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. About Starbucks Corporation [13][169] The couple adopted a daughter, Elisa, in 1995. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson spent years competing against each other and being compared to each other. "I think D'Angelo has really grown and matured," Johnson said . Michael B. Jordan, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Fanatics.com TV Spot, 'All-In Challenge' Featuring Kevin Hart, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen DeGeneres, Samsung Galaxy Note II TV Spot, 'Big Day' Featuring LeBron James, NBA TV Spot, 'This Is Why We Play: Anthem', AT&T Wireless TV Spot, 'The Codes We Live By' Feat. In the past 30 days, commercials featuring Magic Johnson have had 27,434 airings. 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. After protests from his fellow players, he retired again for four years, but returned in 1996, at age 36, to play 32games for the Lakers before retiring for the third and final time. What Is Magic Johnson's Net Worth? LOS ANGELES, CA Magic Johnson and health insurance giant Cigna have teamed up to fight health disparities in POC communities within Los Angeles. With help from the HBO . Johnson and his wife, Cookie, also have a daughter named Elisa, whom they adopted in 1995. [83], Johnson again averaged a double-double in the 198586 NBA season, with 18.8points, 12.6assists, and 5.9rebounds per game. [227] In 1992, he joined the National Commission on AIDS, a committee appointed by members of Congress and the Bush Administration. [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. [227] Johnson was later criticized by the AIDS community for his decreased involvement in publicizing the spread of the disease. [103][104] Although the series was portrayed as a matchup between Johnson and Jordan,[105] Bulls forward Scottie Pippen defended effectively against Johnson. Magic's son EJ Johnson, 29, wore a fabulous silver sequined gown paired thigh-high black boots for the big moment, accessorizing with diamond necklaces and a black clutch. [223] In 2015, he once again endorsed Hillary Clinton in her second presidential campaign. The rising reality star is the son of NBA legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson and his wife, Earlitha "Cookie" Johnson. "Earvin Johnson" redirects here. 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 [221] In 2012, he endorsed Barack Obama for president. Despite two triple-doubles from Johnson during the series, Finals MVP Jordan led his team to a 41win. [226][227], To prevent his HIV infection from progressing to AIDS, Johnson takes a daily combination of drugs, also called a drug cocktail. "[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. [10] [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. Earvin (Magic) Johnson, became one of the best NBA players for 13 years playing with the Lakers. 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. Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). 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] 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. [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. Earvin "Magic" Johnson is the only NBA rookie to date to receive the Finals MVP Award. He went to Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz with the idea that he could successfully open the coffee shops in urban areas. The first Magic Johnson Theater located in the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, closed in 2010 and re-opened in 2011 as Rave Cinema 15. In his own way, he is becoming a fashion reference and an example for the transgender community. 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. [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. [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. With the Google Pixel 6, Serbian fans become fans of the Nuggets with the help of the smartphone's translation feature. Coming off the bench, Johnson had 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 10 assists to help the Lakers to a 128118 victory. 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. Learn more at www.magicjohnsonenterprises.com. [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". . "I always said Larry Bird and Magic Johnson are the two most important people in NBA history," Barkley said. Johnson's son Earvin III was born in 1992. [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. Our company We Build Businesses Random House. Apple TV+ today announced "They Call Me Magic," the highly anticipated four-part documentary event that takes an illuminating, holistic look into the life and career of one of the world's most iconic figures, Earvin "Magic" Johnson, will premiere April 22 on Apple TV+. [192] The experience taught him to listen to his customers and find out what products they wanted. 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 you can now add to that list one Earvin "Magic" Johnson. [181][182] Johnson also co-promoted Janet Jackson's Velvet Rope Tour through his company Magicworks. April 12, 2012 4:54am. Peter Guber, who is the co-owner of the Golden State Warriors, owns a small stake in the Dodgers along with Johnson. [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. "[134] Johnson was himself suspended five days later, when he bumped referee Scott Foster, missing three games. [25], Johnson came to love basketball as a young man. Although they were facing the defending NBA champion Houston Rockets, the Lakers had home court advantage in the five-game series. They're Midwesterners, they were bigger players who handled the ball skillfully and they thought about their teammates' success. [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. "In the. (LAFC) of Major League Soccer (MLS) in 2017. [44] The Lakers again reached the Finals, and for a third time faced the Sixers, who featured center Moses Malone as well as Erving. Johnson's half-court shot at the buzzer would have won the game, but it fell short. Magic Johnson might be a legendary basketball player, but to his three kids, his most important role is dad. "I've . "[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. Speaking to media just hours after Buss had died, Johnson was emotional, saying, "Without Dr. Jerry Buss, there is no Magic. [212], Together with Guggenheim, Johnson was also involved in the February 2014 purchase of the Los Angeles Sparks team in the WNBA. He said that he retired because he "didn't want to hurt the game. 