American basketball player and entrepreneur (born 1959)
For the Red Hot Chili Peppers song, see Mother's Milk (album). For the Nas song, see Magic 2.
"Earvin Johnson" redirects here. For the NBA center, see Ervin Johnson.
Magic Johnson
Johnson in 2022
Personal information
Born
(1959-08-14) August 14, 1959 (age 64) Lansing, Michigan, U.S.
Listed height
6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight
220 lb (100 kg)[1]
Career information
High school
Everett (Lansing, Michigan)
College
Michigan State (1977–1979)
NBA draft
1979: 1st round, 1st overall pick
Selected by the Los Angeles Lakers
Playing career
1979–1991, 1996, 1999–2000
Position
Point guard / shooting guard
Number
32
Career history
As player:
1979–1991, 1996
Los Angeles Lakers
1999–2000
Magic M7 Borås
2000
Magic Great Danes
As coach:
1994
Los Angeles Lakers
Career highlights and awards
5× NBA champion (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988)
3× NBA Finals MVP (1980, 1982, 1987)
3× NBA Most Valuable Player (1987, 1989, 1990)
12× NBA All-Star (1980, 1982–1992)
2× NBA All-Star Game MVP (1990, 1992)
9× All-NBA First Team (1983–1991)
All-NBA Second Team (1982)
NBA All-Rookie Team (1980)
4× NBA assists leader (1983, 1984, 1986, 1987)
2× NBA steals leader (1981, 1982)
IBM Award (1984)
NBA Lifetime Achievement Award (2019)
NBA anniversary team (50th, 75th)
No. 32 retired by Los Angeles Lakers
NCAA champion (1979)
NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player (1979)
Consensus first-team All-American (1979)
Second-team All-American – NABC (1978)
Third-team All-American – AP, UPI (1978)
2× first-team All-Big Ten (1978, 1979)[2]
No. 33 retired by Michigan State Spartans
First-team Parade All-American (1977)
McDonald's All-American (1977)
Mr. Basketball of Michigan (1977)
Career NBA statistics
Points
17,707 (19.5 ppg)
Rebounds
6,559 (7.2 rpg)
Assists
10,141 (11.2 apg)
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Basketball Hall of Fame as player
College Basketball Hall of Fame Inducted in 2006
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing the United States
Olympic Games
1992 Barcelona
Men's basketball
Tournament of the Americas
1992 Portland
Men's basketball
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. Often regarded as the greatest point guard of all time,[3][4][5][6][7] Johnson spent his entire career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). After winning a national championship with Michigan State in 1979, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA draft by the Lakers, leading the team to five NBA championships during their "Showtime" era. 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. After protests against his return from his fellow players, he retired again for four years, but returned in 1996, at age 36, to play 32 games for the Lakers before retiring for the third and final time.
Known for his extraordinary court vision, passing abilities, and leadership on the court, Johnson was one of the most dominant players of his era. His career achievements include three NBA Most Valuable Player Awards, three NBA Finals MVPs, nine All-NBA First Team designations, and twelve All-Star games selections. 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).[8][9] He also holds the records for most career playoff assists and most career playoff triple-doubles.[10][11] Johnson was the co-captain of the 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team ("The Dream Team"),[12] which won the Olympic gold medal in Barcelona. After leaving the NBA in 1991, he formed the Magic Johnson All-Stars, a barnstorming team that traveled around the world playing exhibition games.[13]
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 Fame—being enshrined in 2002 for his individual career, and again in 2010 as a member of the "Dream Team".[14] 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.
