Magic johnson biography video
Magic biography earvin johnson: April 9, 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. Archived from the original on February 23, The Huffington Post.
Magic Johnson
American basketball player and entrepreneur (born )
For other uses, see Magic Johnson (disambiguation).
"Earvin Johnson" redirects here. For the NBA center, see Ervin Johnson.
Johnson in | |
| Born | () August 14, (age&#;65) Lansing, Michigan, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Listed height | 6&#;ft 9&#;in (&#;m) |
| Listed weight | &#;lb (&#;kg)[1] |
| High school | Everett (Lansing, Michigan) |
| College | Michigan State (–) |
| NBA draft | 1st round, 1st overall pick |
| Selected by the Los Angeles Lakers | |
| Playing career | –, , – |
| Position | Point guard |
| Number | 32 |
| –, | Los Angeles Lakers |
| – | Magic M7 Borås |
| Magic Great Danes | |
| Los Angeles Lakers | |
| |
| Points | 17, ( ppg) |
| Rebounds | 6, ( rpg) |
| Assists | 10, ( apg) |
| Stats at &#; | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
| Basketball Hall of Fame | |
| Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame | |
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, ) is an American businessman and former professional basketball player.
Often regarded as the greatest point guard of all time,[3][4][5][6] Johnson spent his entire career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Magic johnson biography video February 20, Johnson joined Shaquille O'Neal and celebrity coach Spike Lee to lead the blue team to a — victory over the white team, which was coached by Arsenio Hall. During his retirement, Johnson began intense workouts to help his fight against HIV, raising his bench press from to pounds, and increasing his weight to pounds. Grammy Awards.After winning a national championship with the Michigan State Spartans in , Johnson was selected first overall in the NBA draft by the Lakers, leading the team to five NBA championships during their "Showtime" era. Johnson retired abruptly in after announcing that he had contracted HIV, but returned to play in the All-Star Game, winning the All-Star MVP Award.
After protests against his return from his fellow players, he retired again for four years, but returned in , at age 36, to play 32&#;games for the Lakers before retiring for the third and final time.
Known for his extraordinary court vision, passing abilities, and leadership, Johnson was one of the most dominant players of his era.
His career achievements include three NBA Most Valuable Player Awards, three NBA Finals MVPs, nine All-NBA First Team designations, and twelve All-Star games selections. 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 ( assists per game) and the playoffs ( assists per game).[7][8] He also holds the records for most career playoff assists and most career playoff triple-doubles.[9][10] Johnson was the co-captain of the United States men's Olympic basketball team ("The Dream Team"),[11] which won the Olympic gold medal in Barcelona; Johnson hence became one of eight players to achieve the basketball Triple Crown.
After leaving the NBA in , he formed the Magic Johnson All-Stars, a barnstorming team that traveled around the world playing exhibition games.[12]
Johnson was honored as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in and selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in , and became a two-time inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame—being enshrined in for his individual career and as a member of the Dream Team in [13] His friendship and rivalry with Boston Celtics star Larry Bird, whom he faced in the NCAA finals and three NBA championship series, are well-documented.
Since his retirement, Johnson has been an advocate for HIV/AIDS prevention and safe sex,[14] as well as an entrepreneur,[15] philanthropist,[16] broadcaster, and motivational speaker.[17] Johnson is a former part-owner of the Lakers and was the team's president of basketball operations in the late s.
He is a founding member of Guggenheim Baseball Management, managing entity of MLB's Los Angeles Dodgers, and is additionally part of ownership groups of the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks, MLS' Los Angeles FC, the NFL's Washington Commanders, and the NWSL's Washington Spirit.
Johnson has won 15 total championships during his career; one in college, five as an NBA player, and nine as an owner.[18][19] In , President Joe Biden honored Johnson with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award of the United States.[20][21]
Early life
Earvin Johnson Jr.
was born in Lansing, Michigan, to General Motors assembly worker Earvin Sr. and school janitor Christine.[22] Johnson, who had six siblings and three half-siblings by his father's previous marriage,[23][24][a] was influenced by his parents' strong work ethic.
His mother spent many hours after work each night cleaning their home and preparing the next day's meals, while his father did janitorial work at a used car lot and collected garbage, all while never missing a day at General Motors. Johnson would often help his father on the garbage route, and he was teased by neighborhood children who called him "Garbage Man".[26] His mother raised him in the Seventh-day Adventist Church.[27][28]
Johnson came to love basketball as a young man.
