of 19.6points, 11.9assists, and 6.2rebounds per game despite missing 10 games with a groin injury. 1979 NCAA Championship Game. Larry was kicked off the basketball team after a confrontation during practice, prompting him to beg his brother not to play. [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. The 1986 commercial shows Magic rolling up in a limo and Larry was waiting in knee-high socks, short shorts, and new . 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. [227] Johnson was later criticized by the AIDS community for his decreased involvement in publicizing the spread of the disease. Playing in front of a sold-out arena, Johnson had a triple-double and played the entire game, but his all-star team lost to the Spartans by two points.
Magic Johnson's Friendship With Larry Bird Explained - Grunge.com 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. Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player. 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. [28] In 1985, Johnson created "A Midsummer Night's Magic", a yearly charity event which included a celebrity basketball game and a black tie dinner.
Magic Johnson or Michael Jordan: Who'd Be Better To Build a Franchise Although Johnson denied responsibility for Westhead's firing,[66] he was booed across the league, even by Laker fans. But being bused to Everett turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened to me. Basketball legends Larry Bird and Earvin "Magic" Johnson visited the "Late Show With David Letterman" Wednesday to discuss their friendship - which began in . Magic Johnson is one proud father to his son Earvin "EJ" Johnson. 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. And you can now add to that list one Earvin "Magic" Johnson. [72] With Johnson's teammates Nixon, James Worthy, and Bob McAdoo all hobbled by injuries, the Lakers were swept by the Sixers, and Malone was crowned the Finals MVP. [10] Following release of their self-titled, debut album in 1968, CCR would go on to sell more than 50 million albums worldwide. This site uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. 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. [230] He has advertised GlaxoSmithKline's drugs,[231] and partnered with Abbott Laboratories to publicize the fight against AIDS in African American communities.[230]. The Slovenian notched up a 30th career triple-double in his 146th game in the NBA, reaching the milestone in 44 fewer games than Magic . [28] In the last championship series of his career, Johnson averaged 18.6points on .431shooting, 12.4assists, and 8.0rebounds per game. [44] The Lakers again reached the Finals, and for a third time faced the Sixers, who featured center Moses Malone as well as Erving. We give our clients and partners the edge needed to effectively capitalize on the growing purchasing power and value of multicultural communities. In 2006, he publicly endorsed Phil Angelides for Governor of California,[219] in 2007 he supported Hillary Clinton in her presidential campaign,[220] and in 2010 he endorsed Barbara Boxer in her race for re-election to the U.S. Kenan Draughorne. "[134] Johnson was himself suspended five days later, when he bumped referee Scott Foster, missing three games. [28] His career 138triple-double games places him third all-time behind Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook. [92] Johnson later accused Isiah Thomas of spreading the rumors, a claim Thomas denied. [192] The experience taught him to listen to his customers and find out what products they wanted. "[33][128], Determined to play competitive basketball despite being out of the NBA, Johnson formed the Magic Johnson All-Stars, a barnstorming team composed of former NBA and college players. [210] Johnson and Guber were also partners in the Dayton Dragons,[209] a Class-A minor league baseball team in Dayton, Ohio, that sold out more than 1,000 consecutive games, a record for professional sports. The Lakers finished the season on a ten-game losing streak, and Johnson's final record as a head coach was 511. . The proceeds went to the United Negro College Fund, and Johnson held this event for twenty years, ending in 2005. 8. 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. 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. [152], Johnson introduced a fast-paced style of basketball called "Showtime", described as a mix of "no-look passes off the fastbreak, pin-point alley-oops from halfcourt, spinning feeds and overhand bullets under the basket through triple teams. [59] The 54-win Lakers faced the 4042 Houston Rockets in the first round of playoffs,[60][61] where Houston upset the Lakers 21 after Johnson airballed a last-second shot in Game 3. Magic Johnson 's 20-year-old son hit the Sunset Strip, hand in hand with his boyfriend . [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. [112] The game ended after he made a last-minute three-pointer, and players from both teams ran onto the court to congratulate Johnson. [56][160][161] At the 2019 NBA Awards, Johnson received the NBA Lifetime Achievement Award (shared with Bird). Speaking to media just hours after Buss had died, Johnson was emotional, saying, "Without Dr. Jerry Buss, there is no Magic. [16] He stated that his wife Cookie and their unborn child did not have HIV, and that he would dedicate his life to "battle this deadly disease". [45], Johnson was drafted first overall in 1979 by the Los Angeles Lakers.
Larry Bird - Wikipedia A Defining Lunch. 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]. With the Google Pixel 6, Serbian fans become fans of the Nuggets with the help of the smartphone's translation feature. [188][189] In 2004, Johnson and his partner Ken Lombard sold Magic Johnson Theaters to Loews Cineplex Entertainment. In this dramatic, exciting, and inspirational autobiography, Magic Johnson allows readers into his life, into his tirumphs and tragedies on and off . They Call Me Magic will give fans "a rare glimpse into . Ovitz encouraged him to start reading business magazines and to use every connection available to him. Playing with the Canberra Cannons of Australia's National Basketball League instead of his usual group of players, Johnson's team defeated the Spartans 10485, as he scored 12 points, with 10 assists and 10 rebounds. [76][77] During the Finals, Johnson averaged 18.0points on .560shooting, 13.6assists, and 7.7rebounds per game.
[Journal & Courier] - Larry Bird, Magic Johnson became friends in 1987 "I always said Larry Bird and Magic Johnson are the two most important people in NBA history," Barkley said. [16] Named by Ebony magazine as one of America's most influential black businessmen in 2009,[17] Johnson has numerous business interests, and was a part-owner of the Lakers for several years, as well as being the team's president of basketball operations from 2017 to 2019. [224] He hosted a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign on August 22, 2016. The year was 2010, and scarves were in. "[119], During his retirement, Johnson has written a book on safe sex, run several businesses, worked for NBC as a commentator, and toured Asia, Australia and New Zealand with a basketball team of former college and NBA players. The retired point guard welcomed his first child, son Andre, 42, with ex-girlfriend. 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. Johnson's autobiography is Johnson, Earvin (1992). [40], Before the 199293 NBA season, Johnson announced his intention to stage an NBA comeback. 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). [75] The Lakers won the first game, and led by two points in Game 2 with 18seconds to go, but after a layup by Gerald Henderson, Johnson failed to get a shot off before the final buzzer sounded, and the Lakers lost 124121 in overtime. Although Johnson's retirement prior to the 199293 NBA season voided this contract, Buss insisted that he still be paid. The Celtics won Game 4 in overtime, and the teams split the next two games. Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson has seen a different D'Angelo Russell from the one who started his career in purple and gold. Johnson is 6'9" tall. [197][198], In 1990, Johnson and Earl Graves Sr. obtained a large interest in the Washington, D.C. PepsiCo bottling operation, making it the company's largest minority-owned facility in the U.S.[199] Johnson became a minority owner of the Lakers in 1994, having reportedly paid more than $10million for part ownership.
Magic Johnson Commercial 1980 1 - YouTube Magic Johnson Net Worth 2022, Salary & Endorsements - Sportskeeda Magic Johnson reveals his son EJ's coming out - New York Post Magic Johnson opens up on living with HIV 30 years after his diagnosis "[3] Bleacher Report also listed Johnson first in its all-time NBA point guard rankings. "[28][33] Johnson could dominate a game without scoring, running the offense and distributing the ball with flair. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson shot the first part of the Converse commercial, and when it was time for lunch; Larry made a nice gesture towards his nemesis. [74] Johnson averaged another double-double season, with 17.6points, 13.1assists, and 7.3rebounds per game. [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.