Magic Johnson
American basketball player and entrepreneur (born 1959) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. He is often regarded as the greatest point guard of all time.[3][4][5][6] Johnson played 13 seasons 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 Los Angeles 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.
_(cropped).jpg) 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 | |
| |
| 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 | |
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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. 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).[7][8] He also holds the record for most career assists in the playoffs.[9] 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. 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]
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".[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.
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.[15] 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 is also part of groups that own the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks, MLS' Los Angeles FC, and NFL's Washington Commanders. Johnson has won 13 total professional championships during his career, five as an NBA player and eight as an owner.[16]