Since his retirement, Johnson has been an advocate for HIV/AIDS prevention and safe sex,[15] as well as an entrepreneur,[16] philanthropist,[17] broadcaster and motivational speaker.[18] Johnson is a former part-owner of the Lakers and was the team's president of basketball operations in the late 2010s. He is a founding member of Guggenheim Baseball Management, managing entity of the MLB's Los Angeles Dodgers, and also partly owns the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks, the MLS' Los Angeles FC, and the NFL's Washington Commanders. Johnson has won 14 total championships during his career, one in college, five as an NBA player and eight as an owner.[19]
^Povtak, Tim (February 7, 1992). "Magic weekend is on tap as Johnson set for NBA encore". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on May 9, 2021. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
^"2021–22 Big Ten Men's Basketball Media Guide" (PDF). Big Ten Conference. 2021. p. 88. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
^Cite error: The named reference greatestpg was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference top10pg was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^The Athletic NBA Staff (February 23, 2022). "NBA 75: Top 75 NBA players of all time, from MJ and LeBron to Lenny Wilkens". The Athletic. Archived from the original on April 7, 2022. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
^Oram, Bill (February 14, 2022). "NBA 75: At No. 5, Magic Johnson combined dazzling playmaking with charisma to lead the Showtime Lakers to five titles". The Athletic. Archived from the original on August 17, 2022. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
^Greer, Jordan (September 16, 2022). "Magic Johnson vs. Stephen Curry: Does Warriors star have stats case to surpass Lakers legend as GOAT point guard?". Sporting News. Archived from the original on November 28, 2022. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
^"NBA & ABA Career Leaders and Records for Assists Per Game". Basketball Reference. Archived from the original on March 28, 2013. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
^"NBA & ABA Career Playoff Leaders and Records for Assists Per Game". Basketball Reference. Archived from the original on September 13, 2019. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
^"NBA & ABA Career Playoff Leaders and Records for Assists". Basketball Reference. Archived from the original on April 24, 2015. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
^"NBA & ABA Career Playoff Leaders and Records for Triple-Doubles". Basketball Reference. Archived from the original on February 10, 2024. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
^Kiisel, Ty (February 6, 2013). "Do you remember who was captain of the Dream Team?". Deseret News. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
^"Magic Johnson." Archived July 23, 2015, at the Wayback Machine. How Stuff Works. Retrieved June 4, 2022.
^Rohlin, Melissa (April 4, 2020). "Magic Johnson Says It Breaks His Heart That Kobe Bryant Won't Be At Hall Of Fame Ceremony". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on May 9, 2021. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
^Jaslow, Ryan (November 29, 2013). "Magic Johnson's HIV activism hasn't slowed 22 years after historic announcement". CBS News. Archived from the original on April 5, 2022. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
^Cite error: The named reference espnticket was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Haire, Thomas (May 1, 2003). "Do You Believe in 'Magic'?". Response Magazine. Archived from the original on October 26, 2006. Retrieved May 27, 2008.
^Springer, Steve (November 7, 2001). "Magic's Announcement: 10 years later, a real survivor". Los Angeles Times. p. D1.
^"Magic Johnson now has championship rings in the NBA, MLB and WNBA". Bardown. October 28, 2020. Archived from the original on November 16, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. Often regarded as the greatest...
MagicJohnson Theatres is a chain of movie theaters, originally developed in 1994 by Johnson Development Corporation, the business holding of basketball...
MagicJohnson Enterprises is an American investment company owned by retired NBA Hall of Fame legend MagicJohnson. In 1995, after some criticism that...
The MagicJohnson Award is an annual award for a National Basketball Association (NBA) player who recognizes excellence on the court and cooperation and...
June 4, 1992, in Beverly Hills, California, to Earvin "Magic" Johnson and Earlitha "Cookie" Johnson (née Kelly). He has an older brother, Andre, and a younger...
and the Earvin "Magic" Johnson Trophy for the Western Conference. Their namesakes, Hall of Fame players Larry Bird and MagicJohnson, both made their...
A statue of basketball player MagicJohnson by Omri Amrany and Gary Tillery is installed outside Los Angeles' Crypto.com Arena, in the U.S. state of California...
a highly anticipated match-up of Bird against Michigan State great MagicJohnson, thus beginning a career-long rivalry that the two shared for over a...
The MagicJohnson Foundation was founded by basketball legend MagicJohnson in 1991, the same year Johnson temporarily retired from the NBA, and works...
result, MagicJohnson was taunted as "Tragic Johnson" whenever the Lakers and Celtics played against each other. In the 1984–85 season, Johnson continued...
as sport. Second, the Lakers drafted MagicJohnson first overall in the 1979 NBA draft. The combination of Johnson, a prodigy point guard, and dominant...
tuned in. Bird and Johnson both entered the league in 1979, leading their respective teams to dazzling heights. Rookie MagicJohnson led the Showtime Lakers...
Heinlein Magic (rapper) (1975–2013), also known as Mr. Magic (real name Awood Johnson), American rapper Magic!, Canadian reggae-pop band The Magic Drum and...
and Boston Celtics after their rivalry was revived in 1979 with the MagicJohnson–Larry Bird pair entering the league. After alternating wins with the...
before turning 21 and the second-highest scorer under 21, with only MagicJohnson scoring more. He also set Conference Finals records for the youngest...
champion Boston Celtics 4 games to 2. The key moment of the series was MagicJohnson's Junior sky hook in Game 4. This was the tenth time that the Celtics...
been needed. In Game 6, MagicJohnson played what may have been the greatest game of his career. Playing on the road, Johnson (a 6'9" rookie point guard)...
actor and former American football player known for his leading role as MagicJohnson in HBO's sports drama television series Winning Time: The Rise of the...