Magic Johnson is a retired American professional basketball player regarded as one of the best of all time. He played professional basketball for 13 seasons, all with the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
In the 1980s, he rose to prominence as one of the world’s most formidable players because of his powerful arms, agility, and speed. Magic Johnson grew up in a big home with many siblings and had an early passion for basketball. His father, while not a professional basketball player, was an athletic man who had played the sport in high school.
His mother, too, encouraged his love for the game. He was a fantastic player, playing for the Everett High School team and finishing his high school career with two All-State selections. At the time, he was regarded as the finest high school athlete to come from Michigan. He later enrolled at Michigan State University, where he continued to play the sport. After graduation, he was recruited by the Los Angeles Lakers, where he spent his whole career. He was diagnosed with HIV and is well-known for his HIV campaigning and charity work.
Biography:
Born: August 14, 1959 in Lansing, Michigan, USA
Birth name: Earvin Johnson
Nicknames: Magic, Buck, Rawal
Height: 6′ 7½″ (2.02 m)
Childhood & Personal Life:
Earvin Johnson Jr. was born in Lansing, Michigan, to Earvin Sr., a General Motors assembly worker, and Christine, a school janitor.
Both of his parents were basketball fans, and his father had played high school basketball in his native Mississippi. Young Earvin acquired an early interest in the sport.
He attended Everett High School and was one of the school’s top basketball players. When he was 15 years old, he achieved a triple-double of 36 points, 18 rebounds, and 16 assists in a single game, earning him the nickname “Magic”.
After high school, he attended Michigan State University, where he continued to play basketball. He once again proved to be a great player, dazzling throughout his college career.
In his personal life, he had a brief relationship with Melissa Mitchell, and their son was born in 1981.
Earlitha “Cookie” Kelly and he married in 1991. The couple has a biological son and an adopted daughter.
In late 1991, he revealed that he had HIV. He takes a daily mix of medications to keep his HIV infection from developing into AIDS.
NBA Career
The Los Angeles Lakers selected Magic as the first overall pick in the 1979 draft. In his debut season, Magic and teammate Kareem Abdul-Jabbar led the Lakers to the NBA title, and Magic was awarded MVP of the Finals. Magic won five NBA championships with the Lakers, including 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1988. He earned the NBA Finals MVP three times: in 1980, 1982, and 1987. He was named the NBA Most Valuable Player three times: in 1987, 1989, and 1990. He participated in 12 All-Star games and won MVP twice. He is regarded as the best point guard of all time.
Magic’s career was cut short after he contracted HIV in 1991.
Magic returned to the NBA as the coach of the Lakers during the close of the 1993-94 NBA season. He replaced Randy Pfund and Bill Bertka at the request of team owner Jerry Buss. The Lakers performed well under Johnson’s guidance, winning five of their first six games, but after losing the next five, Johnson announced his resignation as coach at the end of the season. The Lakers concluded the season with a ten-game losing streak, and Johnson’s overall record as a head coach was 5-11. He remarked that it was never his goal to coach, so instead, he acquired a 5% part in the team in June 1994.
During the 1995-96 season, Magic Johnson, then 36 years old, tried a comeback as a player and rejoined the Lakers. The Lakers went 22-10 in the games Johnson participated, and he considered his final return “a success”. Johnson announced his retirement after the Lakers were knocked out from the playoffs in the first round by the Houston Rockets.
Net Worth:
Magic Johnson’s net worth is close to $1.2 billion, according to Forbes.
Although he earned enormous success as a basketball player, he made his riches largely via savvy business partnerships. According to Forbes, his wealth is primarily derived from his stake in EquiTrust, an Iowa-based life insurance provider.
Awards & Honours:
- 5x NBA champion (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988)
- 3x NBA Most Valuable Player (1987, 1989, 1990)
- 3x NBA Finals MVP (1980, 1982, 1987)
- 9x All-NBA First Team (1983–1991)
- All-NBA Second Team (1982)
- 12x NBA All-Star (1980, 1982–1992)
- 2x NBA All-Star Game MVP (1990, 1992)
- J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award (1992)
- 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996
- No. 32 retired by the Los Angeles Lakers
- Olympic gold medal winner (1992)
- Tournament of the Americas gold medal winner (1992)
- NCAA national championship (1979)
- NCAA basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player (1979)
- No. 33 retired by Michigan State
Fun Facts:
- He started the Magic Johnson Foundation. It helps fight HIV/AIDS. He talks a lot about HIV. He also spoke at the UN World AIDS Day Conference in 1999.