His favorite basketball player growing up was Bill Russell, whom he admired more for his many championships than his athletic ability.[29] He also idolized players such as Earl Monroe and Marques Haynes,[30] and practiced "all day".[31] Johnson came from an athletic family.
His father played high school basketball in his home state of Mississippi,[32] and Johnson learned the finer points about the game from him. Johnson's mother, originally from North Carolina,[32] had also played basketball as a child, and she grew up watching her brothers play the game.[29]
By the time he had reached the eighth grade, Johnson had begun to think about a future in basketball.
He had become a dominant junior high player, once scoring 48 points in a game.[24] 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. 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,[29][33] which was predominantly black.[24][34] Johnson's sister Pearl and brother Larry had bused to Everett the previous year and did not have a pleasant experience.
There were incidents of racism, with rocks being thrown at buses carrying black students and white parents refusing to send their children to school. Larry was kicked off the basketball team after a confrontation during practice, prompting him to beg his brother not to play. 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.
He nearly got into a fight with another player before head coach George Fox intervened. Eventually, Johnson accepted his situation and the small group of black students looked to him as their leader.[24] 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.
It's true that I hated missing out on Sexton.
Earvin magic johnson autobiography During Johnson's twelve years with the Lakers, the team won five championships. Archived from the original on February 16, Retrieved December 27, BMO Stadium.And the first few months, I was miserable at Everett. But being bused to Everett turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened to me. It got me out of my own little world and taught me how to understand white people, how to communicate and deal with them.[24]
High school career
Johnson was first dubbed "Magic" at 15, when he recorded a triple-double of 36&#;points, 18&#;rebounds, and 16&#;assists as a sophomore at Everett.[31] After the game, Fred Stabley Jr., a sports writer for the Lansing State Journal, gave him the moniker[35] despite the belief of Johnson's mother, a devout Christian, that the name was sacrilegious.[31] In his final high school season, Johnson led Everett to a 27–1 win–loss record while averaging &#;points and&#; rebounds per game,[31] and took his team to an overtime victory in the state championship game.[36] Johnson dedicated the championship victory to his best friend Reggie Chastine, who was killed in a car accident the previous summer.[37] He gave Chastine much of the credit for his development as a basketball player and as a person,[38] saying years later, "I doubted myself back then."[39] Johnson and Chastine were almost always together, playing basketball or riding around in Chastine's car.[26] Upon learning of Chastine's death, Magic ran from his home, crying uncontrollably.[39] 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.[37] He was also named to the inaugural McDonald's All-American team, which played in the Capital Classic.[40][41]
College career
Although Johnson was recruited by several top-ranked colleges such as Indiana and UCLA, he decided to play close to home.[42] His college decision came down to Michigan and Michigan State in East Lansing.
He ultimately decided to attend Michigan State when coach Jud Heathcote told him he could play the point guard position. The talent already on Michigan State's roster also drew him to the program.[43]
Johnson did not initially aspire to play professionally, focusing instead on his communication studiesmajor and desire to become a television commentator.[44] Playing with future NBA draftees Greg Kelser, Jay Vincent, and Mike Brkovich, Johnson averaged &#;points, &#;rebounds, and &#;assists per game as a freshman, and led the Spartans to a 25–5&#;record, the Big Ten Conference title, and a berth in the NCAA tournament.[31] The Spartans reached the Elite Eight, but lost narrowly to eventual national champion Kentucky.[45]
During the –79 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.
In what was the most-watched college basketball game ever,[46] Michigan State defeated Indiana State 75–64, and Johnson was voted Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four.[36] He was selected to the –79 All-American team for his performance that season.[47] After two years in college, during which he averaged &#;points, &#;rebounds, and &#;assists per game, Johnson entered the NBA draft.[48] Jud Heathcote stepped down as coach of the Spartans after the –95 season, and on June 8, , Johnson returned to the Breslin Center to play in the Jud Heathcote All-Star Tribute Game.
