[36] Johnson played with the team frequently over the next several years, with possibly the most memorable game occurring in November 2001. The Lakers would finish the season on a ten-game losing streak though. Lakers Magic Johnson Signed 1980 Topps Rookie Reprint #139 Card Auto 10 BAS Slab. Johnson was publicly critical of Van Exel, saying his actions were "inexcusable. Position Forward. [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. [215] The temporary name was Los Angeles Football Club,[216] which later became permanent in 2015. [129] On February 14, Johnson recorded the final triple-double of his career, when he scored 15 points, along with 10 rebounds and 13 assists in a victory against the Atlanta Hawks. 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. 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. But being bused to Everett turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened to me. He averaged 19.5 points, 11.2 assists and 7.2 rebounds in 906 regular-season games. Stats; Bio; Splits; Game Log; Advanced Stats; Biography. Magic won a ring his rookie season. Since Elvin Hayes 11 years ago, he became the first rookie to start in an NBA All-Star Game. Nick Mac 1 day ago. Magic Johnson attended Everett in Lansing, Michigan and Michigan State. Team 33 33 SUMMARY Career G 1560 PTS 24.6 TRB 11.2 AST 3.6 FG% 55.9 FG3% 5.6 FT% 72.1 eFG% 55.9 PER 24.6 WS 273.4 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Overview Game Logs Game-by-game stat line for the player 1969-70 1970-71 1991 Fleer #237 David Robinson, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan PSA 10. [148][149] Johnson appeared at Bird's retirement ceremony in 1992, and described Bird as a "friend forever";[113] during Johnson's Hall of Fame ceremony, Bird formally inducted his old rival. [13][169] The couple adopted a daughter, Elisa, in 1995. [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. According to sports journalist Larry Schwartz of ESPN, Johnson and Bird saved the NBA from bankruptcy. In 1994, Johnson joined with former pros Mark Aguirre, Reggie Theus, John Long, Earl Cureton, Jim Farmer, and Lester Conner, as his team played games in Australia, Israel, South America, Europe, New Zealand, and Japan. All other box score stats (3PA, ORB, DRB, STL, BLK, TOV) complete back to 1983-84. That fall, he was drafted by the Lakers as the first overall pick.. Please check your email for a confirmation. Stats: None. Join our linker program. [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. [217] In 2018, Los Angeles FC debuted in MLS as an expansion team, and in 2022 won the MLS Cup. 1989-90 Hoops #310 David Robinson IA Rookie RC BGS 10 Pristine. [25], Johnson came to love basketball as a young man. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. 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 Championship with a 123-107 win over the 76ers in Philadelphia in Game 6 of the '80 NBA Finals. [44] The Lakers again reached the Finals, and for a third time faced the Sixers, who featured center Moses Malone as well as Erving. [227] Johnson was later criticized by the AIDS community for his decreased involvement in publicizing the spread of the disease. [107] He admitted to having "harems of women" and talked openly about his sexual activities because "he was convinced that heterosexuals needed to know that they, too, were at risk". [158] ESPN's SportsCentury ranked Johnson No. Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and LeBron James have won the most trophies and awards in NBA . The book detailed their on-court rivalry and friendship with one another. [204], In 2015, Johnson completed his planned acquisition for a "majority, controlling interest" in EquiTrust Life Insurance Company, which manages $14.5 billion in annuities, life insurance and other financial products. Do you have a sports website? [25] Upon learning of Chastine's death, Magic ran from his home, crying uncontrollably. The basketball game was part of festivities organized to celebrate Obama's 49th birthday. You can see stats, championships, awards and more. [94] Despite not being named MVP, Johnson had a strong championship series, averaging 21.1points on .550shooting, 13.0assists, and 5.7rebounds per game. Do you have a blog? Magic Johnson on NBA 2K23. Prior to Johnson and Bird's arrival, the NBA had gone through a decade of declining interest and low TV ratings. [72] In a losing effort against Philadelphia, Johnson averaged 19.0points on .403shooting, 12.5assists, and 7.8rebounds per game. [227] In 1992, he joined the National Commission on AIDS, a committee appointed by members of Congress and the Bush Administration. [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. [4] Several of his achievements in individual games have also been named among the top moments in the NBA. 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. [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. Eventually, Johnson accepted his situation and the small group of black students looked to him as their leader. 