He had become a dominant junior high player, once scoring 48 points in a game. After practicing and playing in several pre-season games, he retired again before the start of the regular season, citing controversy over his return sparked by opposition from several active players. NBA Legend Magic Johnson Discusses Ecolab Science Certified Partnership with Forbes Johnson underscores how the Ecolab Science Certified program is helping businesses advance cleaner, safer practices and people reclaim their social lives September 29, 2021 [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. [125][127] Johnson, who still had a guaranteed player contract that would pay him $14.6 million during the 199495 NBA season, signed a separate contract to coach the team that had no compensation. [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. In 1992, Buss had given Johnson a contract that paid him $14 million a year, as payback for all the years he was not the league's highest-paid player. A Defining Lunch. He also missed several games due to a calf injury. 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. 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. Johnson and his wife, Cookie, also have a daughter named Elisa, whom they adopted in 1995. [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. [74] Johnson averaged another double-double season, with 17.6points, 13.1assists, and 7.3rebounds per game. And the first few months, I was miserable at Everett. Although Andre was raised by his mother, he visited Johnson each summer, and later worked for Magic Johnson Enterprises as a marketing director. [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. [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. The retired point guard welcomed his first child, son Andre, 42, with ex-girlfriend. [39], Johnson did not initially aspire to play professionally, focusing instead on his communication studies major and his desire to become a television commentator. 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. As. [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. [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. Luka Doncic Smashes Magic Johnson Record in Mavericks Win. [209] The Dodgers won the 2020 World Series, giving Johnson a Major League Baseball title to his credit. [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. [19][218], Johnson is a supporter of the Democratic Party. [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. For the NBA center, see, Two moments of Johnson during his tour with the All-Stars to Argentina in January 1994: (left) greeting a local player; (right) hugging soccer superstar, HIV announcement and Olympics (19911992), Return to the Lakers as coach and player (1994, 1996). [112] The game ended after he made a last-minute three-pointer, and players from both teams ran onto the court to congratulate Johnson. Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player. [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. The game was played at a gym inside Fort McNair, and reporters covering the president were not allowed to enter. ISBN0-449-22254-3. [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. Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. and his family wife Cookie, daughter Elisa and sons Andre and EJ were joined by a star-studded roster of celebrities and professional athletes [10] [223] In 2015, he once again endorsed Hillary Clinton in her second presidential campaign. 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. [3][4][5][6] Johnson played 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). [190] In 2012, Johnson launched a cable TV network called Aspire, featuring programming targeted at black audiences, similar to networks such as Black Entertainment Television (BET) and TV One. 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". [33] In an August 2011 interview, Johnson said that in retrospect he wished that he had never retired after being diagnosed with HIV, saying, "If I knew what I know now, I wouldn't have retired. "I always said Larry Bird and Magic Johnson are the two most important people in NBA history," Barkley said. 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. [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. Our company We Build Businesses "We think there is a lot of fun to be had with the Barkleylounger," he says. [181][182] Johnson also co-promoted Janet Jackson's Velvet Rope Tour through his company Magicworks. 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. [158] ESPN's SportsCentury ranked Johnson No. Similarly, Bird admitted that Johnson's daily box score was the first thing he checked in the morning. He also has a son, Andre Johnson, from a previous relationship. Double your traffic. [107] He admitted to having "harems of women" and talked openly about his sexual activities because "he was convinced that heterosexuals needed to know that they, too, were at risk". [33] He was selected to the 197879 All-American team for his performance that season. 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. Johnson says he agreed to it, but he was nervous because he had . 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. 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. In what was the most-watched college basketball game ever,[42] Michigan State defeated Indiana State 7564, and Johnson was voted Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. Learn more at www.magicjohnsonenterprises.com. From Magic Johnson Theaters and Starbucks to Simply Healthcare and The Dodgers, MJE is a measurable success factor in achieving significant return on investment. With so many ways to love the NBA, Google says the Pixel 6 is built for all fans. [206], In January 2012, Johnson joined with Guggenheim Partners and Stan Kasten in a bid for ownership of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team. [164] Under Johnson, the Lakers sought to acquire multiple star players and cleared existing players, including future All-Star D'Angelo Russell, off of their roster in an attempt to free up room under the league's salary cap. 