He led all scorers with 39 points.[49]
Professional career
See also: Showtime (basketball)
Rookie season in the NBA (–)
Johnson was drafted first overall in by the Los Angeles Lakers. Johnson said that what was "most amazing" about joining the Lakers was the chance to play alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,[50] the team's 7&#;ft 2&#;in (&#;m) center who became the leading scorer in NBA history.[51] 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.[52] Lakers coach Jack McKinney had the 6-footinch (&#;m) 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.[54] Johnson averaged &#;points, &#;rebounds, and &#;assists per game for the season, was selected to the NBA All-Rookie Team, and was named an NBA All-Star Game starter.[55]
The Lakers compiled a 60–22&#;record in the regular season and reached the NBA Finals,[56] where they faced the Philadelphia 76ers, who were led by forwardJulius Erving.
The Lakers took a 3–2&#;lead in the series, but Abdul-Jabbar, who averaged 33&#;points a game in the series,[57] sprained his ankle in Game 5 and could not play in Game 6.[52] Coach Paul Westhead, who had replaced McKinney early in the season after he had a near-fatal bicycle accident,[58] decided to start Johnson at center in Game 6; Johnson recorded 42&#;points, 15&#;rebounds, 7&#;assists, and 3 steals in a – win, while playing guard, forward, and center at different times during the game.[52] Johnson became the only rookie to win the NBA Finals MVP award,[52] with his performances in the clutch regarded among the best in NBA history.[3][59][60] He also became one of four players to win NCAA and NBA championships in consecutive years.[61]
Ups and downs (–)
Early in the –81 season, Johnson was sidelined after he suffered torn cartilage in his left knee.
He missed 45&#;games,[48] and said that his rehabilitation was the "most down" he had ever felt.[62] Johnson returned before the start of the 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".[63] The win Lakers faced the 40–42 Houston Rockets in the first round of playoffs,[64][65] where Houston upset the Lakers 2–1 after Johnson airballed a last-second shot in Game 3.[66]
In , after the –81 season, Johnson signed a year, $25&#;million contract with the Lakers (equivalent to $84,, in ), which was the highest-paying contract in sports history up to that point.[67][68] Early in the –82 season, Johnson had a heated dispute with Westhead, who Johnson said made the Lakers "slow" and "predictable".[69] After Johnson demanded to be traded, Lakers owner Jerry Buss fired Westhead and replaced him with Riley.
Magic johnson new book Article Talk. NBA 50th Anniversary Team. Archived from the original on September 21, Retrieved January 4,Although Johnson denied responsibility for Westhead's firing,[70] he was booed across the league, even by Laker fans.[31] Buss was also unhappy with the Lakers' offense and had intended on firing Westhead days before the Westhead–Johnson altercation, but assistant GM Jerry West and GM Bill Sharman had convinced Buss to delay his decision.[71] Despite his off-court troubles, Johnson averaged &#;points, &#;rebounds, &#;assists, and a league-high &#;steals per game, and was voted a member of the All-NBA Second Team.[48] He also joined Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson as the only NBA players to tally at least &#;points, &#;rebounds, and &#;assists in the same season.[36] The Lakers advanced through the playoffs and faced Philadelphia for the second time in three years in the NBA Finals.
After a triple-double from Johnson in Game 6, the Lakers defeated the Sixers 4–2, as Johnson won his second NBA Finals MVP award.[72] During the championship series against the Sixers, Johnson averaged &#;points on &#;shooting, &#;rebounds, &#;assists, and &#;steals per game.[73] Johnson later said that his third season was when the Lakers first became a great team,[74] and he credited their success to Riley.[75]
During the –83 NBA season, Johnson's first of nine consecutive double-double seasons, he averaged &#;points, &#;assists, and &#;rebounds per game, and earned his first All-NBA First Team nomination.[48] The Lakers again reached the Finals, and for a third time faced the Sixers, who featured centerMoses Malone as well as Erving.[76] 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.[76] In a losing effort against Philadelphia, Johnson averaged &#;points on &#;shooting, &#;assists, and &#;rebounds per game.[77]
Battles against the Celtics (–)
Prior to Johnson's fifth season, West—who had become the Lakers general manager—traded Nixon to free Johnson from sharing the ball-handling responsibilities.[78] Johnson averaged another double-double season, with &#;points, &#;assists, and &#;rebounds per game.[48] The Lakers reached the Finals for the third year in a row, where Johnson's Lakers and Bird's Celtics met for the first time in the postseason.[79] The Lakers won the first game, and led by two points in Game 2 with 18&#;seconds 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 – in overtime.[79] In Game 3, Johnson responded with 21&#;assists in a – win, but he made several crucial errors late in the contest during Game 4.
