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[11] His friendship and rivalry with Boston Celtics star Larry Bird, whom he faced in the 1979 NCAA finals and three NBA championship series, are well documented. The rising reality star is the son of NBA legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson and his wife, Earlitha "Cookie" Johnson. [113], Johnson was chosen to compete in the Barcelona 1992 Summer Olympics for the U.S. national team, dubbed the "Dream Team" because of the NBA stars on the roster. In this dramatic, exciting, and inspirational autobiography, Magic Johnson allows readers into his life, into his tirumphs and tragedies on and off . 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. 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). [91] 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. [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). 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. [215] The temporary name was Los Angeles Football Club,[216] which later became permanent in 2015. [193][194] He has also made investments in urban real estate through the Canyon-Johnson and Yucaipa-Johnson funds. [18] As such, in 2014, Johnson was named one of ESPNW's Impact 25. Magic Johnson is one proud father to his son Earvin "EJ" Johnson. Fantasy owner Saul Zaentz would further embark upon a career as a film . [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. [77][109], Johnson's HIV announcement became a major news story in the United States,[108] and in 2004 was named as ESPN's seventh-most memorable moment of the previous 25 years. [36] Johnson played with the team frequently over the next several years, with possibly the most memorable game occurring in November 2001. "I always said Larry Bird and Magic Johnson are the two most important people in NBA history," Barkley said. You can connect with Magic Johnson on Facebook, Twitter, and Wikipedia. [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. "[177] Buss acquired the team from Jack Kent Cooke in 1979, shortly before he drafted Johnson with the #1 pick in the 1979 NBA draft. According to sports journalist Larry Schwartz of ESPN, Johnson and Bird saved the NBA from bankruptcy. [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. [16], Johnson initially said that he did not know how he contracted the disease,[16] but later acknowledged that it was through having numerous sexual partners during his playing career. 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. ", "Hillary Clinton Fundraisers Coming to Beverly Hills", "The Greatest Is Honored by The Diplomat", "Magic Johnson combats AIDS misperceptions", "Magic Johnson assists drugmaker to advertise HIV treatment", "Iconic Staples Center changing its name to Crypto.com Arena in reflection of changing times", "NBA unveils new trophies, awards honoring Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Bob Cousy, Oscar Robertson", "2017 Class of FIBA Hall of Fame: Dream Team", "1992 U.S. Olympic Men's Basketball Team", "Magic Johnson and Natalie Cole Honored at NAACP Awards Show", Basketball-Reference.com: Magic Johnson (as a coach), NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player, 1979 NCAA Men's Basketball Consensus All-Americans, NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant Most Valuable Player Award, Grammy Award for Best Audio Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording, Citizen Kane (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), Gertrude Stein, Gertrude Stein, Gertrude Stein, Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Movie on Record, The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography, Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents Earth (The Audiobook), America Again: Re-becoming the Greatness We Never Weren't, Blowout: Corrupted Democracy, Rogue State Russia, and the Richest, Most Destructive Industry on Earth, Wayland Baptist Women's Teams (19481982), Lakers versus Celtics and the NBA Playoffs, The Last Season: A Team in Search of Its Soul, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship, NAACP Image Award Jackie Robinson Sports Award, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Magic_Johnson&oldid=1142219451, African-American sports executives and administrators, African-American television talk show hosts, All-American college men's basketball players, American chief executives of food industry companies, American expatriate basketball people in Denmark, American expatriate basketball people in Sweden, American sports executives and administrators, Basketball players at the 1992 Summer Olympics, Michigan State Spartans men's basketball players, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees, National Basketball Association All-Stars, National Basketball Association broadcasters, National Basketball Association players with retired numbers, Olympic gold medalists for the United States in basketball, Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball), United States men's national basketball team players, Pages containing links to subscription-only content, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia indefinitely move-protected pages, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected biographies of living people, Pages using multiple image with auto scaled images, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, 10-time NBA champion (five as a player, five as owner/executive), Trophy named in Johnson's honor (Earvin "Magic" Johnson Trophy) awarded to, 1992 Olympic gold medal (U.S. national team), 1977 Michigan high school state champion (Lansing Everett High School). 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 . [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. 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. Although Johnson's retirement prior to the 199293 NBA season voided this contract, Buss insisted that he still be paid. Well, the 2010 NBA Finals are here, and it's time to treat you to a 1986 commercial for Converse shoes featuring two of the NBA's greats of the decade: Larry. We give our clients and partners the edge needed to effectively capitalize on the growing purchasing power and value of multicultural communities. [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. The game was played at a gym inside Fort McNair, and reporters covering the president were not allowed to enter. [177][178], Buss supported Johnson as he revealed his diagnosis of HIV in 1991, and he never hesitated to keep Johnson close to the organization, bringing him in as part-owner, and even as a coach. [62], In 1981, after the 198081 season, Johnson signed a 25-year, $25million contract with the Lakers (equivalent to $75,000,000 in 2021), which was the highest-paying contract in sports history up to that point. [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. [37], Although Johnson was recruited by several top-ranked colleges such as Indiana and UCLA, he decided to play close to home. [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. $620 MILLION From his salary as a basketball player to endorsements and on-camera opportunities to his many, many businesses and investments, Johnson has. [177] Johnson credits Buss with giving him the business knowledge that enabled him to become part owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers. [133] Nick Van Exel received a seven-game suspension for bumping