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. [39], Johnson did not initially aspire to play professionally, focusing instead on his communication studies major and his desire to become a television commentator. PREMIUM. Brown will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing a successful surgical procedure to address a right tibia stress (). He managed to come back in the game in the fourth quarter and helped the Lakers win (taking a 3-2 lead). However, after Johnson went down with a hamstring injury in Game 2, the Lakers were no match for the Pistons, who swept them 40. 8 of 9! Up 3-2 in the series and without Kareem, a rookie Magic and the Lakers had to travel to Philadelphia in . He said that he retired because he "didn't want to hurt the game. [38] His college decision came down to Michigan and Michigan State in East Lansing. . He led the league in regular season assists four times, and is the NBA's all-time leader in average assists per game in both the regular season (11.19 assists per game) and the playoffs (12.35 assists per game). [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. [28] Buss was also unhappy with the Lakers' offense and had intended on firing Westhead days before the WestheadJohnson altercation, but assistant GM Jerry West and GM Bill Sharman had convinced Buss to delay his decision. [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. . . 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. [222] He endorsed and appeared in campaign ads for unsuccessful Los Angeles mayoral candidate Wendy Greuel in 2013. Find out more. Johnson took over for a Lakers team that was 28-38 overall. Magic Johnson. [28] The Spartans reached the Elite Eight, but lost narrowly to eventual national champion Kentucky. Johnson, a 20-year-old rookie, enters the fray. [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. [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. Magic Johnson was drafted by Los Angeles Lakers, 1st round (1st pick, 1st overall), 1979 NBA Draft. . [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. SGC has graded another 1,100 and Beckett has graded another 3,800 copies for a grand total of 14,700 . The Lakers took a 32lead in the series, but Abdul-Jabbar, who averaged 33points a game in the series,[53] sprained his ankle in Game 5 and could not play in Game 6. [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. [75] Friends Isiah Thomas and Mark Aguirre consoled him that night, talking until the morning in his Boston hotel room amidst fan celebrations on the street. Meaning, Magic always performed better during playoff time, when the money was on the table, as . Of course, he would go on to win five NBA titles and become one of the best players in history. [44] The Lakers reached the Finals for the third year in a row, where Johnson's Lakers and Bird's Celtics met for the first time in the postseason. [13] In 1991, Johnson married Earlitha "Cookie" Kelly in a small wedding in Lansing which included guests Thomas, Aguirre, and Herb Williams. [226][228] He was also the main speaker for the United Nations (UN) World AIDS Day Conference in 1999,[227] and has served as a United Nations Messenger of Peace. Magic was the fourth of seven children Earvin Sr. and Christine had together. Point Guard, Shooting Guard, and Power Forward. [187] In 2006, Johnson created a contract food service with Sodexo USA called Sodexo-Magic. [75] In Game 3, Johnson responded with 21assists in a 137104 win, but he made several crucial errors late in the contest during Game 4. Johnson finished with over 17,000 career points and 10,000 career assists. [206], In January 2012, Johnson joined with Guggenheim Partners and Stan Kasten in a bid for ownership of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team. After leaving the NBA in 1991, Johnson formed the Magic Johnson All-Stars, a barnstorming team that traveled around the world playing exhibition games.[10]. [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. [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. "[28][33] Johnson could dominate a game without scoring, running the offense and distributing the ball with flair. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? [114] The Dream Team, which along with Johnson included fellow Hall of Famers such as Bird, Michael Jordan, and Charles Barkley, was considered unbeatable. Johnson was awarded his third Finals MVP title after averaging 26.2points on .541shooting, 13.0assists, 8.0rebounds, and 2.33steals per game. [154], Johnson was exceptional because he played point guard despite being 6ft 9in (2.06m), a size reserved normally for frontcourt players. He plays at the Point Guard or Shooting Guard position in this All-Time team. 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. 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