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. The Celtics won Game 4 in overtime, and the teams split the next two games. In the decisive Game 7 in Boston, as the Lakers trailed by three points in the final minute, opposing point guard Dennis Johnson stole the ball from Johnson, a play that effectively ended the series.[79] Friends Isiah Thomas and Mark Aguirre consoled him that night, talking until the morning in his Boston hotel room amidst fan celebrations on the street.[80][81] During the Finals, Johnson averaged &#;points on &#;shooting, &#;assists, and &#;rebounds per game.[82] Johnson later described the series as "the one championship we should have had but didn't get".[83]
In the –85 regular season, Johnson averaged &#;points, &#;assists, and &#;rebounds per game, and led the Lakers into the NBA Finals, where they faced the Celtics again.
The series started poorly for the Lakers when they allowed an NBA Finals record &#;points to the Celtics in a point loss in Game 1.[84] However, Abdul-Jabbar, who was now 38&#;years old, scored 30&#;points and grabbed 17&#;rebounds in Game 2, and his 36&#;points in a Game 5 win were instrumental in establishing a 3–2 lead for Los Angeles.[84] After the Lakers defeated the Celtics in six games, Abdul-Jabbar and Johnson, who averaged &#;points on &#;shooting, &#;assists, and &#;rebounds per game in the championship series,[85][86] said the Finals win was the highlight of their careers.[87]
Johnson again averaged a double-double in the –86 NBA season, with &#;points, &#;assists, and &#;rebounds per game.[48] The Lakers advanced to the Western Conference Finals, but were unable to defeat the Houston Rockets, who advanced to the Finals in five games.[88] In the next season, Johnson averaged a career-high of &#;points, as well as &#;assists and &#;rebounds per game,[48] and earned his first regular season MVP award.[89][90] 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 –[91] The game-winning shot, which Johnson dubbed his "junior, junior, junior sky-hook",[91] helped Los Angeles defeat Boston in six games.
Johnson was awarded his third Finals MVP title after averaging &#;points on &#;shooting, &#;assists, &#;rebounds, and &#;steals per game.[91][92]
Repeat and falling short (–)
Before the –88 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 NBA Finals.[93] Johnson had another productive season with averages of &#;points, &#;assists, and &#;rebounds per game despite missing 10 games with a groin injury.[48] In the playoffs, the Lakers swept the San Antonio Spurs in 3 games, then survived two 4–3&#;series against the Utah Jazz and Dallas Mavericks to reach the Finals and face Thomas and the Detroit Pistons,[94] who with players such as Bill Laimbeer, John Salley, Vinnie Johnson, and Dennis Rodman were known as the "Bad Boys" for their physical style of play.[95] 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.[81][96][97] After the teams split the first six games, Lakers forward and Finals MVP James Worthy had his first career triple-double of 36&#;points, 16&#;rebounds, and 10&#;assists, and led his team to a –&#;win.[98] Despite not being named MVP, Johnson had a strong championship series, averaging &#;points on &#;shooting, 13&#;assists, and &#;rebounds per game.[99] It was the fifth and final NBA championship of his career.[]
In the –89 NBA season, Johnson's &#;points, &#;assists, and &#;rebounds per game[48] earned him his second MVP award,[] and the Lakers reached the NBA Finals, in which they again faced the Pistons.
However, after Johnson went down with a hamstring injury in Game 2, the Lakers were no match for the Pistons, who swept them 4–0.[]
Playing without Abdul-Jabbar for the first time, Johnson won his third MVP award[] after a strong –90 NBA season in which he averaged &#;points, &#;assists, and &#;rebounds per game.[48] However, the Lakers bowed out to the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference semifinals, which was the Lakers' earliest playoffs elimination in nine years.[]Mike Dunleavy became the Lakers' head coach in –91, when Johnson had grown to be the league's third-oldest point guard.
He had become more powerful and stronger than in his earlier years, but was also slower and less nimble.[] Under Dunleavy, the offense used more half-court sets, and the team had a renewed emphasis on defense.[] Johnson performed well during the season, with averages of &#;points, &#;assists, and 7&#;rebounds per game, and the Lakers reached the NBA Finals.
