Magic Johnson
After growing up in Lansing, Michigan, Earvin “Magic” Johnson Jr. took his basketball talent to Michigan State University. He reached the NCAA Tournament's Elite Eight and the championship game in his two respective years with the Spartans and then declared for the 1979 NBA Draft.
The Los Angeles Lakers took Johnson with the first overall pick, setting into motion 13 seasons with the franchise. Considered one of the best point guards of all time, Magic won five championships and an NBA Finals MVP with the Showtime Lakers. Following an HIV diagnosis in 1991, he retired from the NBA to address his health. Johnson did represent the United States at the 1992 Olympics, winning a gold medal with the Dream Team. After returning to the Lakers for one season, he retired for the final time in 1996.
In 2002, Johnson entered the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as both an NBA player and member of the Olympic Dream Team. He served as the Lakers' President of Basketball Operations from 2017 to 2019. The now-62-year-old continues to advocate for HIV/AIDS prevention and safety.
- Former teams: Los Angeles Lakers
- Position: Point guard, shooting guard, and power forward
- Height: 6'9″
- Accomplishments: Five-time NBA champion, three-time Finals MVP, 12-time All-Star, 10-time All-NBA, and 2002 Hall of Fame induction
- Drafted: No. 1 overall in 1979 by the Los Angeles Lakers
- Shoots: Right
- Nicknames: Magic, The Magic Man, Tragic, E.J. the Deejay
Visit Magic Johnson's Basketball Reference page.
Read the latest articles about Magic Johnson:
Magic Johnson had to sweat it out, but he finally got what he wanted during Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record-setting night in 1984.
For all of Larry Bird's raw talent and NBA success, he wasn't a perfect player. Allow Magic Johnson to explain the forward's one flaw.
Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson was must-see TV for NBA fans back in the 1980s.
Magic Johnson says he wishes he had picked up the phone and called LeBron James back in 2019.
Michael Jordan was obviously an incredible basketball player, but Magic Johnson saw His Airness' strength through another lens.
Kisses turned into elbows when Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas met in the NBA Finals during the late 1980s.
Larry Bird beat Magic Johnson for Rookie of the Year by a wide margin, and Magic still isn't too happy.
While Magic Johnson was making plenty of money playing basketball, he still scored some extra cash from Jerry Buss during trips to Sin City.
When Tim Hardaway faced Magic Johnson and his Lakers, he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Thankfully, Don Nelson intervened.
With Kareem Abdul-Jabbar sitting out, the LA Lakers clinched the 1980 NBA title with a Game 6 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
