[115][117] Johnson played infrequently because of knee problems,[118] but he received standing ovations from the crowd, and used the opportunity to inspire HIV-positive people. Johnson has become a leading voice on how to invest in urban communities, creating redevelopment opportunities in underserved areas, most notably through his movie theaters and his partnership with Starbucks. Magic Johnson was drafted by Los Angeles Lakers, 1st round (1st pick, 1st overall), 1979 NBA Draft. And the first few months, I was miserable at Everett. [206], In January 2012, Johnson joined with Guggenheim Partners and Stan Kasten in a bid for ownership of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team. [106], After a physical before the 199192 NBA season, Johnson discovered that he had tested positive for HIV. 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. Johnson would often help his father on the garbage route, and he was teased by neighborhood children who called him "Garbage Man". During his rookie season with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1979-80, Magic Johnson showed that the truth is stranger than fiction. [157] The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inducted him in 2002. Jul 17 1996 Los Angeles (LAL) . [39], Johnson did not initially aspire to play professionally, focusing instead on his communication studies major and his desire to become a television commentator. Explore What team had the best over/under record last year? 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. [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. 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. Magic Johnson was born on August 14, 1959. Up 3-2 in the series and without Kareem, a rookie Magic and the Lakers had to travel to Philadelphia in . Johnson returned to the NBA as a coach but he was still paid his regular player salary. The Lakers played poorly in a Game 1 loss, prompting Johnson to express frustration with his role in coach Del Harris' offense. What made Johnson's performance even more remarkable was that he was an NBA rookieand, indeed, one who had left college after only two years, and was only 20 years old. [195] Another major project is with insurance services company Aon Corp.[196] In 20052007, Johnson was part of a syndicate that bought the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower, then the tallest building in Brooklyn, for $71 million and converted the 512-foot high landmark structure from an office building into luxury condominiums. Peter Guber, who is the co-owner of the Golden State Warriors, owns a small stake in the Dodgers along with Johnson. [227] In 1992, he joined the National Commission on AIDS, a committee appointed by members of Congress and the Bush Administration. Like Comments. Forward; Follow. Courtesy of his heroics in the clincher and with series averages of 21.2 points, 11.2 rebounds, 8.7 assists, and 2.7 steals, Johnson was named Finals MVP. [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. Johnson's half-court shot at the buzzer would have won the game, but it fell short. . [154], For his feats, Johnson was voted as one of the 50 Greatest Players of All Time by the NBA in 1996,[156] and selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021. Join our linker program. Johnson was honored as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996 and selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021, and became a two-time inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famebeing enshrined in 2002 for his individual career, and again in 2010 as a member of the "Dream Team". [85][86] 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 107106. [76][77] During the Finals, Johnson averaged 18.0points on .560shooting, 13.6assists, and 7.7rebounds per game. Here are the 13 most expensive David Robinson cards: 1. Total points scored: 17,070 (83rd all time) Magic averaged 19.5 points per game during the. His favorite basketball player was Bill Russell, whom he admired more for his many championships than his athletic ability. Despite two triple-doubles from Johnson during the series, Finals MVP Jordan led his team to a 41win. Point Guard, Shooting Guard, and Power Forward. 40 years ago today, Magic Johnson scores 42 pts as a rookie (most in NBA history) while starting at center in place of the injured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the Lakers claim the 1980 NBA. Rookie Magic Johnson 42 Pts 15 reb 7 ast Full Game Highlights | Los Angeles Lakers vs Philadelphia 76ers - Game 6 | 1980 NBA Finals | HOH Throwback Subscri. The basketball game was part of festivities organized to celebrate Obama's 49th birthday. Sign In; . [16] He stated that his wife Cookie and their unborn child did not have HIV, and that he would dedicate his life to "battle this deadly disease". All the same, Johnson's incredible dominance throughout the 1980s gives him an unimpeachable resume. Buss took a special interest in Johnson, introducing him to important Los Angeles business contacts and showing him how the Lakers organization was run, before eventually selling