There they faced the Chicago Bulls, led by shooting guardMichael Jordan, a five-time scoring champion regarded as the finest player of his era.[][] Although the series was portrayed as a matchup between Johnson and Jordan,[] Bulls forward Scottie Pippen defended effectively against Johnson.
Despite two triple-doubles from Johnson during the series, Finals MVP Jordan led his team to a 4–1&#;win.[31] In the last championship series of his career, Johnson averaged &#;points on &#;shooting, &#;assists, and 8&#;rebounds per game.[]
HIV announcement and Olympics (–)
After a physical examination before the –92 NBA season, Johnson discovered that he had tested positive for HIV.
In a press conference held on November 7, , Johnson made a public announcement that he would retire immediately.[][]
Johnson initially said that he did not know how he contracted the disease,[] but later acknowledged that it was through having numerous sexual partners during his playing career.[] 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".[] At the time, only a small percentage of HIV-positive American men had contracted it from heterosexual sex,[96][] and it was initially rumored that Johnson was gay or bisexual, although he denied both.[96] Johnson later accused Isiah Thomas of spreading the rumors, a claim Thomas denied.[81][]
Johnson's HIV announcement became a major news story in the United States,[] and in was named as ESPN's seventh-most memorable moment of the previous 25 years.[] 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."[]
Despite his retirement, Johnson was voted by fans as a starter for the NBA All-Star Game at Orlando Arena, although his former teammates Byron Scott and A.C. Green said that Johnson should not play,[] and several NBA players, including Utah Jazz forward Karl Malone, argued that they would be at risk of contamination if Johnson sustained an open wound while on court.[] Johnson led the West to a –&#;win and was crowned All-Star MVP after recording 25&#;points, 9&#;assists, and 5&#;rebounds.[] The game ended after he made a last-minute three-pointer, and players from both teams ran onto the court to congratulate Johnson.[]
Johnson was chosen to compete in the Barcelona Summer Olympics for the U.S.
national team, dubbed the "Dream Team" because of the NBA stars on the roster.[] The Dream Team, which along with Johnson included fellow Hall of Famers such as Bird, Michael Jordan, and Charles Barkley, was considered unbeatable.[] After qualifying for the Olympics with a gold medal at the Tournament of the Americas,[] the Dream Team dominated in Olympic competition, winning the gold medal with an 8–0 record, beating their opponents by an average of points per game.
Johnson averaged points per game during the Olympics, and his assists per game was second on the team.[][] Johnson played infrequently because of knee problems,[] but he received standing ovations from the crowd, and used the opportunity to inspire HIV-positive people.[44]
Post-Olympics and later life
Before the –93 NBA season, Johnson announced his intention to stage an NBA comeback.
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.[36] In an August 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."[] Johnson said that despite the physical, highly competitive practices and scrimmages leading up to the Olympics, some of those same teammates still expressed concerns about his return to the NBA.
He said that he retired because he "didn't want to hurt the game."[]
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.[31] In , Johnson created "A Midsummer Night's Magic", a yearly charity event which included a celebrity basketball game and a black tie dinner.
The proceeds went to the United Negro College Fund, and Johnson held this event for twenty years, ending in "A Midsummer Night's Magic" eventually came under the umbrella of the Magic Johnson Foundation, which he founded in [] The event, which was the first one held after Johnson's appearance in the Olympics, raised over $ million for UNCF.
Johnson joined Shaquille O'Neal and celebrity coach Spike Lee to lead the blue team to a – victory over the white team, which was coached by Arsenio Hall.[][]
Return to the Lakers as coach and player (, )
Johnson returned to the NBA as coach for the Lakers near the end of the –94 NBA season, replacing Randy Pfund, and Bill Bertka, who served as an interim coach for two games.[][] Johnson, who took the job at the urging of owner Jerry Buss, admitted "I've always had the desire (to coach) in the back of my mind." He insisted that his health was not an issue, while downplaying questions about returning as a player, saying, "I'm retired.
Let's leave it at that."[] Amid speculation from general manager Jerry West that he may only coach until the end of the season,[] Johnson took over a team that had a 28–38 record, and won his first game as head coach, a – victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.[] 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.[][] Johnson, who still had a guaranteed player contract that would pay him $ million during the –95 NBA season, signed a separate contract to coach the team that had no compensation.[] The Lakers played well initially, winning five of their first six games under Johnson, but after losing the next five games, Johnson announced that he was resigning as coach after the season.
