As. [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. And you can now add to that list one Earvin "Magic" Johnson. [197][198], In 1990, Johnson and Earl Graves Sr. obtained a large interest in the Washington, D.C. PepsiCo bottling operation, making it the company's largest minority-owned facility in the U.S.[199] Johnson became a minority owner of the Lakers in 1994, having reportedly paid more than $10million for part ownership. In December 2018, Magic Johnson's daughter, Elisa Johnson, and nine of her friends had a terrifying encounter when two armed men broke into a Californian Airbnb house they were staying in. [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. [44] The Lakers again reached the Finals, and for a third time faced the Sixers, who featured center Moses Malone as well as Erving. [102] Johnson performed well during the season, with averages of 19.4points, 12.5assists, and 7.0rebounds per game, and the Lakers reached the 1991 NBA Finals. You can connect with Magic Johnson on Facebook, Twitter, and Wikipedia. 4/2/2013 8:45 AM PT. [215] The temporary name was Los Angeles Football Club,[216] which later became permanent in 2015. He also held the title of team vice president. 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. [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. The Lakers did not reach the playoffs during Johnson's executive tenure. Other Facts: 9. The rivalry with Larry Bird, another NBA superstar, began in college. [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. [20], Earvin Johnson Jr. was born in Lansing, Michigan, to General Motors assembly worker Earvin Sr. and school janitor Christine. From his humble beginnings to his league debut as the Los. [207] In March 2012, Johnson's ownership group was announced as the winner of the proceedings to buy the Dodgers. [21] Johnson, who had six siblings and three half-siblings by his father's previous marriage,[22][23][a] was influenced by his parents' strong work ethic. [68] During the championship series against the Sixers, Johnson averaged 16.2points on .533shooting, 10.8rebounds, 8.0assists, and 2.5steals per game. "We had. [115] After qualifying for the Olympics with a gold medal at the 1992 Tournament of the Americas,[116] the Dream Team dominated in Olympic competition, winning the gold medal with an 80 record, beating their opponents by an average of 43.8 points per game. [33] He was selected to the 197879 All-American team for his performance that season. Then in 1985, Converse asked Johnson and Bird to tape a shoe commercial in French Lick, Ind., Bird's hometown. [125] 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. Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan are two of the greatest players of all time. Peter Guber, who is the co-owner of the Golden State Warriors, owns a small stake in the Dodgers along with Johnson. 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 [25] Upon learning of Chastine's death, Magic ran from his home, crying uncontrollably. The majority of NBA fans consider Jordan to be the best ever, with Magic being the best point guard ever. Learn more at www.magicjohnsonenterprises.com. Earvin "Magic" Johnson is the only NBA rookie to date to receive the Finals MVP Award. [78] Johnson later described the series as "the one championship we should have had but didn't get". "[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. [227] In 1992, he joined the National Commission on AIDS, a committee appointed by members of Congress and the Bush Administration. [177], In 1997, his production company Magic Johnson Entertainment signed a deal with Fox. $620 MILLION From his salary as a basketball player to endorsements and on-camera opportunities to his many, many businesses and investments, Johnson has. [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. 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. [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. [33] Johnson dedicated the championship victory to his best friend Reggie Chastine, who was killed in a car accident the previous summer. [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. [147], In 2009, Johnson and Bird collaborated with journalist Jackie MacMullan on a non-fiction book titled When the Game Was Ours. [213] He won the WNBA championship as the owner in 2016. 10. [28] Johnson came from an athletic family. Magic Johnson might be a legendary basketball player, but to his three kids, his most important role is dad. Agency SVP, group creative director Ryan Carroll believes one campaign concept could have some legs IRL. [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). 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. The pair launched an initiative to support minority and female-owned businesses, by providing customized health care plans for issues that disproportionately affect people of color. "We think there is a lot of fun to be had with the Barkleylounger," he says. [205], He is an investor for aXiomatic eSports, the ownership company of Team Liquid. 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. [3][4][5][6] Johnson played 13 seasons 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. [39], Johnson did not initially aspire to play professionally, focusing instead on his communication studies major and his desire to become a television commentator. [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. [40] Playing with future NBA draftees Greg Kelser, Jay Vincent, and Mike Brkovich, Johnson averaged 17.0points, 7.9rebounds, and 7.4assists per game as a freshman, and led the Spartans to a 255record, the Big Ten Conference title, and a berth in the 1978 NCAA tournament. Sign up to track 37 nationally aired TV ad campaigns for Magic Johnson. The franchise reached an agreement with free agent LeBron James on a four-year contract in 2018, but efforts to trade for Anthony Davis during the 201819 season proved unsuccessful. [103][104] Although the series was portrayed as a matchup between Johnson and Jordan,[105] Bulls forward Scottie Pippen defended effectively against Johnson. Earvin (Magic) Johnson, became one of the best NBA players for 13 years playing with the Lakers. Despite two triple-doubles from Johnson during the series, Finals MVP Jordan led his team to a 41win. [124] Stating that it was never his dream to coach, he chose instead to purchase a 5% share of the team in June 1994. [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. [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. [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". According to the Basketball Network, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird came together in 1986 to film a commercial for Converse. This site uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. [226][227], To prevent his HIV infection from progressing to AIDS, Johnson takes a daily combination of drugs, also called a drug cocktail. By the time he had reached the eighth grade, Johnson had begun to think about a future in basketball. [203], In the wake of the Donald Sterling controversy, limited media reports indicated that Johnson had expressed an interest in purchasing the Los Angeles Clippers franchise. The Lakers finished the season on a ten-game losing streak, and Johnson's final record as a head coach was 511. Magic Johnson TV Commercials We don't make the ads - We measure them Sign up to track 37 nationally aired TV ad campaigns for Magic Johnson. He said that he retired because he "didn't want to hurt the game. [114] The Dream Team, which along with Johnson included fellow Hall of Famers such as Bird, Michael Jordan, and Charles Barkley, was considered unbeatable. [37], Although Johnson was recruited by several top-ranked colleges such as Indiana and UCLA, he decided to play close to home. [202] In February 2017, Johnson returned to the Lakers as an advisor to Jeanie Buss. 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. [28], At the age of 36, Johnson attempted another comeback as a player when he re-joined the Lakers during the 199596 NBA season. [106], After a physical before the 199192 NBA season, Johnson discovered that he had tested positive for HIV. [121][122], Johnson returned to the NBA as coach of the Lakers near the end of the 199394 NBA season, replacing Randy Pfund, and Bill Bertka, who served as an interim coach for two games. "A Midsummer Night's Magic" eventually came under the umbrella of the Magic Johnson Foundation, which he founded in 1991. [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. [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. Ovitz encouraged him to start reading business magazines and to use every connection available to him. [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. The 29-year-old reality TV personality came out to the basketball great, 62, in 2010, and at first, the latter wasn't too. 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 [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. In an appearance Wednesday on The View, former Los Angeles Laker Earvin "Magic" Johnson said Dr. Anthony Fauci was one of the doctors who helped him understand and treat HIV after his 1991. [222] He endorsed and appeared in campaign ads for unsuccessful Los Angeles mayoral candidate Wendy Greuel in 2013. The Power of Magic [217] In 2018, Los Angeles FC debuted in MLS as an expansion team, and in 2022 won the MLS Cup. [141][142] Johnson also became a co-owner of the club;[143] however, the project failed after one season and the club was forced into reconstruction.