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. Magic Johnson and Larry Bird met for the first time in the NCAA national championship. [44] Johnson shares the single-game playoff record for assists (24),[152] holds the Finals record for assists in a game (21),[152] and has the most playoff assists (2,346). [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. [28], At the age of 36, Johnson attempted another comeback as a player when he re-joined the Lakers during the 199596 NBA season. "A Midsummer Night's Magic" eventually came under the umbrella of the Magic Johnson Foundation, which he founded in 1991. Basketball legends Larry Bird and Earvin "Magic" Johnson visited the "Late Show With David Letterman" Wednesday to discuss their friendship - which began in . [192] The partnership, called Urban Coffee Opportunities, placed Starbucks in locations such as Detroit, Washington, D.C., Harlem, and the Crenshaw District of Los Angeles. [76][77] During the Finals, Johnson averaged 18.0points on .560shooting, 13.6assists, and 7.7rebounds per game. Nov 4, 2021 at 12:46 pm ET 1 min read. [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. [33], Despite their on-court rivalry, Johnson and Bird became close friends during the filming of a 1984 Converse shoe advertisement that depicted them as enemies. [56][160][161] At the 2019 NBA Awards, Johnson received the NBA Lifetime Achievement Award (shared with Bird). [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. They became friends . He won 3 MVP Awards, appeared in 9 NBA Finals, was All-Star 12 times, and led the Lakers to the championship four times during the 1980s. [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. "Earvin Johnson" redirects here. . [111] Johnson led the West to a 153113win and was crowned All-Star MVP after recording 25points, 9assists, and 5rebounds. [28] In the last championship series of his career, Johnson averaged 18.6points on .431shooting, 12.4assists, and 8.0rebounds 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. [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. [77][92][93] After the teams split the first six games, Lakers forward and Finals MVP James Worthy had his first career triple-double of 36points, 16rebounds, and 10assists, and led his team to a 108105win. Buss took a special interest in Johnson, introducing him to important Los Angeles business contacts and showing him how the Lakers organization was run, before eventually selling Johnson a stake in the team in 1994. 4.05. [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. With the Google Pixel 6, Serbian fans become fans of the Nuggets with the help of the smartphone's translation feature. [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. [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. 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. "We had. 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. Coming off the bench, Johnson had 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 10 assists to help the Lakers to a 128118 victory. [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. The Celtics won Game 4 in overtime, and the teams split the next two games. Johnson did join the basketball team but became angry after several days when his new teammates ignored him during practice, not even passing the ball to him. The book detailed their on-court rivalry and friendship with one another. 5, Magic Johnson combined dazzling playmaking with charisma to lead the Showtime Lakers to five titles", "Magic Johnson vs. Stephen Curry: Does Warriors star have stats case to surpass Lakers legend as GOAT point guard? July 16, 2021 Ecolab, a provider of water, food safety and infection prevention solutions, is teaming up with Magic Johnson to launch the #TakeBackYourSocialLife campaign as part of a larger initiative to support the return of business across the foodservice industry. In 1994, Johnson joined with former pros Mark Aguirre, Reggie Theus, John Long, Earl Cureton, Jim Farmer, and Lester Conner, as his team played games in Australia, Israel, South America, Europe, New Zealand, and Japan. The superstars' fiery relationship cooled after filming a 1985 Converse commercial filmed in French Lick, Ind., Bird's hometown. In the final minute of the game, Johnson had the ball stolen by Celtics center Robert Parish, and then missed two free throws that could have won the game. They're Midwesterners, they were bigger players who handled the ball skillfully and they thought about their teammates' success. "[28] Fellow Lakers guard Michael Cooper said, "There have been times when [Johnson] has thrown passes and I wasn't sure where he was going. [187] In 2006, Johnson created a contract food service with Sodexo USA called Sodexo-Magic. [33] Johnson dedicated the championship victory to his best friend Reggie Chastine, who was killed in a car accident the previous summer. [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. [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. $620 MILLION From his salary as a basketball player to endorsements and on-camera opportunities to his many, many businesses and investments, Johnson has. We give our clients and partners the edge needed to effectively capitalize on the growing purchasing power and value of multicultural communities. Larry was kicked off the basketball team after a confrontation during practice, prompting him to beg his brother not to play. "[3] Bleacher Report also listed Johnson first in its all-time NBA point guard rankings. Prior to Johnson and Bird's arrival, the NBA had gone through a decade of declining interest and low TV ratings. Johnson was awarded his third Finals MVP title after averaging 26.2points on .541shooting, 13.0assists, 8.0rebounds, and 2.33steals per game.
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