The Lakers finished the season on a ten-game losing streak, and Johnson's final record as a head coach was 5–[] Stating that it was never his dream to coach, he chose instead to purchase a 5% share of the team in June [31]
At the age of 36, Johnson attempted another comeback as a player when he rejoined the Lakers during the –96 NBA season.
During his retirement, Johnson began intense workouts to help his fight against HIV, raising his bench press from to pounds, and increasing his weight to pounds.[39] He officially returned to the team on January 29, ,[] and played his first game the following day against the Golden State Warriors.
Coming off the bench, Johnson had 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 10 assists to help the Lakers to a – victory.[] 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.[] Playing power forward, he averaged &#;points, &#;assists, and &#;rebounds per game in 32&#;games, and finished tied for 12th place with Charles Barkley in voting for the MVP Award.[48][] The Lakers had a record of 22–10 in the games Johnson played, and he considered his final comeback "a success."[] While Johnson played well in , there were struggles both on and off the court.
Cedric Ceballos, upset over a reduction in his playing time after Johnson's arrival, left the team for several days.[][] He missed two games and was stripped of his title as team captain.[]Nick Van Exel received a seven-game suspension for bumping referee Ron Garretson during a game on April 9.
Johnson was publicly critical of Van Exel, saying his actions were "inexcusable."[] Johnson was himself suspended five days later, when he bumped referee Scott Foster, missing three games. He also missed several games due to a calf injury.[] Despite these difficulties, the Lakers finished with a record of 53–29 and fourth seed in the NBA Playoffs.
Although they were facing the defending NBA champion Houston Rockets, the Lakers had home court advantage in the five-game series. The Lakers played poorly in a Game 1 loss, prompting Johnson to express frustration with his role in coach Del Harris' offense.[] Johnson led the way to a Game 2 victory with 26 points, but averaged only points per game for the remainder of the series, which the Rockets won three games to one.[]
After the Lakers lost to the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs,[] Johnson initially expressed a desire to return to the team for the –97 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.[] 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 "[36][]
Magic Johnson All-Stars
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.
In , 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.
Magic johnson biography assists Ocala Star-Banner. Quinn Buckner P. Chicago Tribune. Frank, Steven.They also toured the United States, playing five games against teams from the CBA. In the final game of the CBA series, Johnson had 30 points, 17 rebounds, and 13 assists, leading the All-Stars to a – victory over the Oklahoma City Cavalry.[] By the time he returned to the Lakers in , the Magic Johnson All-Stars had amassed a record of 55–0, and Johnson was earning as much as $, per game.[39] Johnson played with the team frequently over the next several years, with possibly the most memorable game occurring in November At the age of 42, Johnson played with the All-Stars against his alma mater, Michigan State.
Although he played in a celebrity game to honor coach Jud Heathcoate in ,[49] this was Johnson's first meaningful game played in his hometown of Lansing in 22 years. 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.
Johnson's half-court shot at the buzzer would have won the game, but it fell short.[][] On November 1, , Johnson returned to play a second exhibition game against Michigan State. Playing with the Canberra Cannons of Australia's National Basketball League instead of his usual group of players, Johnson's team defeated the Spartans –85, as he scored 12 points and had 10 assists and 10 rebounds.[]
Brief period in Scandinavia
In , Johnson joined the Swedish squad M7 Borås (now known as 'Borås Basket'), and was undefeated in five games with the team.[][] Johnson also became a co-owner of the club;[] however, the project failed after one season and the club was forced into reconstruction.[] He later joined the Danish team The Great Danes.[]
Rivalry with Larry Bird
See also: Celtics–Lakers rivalry
Johnson and Bird were first linked as rivals after Johnson's Michigan State Spartans squad defeated Bird's Indiana State Sycamores team in the NCAA finals.
The rivalry continued in the NBA, and reached its climax when Boston and Los Angeles met in three out of four NBA Finals from to , with the Lakers winning two out of three Finals. Johnson asserted that for him, the game regular season was composed of 80 normal games, and two Lakers–Celtics games. Similarly, Bird admitted that Johnson's daily box score was the first thing he checked in the morning.[]
Several journalists hypothesized that the Johnson–Bird 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.[][] The rivalry was also significant because it drew national attention to the faltering NBA.
