Johnson's son Earvin III was born in 1992. He insisted that his health was not an issue, while downplaying questions about returning as a player, saying, "I'm retired. [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. Magic Johnson: D'Angelo Russell Has 'Really Grown and Matured' Since His favorite basketball player was Bill Russell, whom he admired more for his many championships than his athletic ability. He also missed several games due to a calf injury. [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. [193][194] He has also made investments in urban real estate through the Canyon-Johnson and Yucaipa-Johnson funds. [125][176] After Johnson ended his coaching stint, Buss sold him a 4% stake in the Lakers for $10 million, and Johnson served as a team executive. 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. Earvin (Magic) Johnson, became one of the best NBA players for 13 years playing with the Lakers. MBA CREF 2022: Magic Johnson Building Real Estate - Commercial Observer Magic Johnson Jr. | Speaker Agency, Speaking Fee, Videos Ten of the 12 players on the team were named on the NBA's list of, Principal owners of the Los Angeles Dodgers franchise, Brooklyn Atlantics/Grays/Bridegrooms/Grooms/, Michigan State Spartans men's basketball 197879 NCAA champions, 1992 Tournament of the Americas Gold medal, 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, List of career achievements by Magic Johnson, List of athletes who came out of retirement, List of National Basketball Association career assists leaders, List of National Basketball Association career steals leaders, List of National Basketball Association career turnovers leaders, List of National Basketball Association career free throw scoring leaders, List of National Basketball Association career playoff scoring leaders, List of National Basketball Association career playoff rebounding leaders, List of National Basketball Association career playoff assists leaders, List of National Basketball Association career playoff steals leaders, List of National Basketball Association career playoff turnovers leaders, List of National Basketball Association career playoff free throw scoring leaders, List of National Basketball Association players with most assists in a game, List of National Basketball Association players with most steals in a game, "Magic weekend is on tap as Johnson set for NBA encore", "202122 Big Ten Men's Basketball Media Guide", "Daily Dime: Special Edition The 10 Greatest Point Guards Ever", "NBA All-Time Player Rankings: Top 10 Point Guards", "NBA 75: Top 75 NBA players of all time, from MJ and LeBron to Lenny Wilkens", "NBA 75: At No. ISBN0-449-22254-3. Johnson's career achievements include three NBA MVP Awards, three NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Awards, nine NBA Finals appearances, 12 All-Star games, and nine All-NBA First Team selections. [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. Sam, Spike and Chuck Return for More Capital One March Madness [202] In February 2017, Johnson returned to the Lakers as an advisor to Jeanie Buss. [16] 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. Magic Johnson's Son Goes Public With Boyfriend -- Dad Proud - TMZ Magic Johnson might be a legendary basketball player, but to his three kids, his most important role is dad. Johnson had never seriously considered coaching, but he agreed to take the head coaching position with the Lakers in 1994 at Buss' request. Anna Faris, Gatorade TV Spot, 'Make Your Rival Your Fuel' Featuring J.J. Watt, Honda CR-V Super Bowl 2017 TV Spot, 'Yearbooks' Ft. Steve Carell, Tina Fey [T1], Google Pixel 6 TV Spot, 'Anthem: NBA' Ft. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Magic Johnson, NBA League Pass TV Spot, 'Classic Games: Free Preview', NBA TV Spot, 'Welcome to NBA Lane' Feat. The superstars' fiery relationship cooled after filming a 1985 Converse commercial filmed in French Lick, Ind., Bird's hometown. [227] In 1992, he joined the National Commission on AIDS, a committee appointed by members of Congress and the Bush Administration. [98], Playing without Abdul-Jabbar for the first time, Johnson won his third MVP award[99] after a strong 198990 NBA season in which he averaged 22.3points, 11.5assists, and 6.6rebounds per game. [209] The Dodgers won the 2020 World Series, giving Johnson a Major League Baseball title to his credit. Johnson is 6'9" tall. Magic Johnson [28] After the game, Fred Stabley Jr., a sports writer for the Lansing State Journal, gave him the moniker[32] despite the belief of Johnson's mother, a devout Christian, that the name was sacrilegious. When Magic Johnson heard of the proposal he told Converse ' You're crazy, I'm not shooting no commercial with Larry .' Eventually, Magic was persuaded and expected to shoot the commercial in LA. "I think D'Angelo has really grown and matured," Johnson said . He led all scorers with 39 points. [140], In 1999, Johnson joined the Swedish squad M7 Bors (now known as 'Bors Basket'), and was undefeated in five games with the team. Playing with the Canberra Cannons of Australia's National Basketball League instead of his usual group of players, Johnson's team defeated the Spartans 10485, as he scored 12 points, with 10 assists and 10 rebounds. [138][139] On November 1, 2002, Johnson returned to play a second exhibition game against Michigan State. What You Don't Know About Magic Johnson's Son EJ - NickiSwift.com Johnson retired abruptly in 1991 after announcing that he had contracted HIV, but returned to play in the 1992 All-Star Game, winning the All-Star MVP Award. [124] Stating that it was never his dream to coach, he chose instead to purchase a 5% share of the team in June 1994. 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. After winning a national championship with Michigan State in 1979, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Lakers, leading the team to five NBA championships during their Showtime era. 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". [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. He wondered why so many athletes had failed at business, and sought advice. 1979 NCAA Championship Game. [181][182] Johnson also co-promoted Janet Jackson's Velvet Rope Tour through his company Magicworks. Ovitz encouraged him to start reading business magazines and to use every connection available to him. [33], Despite their on-court rivalry, Johnson and Bird became close friends during the filming of a 1984 Converse shoe advertisement that depicted them as enemies. [47] 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. He had become more powerful and stronger than in his earlier years, but was also slower and less nimble. Magic Johnson [162] In 2022, the NBA began awarding MVPs for the conference finals; the Western Conference Finals MVP trophy is named in Johnson's honor, while the Eastern Conference trophy is named after Bird. [165] In an impromptu news conference on April 9, 2019, Johnson resigned from the Lakers, citing his desire to return to his role as an NBA ambassador. [89] Johnson had another productive season with averages of 19.6points, 11.9assists, and 6.2rebounds per game despite missing 10 games with a groin injury. "[134] Johnson was himself suspended five days later, when he bumped referee Scott Foster, missing three games. [45], Johnson was drafted first overall in 1979 by the Los Angeles Lakers. [213] He won the WNBA championship as the owner in 2016. Magic Johnson - Wikipedia [23] 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. Magic Johnson Celebrates Son EJ's 30th Birthday: 'So Honored' - Peoplemag [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. 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. Johnson was apprehensive at first because he and Bird never had a serious conversation at that point, and while he agreed to do the commercial, the two superstars didn't talk to each other during the actual shoot (via NPR ). The first Magic Johnson Theater located in the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, closed in 2010 and re-opened in 2011 as Rave Cinema 15. However, after Johnson went down with a hamstring injury in Game 2, the Lakers were no match for the Pistons, who swept them 40. "I've . "[36] Johnson and Chastine were almost always together, playing basketball or riding around in Chastine's car. 4.05. 'Winning Time' HBO: Magic Johnson, Nike and Phil - Los Angeles Times From his humble beginnings to his league debut as the Los. [33] The Lakers advanced through the 1982 playoffs and faced Philadelphia for the second time in three years in the 1982 NBA Finals.