referee Ron Garretson during a game on April 9. He is known to have owned 105 Starbucks outlets and a 4.5% stake in . The Lakers did not reach the playoffs during Johnson's executive tenure. Visit California TV Spot, 'Living the Dream' Feat. [16] Named by Ebony magazine as one of America's most influential black businessmen in 2009,[17] Johnson has numerous business interests, and was a part-owner of the Lakers for several years, as well as being the team's president of basketball operations from 2017 to 2019. Although he played in a celebrity game to honor coach Jud Heathcoate in 1995,[45] this was Johnson's first meaningful game played in his hometown of Lansing in 22 years. "A Midsummer Night's Magic" eventually came under the umbrella of the Magic Johnson Foundation, which he founded in 1991. [222] He endorsed and appeared in campaign ads for unsuccessful Los Angeles mayoral candidate Wendy Greuel in 2013. [23], Johnson was first dubbed "Magic" as a 15-year-old sophomore playing for Everett High School, when he recorded a triple-double of 36points, 18rebounds, and 16assists. He also has a son, Andre Johnson, from a previous relationship. [154] In the 1982 NBA Finals, he was named the Finals MVP averaging just 16.2 points, the lowest average of any Finals MVP award recipient in the three-point shot era. In what was the most-watched college basketball game ever,[42] Michigan State defeated Indiana State 7564, and Johnson was voted Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. He also missed several games due to a calf injury. [44] The Lakers again reached the Finals, and for a third time faced the Sixers, who featured center Moses Malone as well as Erving. In 1992, Buss had given Johnson a contract that paid him $14 million a year, as payback for all the years he was not the league's highest-paid player. Magic Johnson might be a legendary basketball player, but to his three kids, his most important role is dad. [44] He also joined Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson as the only NBA players to tally at least 700points, 700rebounds, and 700assists in the same season. After making a bunny appear out of Samuel L. Jackson's cap, he begins sawing Jim Nantz in half for his final signoff, as Barkley, Jackson and Spike Lee look on in laughter. [143], Johnson and Bird were first linked as rivals after Johnson's Michigan State squad defeated Bird's Indiana State team in the 1979 NCAA finals. [217] In 2018, Los Angeles FC debuted in MLS as an expansion team, and in 2022 won the MLS Cup. Larry was kicked off the basketball team after a confrontation during practice, prompting him to beg his brother not to play. In the past 30 days, commercials featuring Magic Johnson have had 27,434 airings. [137] By the time he returned to the Lakers in 1996, the Magic Johnson All-Stars had amassed a record of 550, and Johnson was earning as much as $365,000 per game. [206], In January 2012, Johnson joined with Guggenheim Partners and Stan Kasten in a bid for ownership of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team. Earvin "Magic" Johnson 's fame skyrockets on and off the court in HBO's new trailer for Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty . Johnson stated that his aim was to "help educate all people about what [HIV] is about" and teach others not to "discriminate against people who have HIV and AIDS". Magic Johnson 's 20-year-old son hit the Sunset Strip, hand in hand with his boyfriend . Magic Johnson, who has spearheaded developments in underserved urban communities in the decades since his ending his legendary NBA career, is pushing for more investments from commercial real estate into initiatives that benefit minority areas. 1,006 ratings37 reviews. He missed 45games,[44] and said that his rehabilitation was the "most down" he had ever felt. EXCLUSIVE. In Episode 7 of "Binge Sesh," hosts Matt Brennan and Kareem Maddox draw inspiration from Nike cofounder Phil Knight's pursuit of Magic Johnson in "Winning Time.". During his seventh season in the NBA, he had a meeting with Michael Ovitz, CEO of Creative Artists Agency. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson shot the first part of the Converse commercial, and when it was time for lunch; Larry made a nice gesture towards his nemesis. Since his retirement, Johnson has been an advocate for HIV/AIDS prevention and safe sex,[12] as well as an entrepreneur,[13] philanthropist,[14] broadcaster and motivational speaker. [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. 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. Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend", Bird is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time.He is the only person in NBA history to be named Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player, Finals . Personal Birth date: August 14, 1959 Birth place: Lansing, Michigan Birth name: Earvin. And you can now add to that list one Earvin "Magic" Johnson. Although Andre was raised by his mother, he visited Johnson each summer, and later worked for Magic Johnson Enterprises as a marketing director. 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 [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. [192] The experience taught him to listen to his customers and find out what products they wanted. [72] In a losing effort against Philadelphia, Johnson averaged 19.0points on .403shooting, 12.5assists, and 7.8rebounds per game. This is the untold truth of Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. . Johnson delivers a passionate message about his life story and everyone can make a difference their own community. The rivalry with Larry Bird, another NBA superstar, began in college. Johnson's half-court shot at the buzzer would have won the game, but it fell short. After showing Schultz the tremendous buying power of minorities, Johnson was able to purchase 125 Starbucks stores, which reported higher than average per capita sales. It took a 1987 commercial shoot in French Lick, Indiana, to bridge that gap. and his parents couldn't be happier for their kid. Other biographies include: On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [131][132] He missed two games and was stripped of his title as team captain. [43] After two years in college, during which he averaged 17.1points, 7.6rebounds, and 7.9assists per game, Johnson entered the 1979 NBA draft. [41], During the 197879 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. [65] After Johnson demanded to be traded, Lakers owner Jerry Buss fired Westhead and replaced him with Riley. The book detailed their on-court rivalry and friendship with one another. Johnson left after eight months, saying that the White House had "utterly ignored" the work of the panel, and had opposed the commission's recommendations, which included universal healthcare and the expansion of Medicaid to cover all low-income people with AIDS. Sign up to track 37 nationally aired TV ad campaigns for Magic Johnson. In the past 30 days, commercials featuring Magic Johnson have had 27,434 airings. [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. Following release of their self-titled, debut album in 1968, CCR would go on to sell more than 50 million albums worldwide. The rivalry continued in the NBA, and reached its climax when Boston and Los Angeles met in three out of four NBA Finals from 1984 to 1987, with the Lakers winning two out of three Finals.