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. May 3, 2021 Old Navy teamed up with NBA Hall-of-Fame superstar, Olympian, entrepreneur and philanthropistMagic Johnsonto share the success stories of three inspiring graduates from the This Way ONward (TWO) program through a video miniseries launched today. [154] He holds the All-Star Game single-game record for assists (22), and the All-Star Game record for career assists (127). [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. [226][227], To prevent his HIV infection from progressing to AIDS, Johnson takes a daily combination of drugs, also called a drug cocktail. 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. Johnson would often help his father on the garbage route, and he was teased by neighborhood children who called him "Garbage Man". The Lakers played poorly in a Game 1 loss, prompting Johnson to express frustration with his role in coach Del Harris' offense. However, after Johnson went down with a hamstring injury in Game 2, the Lakers were no match for the Pistons, who swept them 40. [143] He later joined the Danish team The Great Danes. He ultimately decided to attend Michigan State when coach Jud Heathcote told him he could play the point guard position. In this dramatic, exciting, and inspirational autobiography, Magic Johnson allows readers into his life, into his tirumphs and tragedies on and off . [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. [36] Johnson played with the team frequently over the next several years, with possibly the most memorable game occurring in November 2001. Real-Time Video Ad Creative Assessment While Charles Barkley, Samuel L. Jackson and Magic Johnson ready themselves for the Final Four of March Madness, Barkley shares that he got four percent cash back on his tickets via the Capital One Savor card. "Very European," says EJ Johnson, the son of Magic Johnson, as he recalls when he came out as gay to his father. [129] Playing power forward, he averaged 14.6points, 6.9assists, and 5.7rebounds per game in 32games, and finished tied for 12th place with Charles Barkley in voting for the MVP Award. The basketball game was part of festivities organized to celebrate Obama's 49th birthday. [92] Johnson later accused Isiah Thomas of spreading the rumors, a claim Thomas denied. The Celtics won Game 4 in overtime, and the teams split the next two games. There they faced the Chicago Bulls, led by shooting guard Michael Jordan, a five-time scoring champion regarded as the finest player of his era. [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. 1979 NCAA Championship Game. Bird was adamant that he would not appear in the Converse advert if it was filmed in LA. [85][86] The Lakers met the Celtics for the third time in the NBA Finals, and in Game 4 Johnson hit a last-second hook shot over Celtics big men Parish and Kevin McHale to win the game 107106. [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. [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. 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. By the time he had reached the eighth grade, Johnson had begun to think about a future in basketball. Other Facts: 9. Johnson and his wife, Cookie, also have a daughter named Elisa, whom they adopted in 1995. [68] During the championship series against the Sixers, Johnson averaged 16.2points on .533shooting, 10.8rebounds, 8.0assists, and 2.5steals per game. [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. His father played high school basketball in his home state of Mississippi,[29]and Johnson learned the finer points about the game from him. He shares his latest ventureMagic Johnson Development Corporationwhich develops commercial property in neglected urban and suburban neighborhoods. Magic, 62, posed alongside wife Cookie, sons EJ and Andre Johnson, daughter Elisa Johnson, and daughter-in-law Lisa Meyers Johnson, in a photo from the outing shared on Instagram. Magic Johnson: AIDS is still prevalent video 1991: Magic Johnson's HIV announcement On a recent March night in Los Angeles, Johnson again hugged Hydeia, his 6-foot-9 frame dwarfing her. Through investment, partnership and consultation, Magic Johnson Enterprises has a portfolio of companies that strategically work together to reinforce the organization's focus on serving emerging, multicultural communities. [44][130] The Lakers had a record of 2210 in the games Johnson played, and he considered his final comeback "a success. Suddenly, Earvin Johnson himself emerges out of a puff of smoke, and quickly makes it clear that they don't call him Magic for nothing. [16], Johnson initially said that he did not know how he contracted the disease,[16] but later acknowledged that it was through having numerous sexual partners during his playing career. [230] He has advertised GlaxoSmithKline's drugs,[231] and partnered with Abbott Laboratories to publicize the fight against AIDS in African American communities.[230]. [44] Jud Heathcote stepped down as coach of the Spartans after the 199495 season, and on June 8, 1995, Johnson returned to the Breslin Center to play in the Jud Heathcote All-Star Tribute Game. Following release of their self-titled, debut album in 1968, CCR would go on to sell more than 50 million albums worldwide. Magic Johnson is one proud father to his son Earvin "EJ" Johnson. [44] However, the Lakers bowed out to the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference semifinals, which was the Lakers' earliest playoffs elimination in nine years. [113], Johnson was chosen to compete in the Barcelona 1992 Summer Olympics for the U.S. national team, dubbed the "Dream Team" because of the NBA stars on the roster. [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. [223] In 2015, he once again endorsed Hillary Clinton in her second presidential campaign. [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. [144][145] The rivalry was also significant because it drew national attention to the faltering NBA. 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. Combining his playing career and sports ownership career, Johnson has 10 NBA championships, five each as a player and later as a minority owner of the Lakers. [179] In 1998, Johnson hosted a late night talk show on the Fox network called The Magic Hour, but the show was canceled after two months because of low ratings. Johnson's career achievements include three NBA MVP Awards, three NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Awards, nine NBA Finals appearances, 12 All-Star games, and nine All-NBA First Team selections. Earvin (Magic) Johnson, became one of the best NBA players for 13 years playing with the Lakers. [193][194] He has also made investments in urban real estate through the Canyon-Johnson and Yucaipa-Johnson funds. EJ was born June 4, 1992, during a turbulent time in Magic's life. The year was 2010, and scarves were in. [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. Although Andre was raised by his mother, he visited Johnson each summer, and later worked for Magic Johnson Enterprises as a marketing director. 