Prior to Johnson and Bird's arrival, the NBA had gone through a decade of declining interest and low TV ratings.[] With the two future Hall of Famers, the league won a whole generation of new fans,[] drawing both traditionalist adherents of Bird's dirt court Indiana game and those appreciative of Johnson's public park flair.
According to sports journalist Larry Schwartz of ESPN, Johnson and Bird saved the NBA from bankruptcy.[36]
Despite their on-court rivalry, Johnson and Bird became close friends during the filming of a Converse shoe advertisement that depicted them as enemies.[][] Johnson appeared at Bird's retirement ceremony in , and described Bird as a "friend forever";[] during Johnson's Hall of Fame ceremony, Bird formally inducted his old rival.[]
In , Johnson and Bird collaborated with journalist Jackie MacMullan on a non-fiction book titled When the Game Was Ours.
The book detailed their on-court rivalry and friendship with one another.[] The following year, HBO developed a documentary about their rivalry titled Magic & Bird: A Courtship of Rivals, which was directed by Ezra Edelman.[]
Legacy
In &#;NBA games, Johnson tallied 17,&#;points, 6,&#;rebounds, and 10,&#;assists, translating to career averages of &#;points, &#;rebounds, and &#;assists per game, the highest assists per game average in NBA history.[48] Johnson shares the single-game playoff record for assists (24),[] holds the Finals record for assists in a game (21),[] and has the most playoff assists (2,).[] He is the only player to average 12 assists in an NBA Finals series, achieving it six times.[] He holds the All-Star Game single-game record for assists (22), and the All-Star Game record for career assists ().[] Johnson is one of only eight players in the history of basketball to achieve the Triple Crown — winning an NCAA championship, NBA championship, and Olympic gold medal.[][]
"Magic is head-and-shoulders above everybody else [] I've never seen [anybody] as good as him."
—Larry Bird[]
Johnson introduced a fast-paced style of basketball called "Showtime", described as a mix of "no-look passes off the fast break, pin-point alley-oops from halfcourt, spinning feeds and overhand bullets under the basket through triple teams."[31] Fellow Lakers guard Michael Cooper said, "There have been times when [Johnson] has thrown passes and I wasn't sure where he was going.
Then one of our guys catches the ball and scores, and I run back up the floor convinced that he must've thrown it through somebody."[31][36] Johnson could dominate a game without scoring, running the offense and distributing the ball with flair.[] In the NBA Finals, he was named the Finals MVP averaging just points, the lowest average of any Finals MVP award recipient in the three-point shot era.[]
Johnson was exceptional because he played point guard despite being 6&#;ft 9&#;in (&#;m), a size reserved normally for frontcourt players.[31] His career &#;triple-double games places him third all-time behind Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook.[] Johnson is the only player in NBA Finals history to have triple-doubles in multiple series-clinching games.[]
For his feats, Johnson was voted as one of the 50 Greatest Players of All Time by the NBA in ,[] and selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in [] The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inducted him in [] ESPN's SportsCentury ranked Johnson No.
17 in their "50 Greatest Athletes of the 20th Century"[] In , 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."[3]Bleacher Report also listed Johnson first in its all-time NBA point guard rankings.[4] In , to commemorate the NBA's 75th anniversary, The Athletic ranked their top 75 players of all time, and named Johnson as the 5th greatest player in NBA history, and the highest ranked point guard.[5] Several of his achievements in individual games have also been named among the top moments in the NBA.[60][][] At the NBA Awards, Johnson received the NBA Lifetime Achievement Award (shared with Bird).[] In , the NBA began awarding MVPs for the conference finals; the Western Conference Finals MVP trophy is named after Johnson, while the Eastern Conference trophy is named after Bird.[]
NBA career statistics
| &#;&#;GP | Games played | &#;&#;GS&#; | Games started | &#;MPG&#; | Minutes per game |
| &#;FG%&#; | Field goal percentage | &#;3P%&#; | 3-point field goal percentage | &#;FT%&#; | Free throw percentage |
| &#;RPG&#; | Rebounds per game | &#;APG&#; | Assists per game | &#;SPG&#; | Steals per game |
| &#;BPG&#; | Blocks per game | &#;PPG&#; | Points per game | &#;Bold&#; | Career high |
| &#;†&#; | Won an NBA championship | &#;*&#; | Led the league | &#;‡&#; | NBA record |