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. [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. [111] Johnson led the West to a 153113win and was crowned All-Star MVP after recording 25points, 9assists, and 5rebounds. The book detailed their on-court rivalry and friendship with one another. [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. [170] Johnson resides in Beverly Hills and has a vacation home in Dana Point, California. [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. 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. [171][172], Johnson is a Christian[173] and has said his faith is "the most important thing" in his life. [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. Agency SVP, group creative director Ryan Carroll believes one campaign concept could have some legs IRL. He also has a son, Andre Johnson, from a previous relationship. However, after Johnson went down with a hamstring injury in Game 2, the Lakers were no match for the Pistons, who swept them 40. [154] He holds the All-Star Game single-game record for assists (22), and the All-Star Game record for career assists (127). [128] Despite these difficulties, the Lakers finished with a record of 5329 and fourth seed in the NBA Playoffs. [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. By the time he had reached the eighth grade, Johnson had begun to think about a future in basketball. [224] He hosted a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign on August 22, 2016. [133] Nick Van Exel received a seven-game suspension for bumping referee Ron Garretson during a game on April 9. Larry was kicked off the basketball team after a confrontation during practice, prompting him to beg his brother not to play. Kenan Draughorne. 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]. By using iSpot.tv, you accept our, Visit California TV Spot, 'Living the Dream' Feat. 4/2/2013 8:45 AM PT. [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". [155] Johnson is the only player in NBA Finals history to have triple-doubles in multiple series-clinching games. Larry Bird's college career was taking off at Indiana State after Bird almost quit college after originally attempting to go to Indiana University.. As a senior at Indiana State, Bird led his school to a 33-0 record. There were incidents of racism, with rocks being thrown at buses carrying black students and white parents refusing to send their children to school. The 1986 commercial shows Magic rolling up in a limo and Larry was waiting in knee-high socks, short shorts, and new . Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player. [95] It was the fifth and final NBA championship of his career. 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". [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. [28] In the last championship series of his career, Johnson averaged 18.6points on .431shooting, 12.4assists, and 8.0rebounds per game. [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. 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). Magic Johnson 's 20-year-old son hit the Sunset Strip, hand in hand with his boyfriend . He is known to have owned 105 Starbucks outlets and a 4.5% stake in . When did Magic Johnson have his son? [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. Earvin "Magic" Johnson is sharing his story in the upcoming four-part docuseries They Call Me Magic, which will stream on Apple TV+ April 22. [188][189] In 2004, Johnson and his partner Ken Lombard sold Magic Johnson Theaters to Loews Cineplex Entertainment. Johnson retired abruptly in 1991 after announcing that he had contracted HIV, but returned to play in the 1992 All-Star Game, winning the All-Star MVP Award. Earvin "Magic" Johnson, William Novak. [37], Although Johnson was recruited by several top-ranked colleges such as Indiana and UCLA, he decided to play close to home. 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. [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. The game was played at a gym inside Fort McNair, and reporters covering the president were not allowed to enter. [191], Johnson began thinking of life after basketball while still playing with the Lakers. [38] His college decision came down to Michigan and Michigan State in East Lansing. [44] The Lakers advanced to the Western Conference Finals, but were unable to defeat the Houston Rockets, who advanced to the Finals in five games. [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. [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. [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. 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 . Similarly, Bird admitted that Johnson's daily box score was the first thing he checked in the morning. 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. 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). He was 20 years old and the year was 1980. The rivalry with Larry Bird, another NBA superstar, began in college. [28] The Spartans reached the Elite Eight, but lost narrowly to eventual national champion Kentucky. [153] He is the only player to average 12 assists in an NBA Finals series, achieving it six times. [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. Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan are two of the greatest players of all time. The majority of NBA fans consider Jordan to be the best ever, with Magic being the best point guard ever. [120] The 1992 event, which was the first one held after Johnson's appearance in the 1992 Olympics, raised over $1.3 million for UNCF. [40], Before the 199293 NBA season, Johnson announced his intention to stage an NBA comeback. [151], In 905NBA games, Johnson tallied 17,707points, 6,559rebounds, and 10,141assists, translating to career averages of 19.5points, 7.2rebounds, and 11.2assists per game, the highest assists per game average in NBA history. [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. [230] He has advertised GlaxoSmithKline's drugs,[231] and partnered with Abbott Laboratories to publicize the fight against AIDS in African American communities.[230]. 1,006 ratings37 reviews. Johnson delivers a passionate message about his life story and everyone can make a difference their own community. [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. 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. The Lakers took a 32lead in the series, but Abdul-Jabbar, who averaged 33points a game in the series,[53] sprained his ankle in Game 5 and could not play in Game 6. 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. [3][4][5][6] Johnson played 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). [112] The game ended after he made a last-minute three-pointer, and players from both teams ran onto the court to congratulate Johnson. 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.