Johnson a stake in the team in 1994. Three Point Attempts (3PTA) Points Per Game (PPG) Assists Per Game (APG) Rebounds Per Game (RPG) Blocks Per Game (BPG) Steals Per Game (SPG) Field Goal Percentage (FG%) Free Throw Percentage (FT%) Three Point Percentage (3PT%) Minutes Played Turnovers True Shooting Percentage Playoff Stats Games (G) Minutes Played Per Game (MP) Points Assists (Ast) Johnson sold his remaining interest in the stores back to the company in 2010, ending a successful twelve-year partnership. [183] He has also worked as a motivational speaker,[15] and was an NBA commentator for Turner Network Television for seven years,[184] before becoming a studio analyst for ESPN's NBA Countdown in 2008. Johnson's stats in 77 games were identical to those he had at Michigan State (18.0 ppg, 7.7 RPG, 7.3 APG). . [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. [179] In 1998, Johnson hosted a late night talk show on the Fox network called The Magic Hour, but the show was canceled after two months because of low ratings. But being bused to Everett turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened to me. Random House. [143] He later joined the Danish team The Great Danes. 1 overall pick of the 1979 #NBADraft. Magic Johnson Rookie Season Stats: 18 points per game, 7.3 assists, 7.7 total rebounds, and averaged just over 36 minutes per game. SimLeague Basketball. Speaking to media just hours after Buss had died, Johnson was emotional, saying, "Without Dr. Jerry Buss, there is no Magic. Michigan State. Johnson asserted that for him, the 82-game regular season was composed of 80 normal games, and two LakersCeltics games. A year-by-year list of the Kia NBA Rookie of the Year Award winners: 2021-22 Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors ( Voting) 2020-21 LaMelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets ( Voting) 2019-20 Ja Morant,. [214] Johnson announced his co-ownership of a Major League Soccer (MLS) expansion franchise based in Los Angeles on October 30, 2014. Authenticity Guarantee. [175], Johnson had an extremely close relationship with Lakers owner Jerry Buss, whom he saw as a mentor and a father figure. [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. With Kareem out, Magic started at center as a rookie and won the series, which earned him Finals MVP. Earvin "Magic" Johnson is one of the greatest players in NBA history and Magic Johnson cards continue to see strong interest from collectors. He went to Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz with the idea that he could successfully open the coffee shops in urban areas. [7][8] He also holds the record for most career assists in the playoffs. 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. The proceeds went to the United Negro College Fund, and Johnson held this event for twenty years, ending in 2005. home/away, monthly, etc More Magic Johnson Basketball Reference pages. Here is Magic Johnson's season by season for his career. Cedric Ceballos, upset over a reduction in his playing time after Johnson's arrival, left the team for several days. The performance by Johnson would solidify his place among the best in the NBA in only his first season with the Lakers. [215] The temporary name was Los Angeles Football Club,[216] which later became permanent in 2015. [111] Johnson led the West to a 153113win and was crowned All-Star MVP after recording 25points, 9assists, and 5rebounds. He was selected to play in his first All-Star game. It got me out of my own little world and taught me how to understand white people, how to communicate and deal with them. Combining his playing career and sports ownership career, Johnson has 10 NBA championships, five each as a player and later as a minority owner of the Lakers. [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. [67] Despite his off-court troubles, Johnson averaged 18.6points, 9.6rebounds, 9.5assists, and a league-high 2.7steals per game, and was voted a member of the All-NBA Second Team. 910. Of course, Magic had the last laugh in 1980; Johnson captured Finals MVP while leading the Lakers to the championship over the Philadelphia 76ers. That said, his well-rounded stat line of 12.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.3 steals per game on 50.9% shooting from the field is impressive - only six rookies in NBA history matched . [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. All-Rookie 1st Team . [207] In March 2012, Johnson's ownership group was announced as the winner of the proceedings to buy the Dodgers. All other box score stats (3PA, ORB, DRB, STL, BLK, TOV) complete back to 1983-84. Jan. 25, 2023: The Pacers couldn't overcome a 17-point first quarter deficit in a 126-120 loss to the Magic at Amway Center. [92] Johnson later accused Isiah Thomas of spreading the rumors, a claim Thomas denied. pic.twitter.com/9fYIJVPpHH, ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 16, 2020. [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. He finished the game with 40 points on 16-24 shooting as well as 15 rebounds and four blocks in 41 minutes on a badly injured ankle.