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. There were incidents of racism, with rocks being thrown at buses carrying black students and white parents refusing to send their children to school. [177] It was this arrangement that allowed Johnson to coach the team without receiving any additional salary. According to sports journalist Larry Schwartz of ESPN, Johnson and Bird saved the NBA from bankruptcy. His favorite basketball player was Bill Russell, whom he admired more for his many championships than his athletic ability. [87] The game-winning shot, which Johnson dubbed his "junior, junior, junior sky-hook",[87] helped Los Angeles defeat Boston in six games. "[125] Amid speculation from general manager Jerry West that he may only coach until the end of the season,[125] Johnson took over a team that had a 2838 record, and won his first game as head coach, a 110101 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. [91] Johnson and Thomas greeted each other with a kiss on the cheek before the opening tip of Game 1, which they called a display of brotherly love. About Starbucks Corporation [37], Although Johnson was recruited by several top-ranked colleges such as Indiana and UCLA, he decided to play close to home. [11] His friendship and rivalry with Boston Celtics star Larry Bird, whom he faced in the 1979 NCAA finals and three NBA championship series, are well documented. [28] His career 138triple-double games places him third all-time behind Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook. [213] He won the WNBA championship as the owner in 2016. 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. [63][64] Early in the 198182 season, Johnson had a heated dispute with Westhead, who Johnson said made the Lakers "slow" and "predictable". Johnson stated that his aim was to "help educate all people about what [HIV] is about" and teach others not to "discriminate against people who have HIV and AIDS". [26] He also idolized players such as Earl Monroe and Marques Haynes,[27] and practiced "all day". During his seventh season in the NBA, he had a meeting with Michael Ovitz, CEO of Creative Artists Agency. [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. [74] Johnson averaged another double-double season, with 17.6points, 13.1assists, and 7.3rebounds per game. 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. "[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. [131][132] He missed two games and was stripped of his title as team captain. [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. As. [20], Earvin Johnson Jr. was born in Lansing, Michigan, to General Motors assembly worker Earvin Sr. and school janitor Christine. April 12, 2012 4:54am. [23] Johnson looked forward to playing at Sexton High School, a school with a very successful basketball team and history that also happened to be only five blocks from his home. Coming off the bench, Johnson had 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 10 assists to help the Lakers to a 128118 victory. While Johnson is considered the leader of the ownership group, the controlling owner is Mark Walter, chief executive officer for Guggenheim Partners. LOS ANGELES, CA Magic Johnson and health insurance giant Cigna have teamed up to fight health disparities in POC communities within Los Angeles. 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. "I think D'Angelo has really grown and matured," Johnson said . [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. Magic Johnson and Larry Bird met for the first time in the NCAA national championship. 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. [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. [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. Earvin "Magic" Johnson 's fame skyrockets on and off the court in HBO's new trailer for Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty . [15] His public announcement of his HIV-positive status helped dispel the stereotype, still widely held at the time, that HIV was a "gay disease" that heterosexuals need not worry about; his bravery in making this announcement was widely commended. "[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. It got me out of my own little world and taught me how to understand white people, how to communicate and deal with them. 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]. [227] Johnson was later criticized by the AIDS community for his decreased involvement in publicizing the spread of the disease. We give our clients and partners the edge needed to effectively capitalize on the growing purchasing power and value of multicultural communities. And the first few months, I was miserable at Everett. [72] In a losing effort against Philadelphia, Johnson averaged 19.0points on .403shooting, 12.5assists, and 7.8rebounds per game. [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. 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. Magic Johnson: My Life. [204], In 2015, Johnson completed his planned acquisition for a "majority, controlling interest" in EquiTrust Life Insurance Company, which manages $14.5 billion in annuities, life insurance and other financial products. Taking a look at his Instagram we can see how clothes are one of his biggest passions. They also toured the United States, playing five games against teams from the CBA. Despite two triple-doubles from Johnson during the series, Finals MVP Jordan led his team to a 41win. [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. Johnson was honored as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996 and selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021, and became a two-time inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famebeing enshrined in 2002 for his individual career, and again in 2010 as a member of the "Dream Team". Our company We Build Businesses [177] Johnson credits Buss with giving him the business knowledge that enabled him to become part owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers. He had become more powerful and stronger than in his earlier years, but was also slower and less nimble. "[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.