[44] However, the Lakers bowed out to the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference semifinals, which was the Lakers' earliest playoffs elimination in nine years. [92] Johnson later accused Isiah Thomas of spreading the rumors, a claim Thomas denied. The Lakers played poorly in a Game 1 loss, prompting Johnson to express frustration with his role in coach Del Harris' offense. In 2006, he publicly endorsed Phil Angelides for Governor of California,[219] in 2007 he supported Hillary Clinton in her presidential campaign,[220] and in 2010 he endorsed Barbara Boxer in her race for re-election to the U.S. 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. [5] [84] In the next season, Johnson averaged a career-high of 23.9points, as well as 12.2assists and 6.3rebounds per game,[44] and earned his first regular season MVP award. "A Midsummer Night's Magic" eventually came under the umbrella of the Magic Johnson Foundation, which he founded in 1991. . [76][77] During the Finals, Johnson averaged 18.0points on .560shooting, 13.6assists, and 7.7rebounds per game. 17 in their "50 Greatest Athletes of the 20th Century"[159] In 2006, ESPN.com rated Johnson the greatest point guard of all time, stating, "It could be argued that he's the one player in NBA history who was better than Michael Jordan. Point Guard, Shooting Guard, and Power Forward In 1979, Magic had led Michigan State to the NCAA title over Larry Bird's Indiana State in the most-watched college final ever. 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. $119.99. He put together a 14-point, 21-assist performance in Game 3. [45], Johnson was drafted first overall in 1979 by the Los Angeles Lakers. Magic Johnson is on Twitter at MagicJohnson. 8 of 9! With Abdul-Jabbar, Johnson willed the Lakers to victory in just his first season in the NBA. While Johnson is considered the leader of the ownership group, the controlling owner is Mark Walter, chief executive officer for Guggenheim Partners. Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Basketball Reference Database. Averaged 19.4 points, 11.7 assists, and 7.9 rebounds in 50 NBA Finals games. 1979-80 Los Angeles Lakers Roster and Stats | Basketball-Reference.com via Sports Logos.net About logos 1979-80 Los Angeles Lakers Roster and Stats Previous Season Next Season Record: 60-22, Finished 1st in NBA Pacific Division Coach: Jack McKinney (10-4), Paul Westhead (50-18) Executive: Bill Sharman Stats: None. Magic Johnson was inducted to the Hall of Fame as a Player in 2002 (Full List) During his seventh season in the NBA, he had a meeting with Michael Ovitz, CEO of Creative Artists Agency. [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. [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. Find out more. Earvin "Magic" Johnson is one of the greatest players in NBA history and Magic Johnson cards continue to see strong interest from collectors. RELATED: Magic Johnson Just the Latest Member of the Showtime Lakers to Turn a Cold Shoulder to New HBO . Johnson sold his remaining interest in the stores back to the company in 2010, ending a successful twelve-year partnership. Only 1 left! [33] He was selected to the 197879 All-American team for his performance that season. The Lakers finished the season on a ten-game losing streak, and Johnson's final record as a head coach was 511. [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. All statistics courtesy of Basketball Reference. He replaced Randy Pfund and Bill Bertka as interim coaches. [209] The Dodgers won the 2020 World Series, giving Johnson a Major League Baseball title to his credit. 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. PREMIUM. [44] The Lakers advanced to the Western Conference Finals, but were unable to defeat the Houston Rockets, who advanced to the Finals in five games. "Earvin Johnson" redirects here. [174], In 2010, Johnson and current and former NBA players such as LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Bill Russell, as well as Maya Moore from the WNBA, played a basketball game with President Barack Obama as an exhibition for a group of military troops who had been injured in action. Read up on Magic Johnson's biography, career, awards and more on ESPN. [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". 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. [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. [123][124] Johnson, who took the job at the urging of owner Jerry Buss, admitted "I've always had the desire (to coach) in the back of my mind." That fall, he was drafted by the Lakers as the first overall pick.. Of course, Magic had the last laugh in 1980; Johnson captured Finals MVP while leading the Lakers to the championship over the Philadelphia 76ers. [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. Johnson's mother, originally from North Carolina,[29] had also played basketball as a child, and she grew up watching her brothers play the game.[26]. He played center in place of Abdul-Jabbar and with 42 points, 15 boards, 7 assists and 3 steals gave the Lakers the championship and became the first rookie ever to win the Finals 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. He wondered why so many athletes had failed at business, and sought advice. Magic Johnson Rookie year stats: 18.0 points (on 53.0 percent shooting), 7.7 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 2.4 steals There's a famous story of how Magic Johnson actually never wanted to play. [21] Johnson, who had six siblings and three half-siblings by his father's previous marriage,[22][23][a] was influenced by his parents' strong work ethic. Often regarded as the best point guard of all time, Johnson is also considered to be one of the greatest players in NBA history. [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. [171][172], Johnson is a Christian[173] and has said his faith is "the most important thing" in his life. Shooting 41.9 percent from three, Johnson has emerged as a three-level shot-maker and passing threat. [63][64] Early in the 198182 season, Johnson had a heated dispute with Westhead, who Johnson said made the Lakers "slow" and "predictable". During the playoffs, while Bird scored 0.5 less points per game, Magic delivered one more assist and picked 0.5 more rebounds per game. Johnson's half-court shot at the buzzer would have won the game, but it fell short. Second Championship Ring (Los Angeles Lakers vs. Philadelphia Sixers, 1982) The series was all about a balanced scoring attack for the Lakers. [113], Johnson was chosen to compete in the Barcelona 1992 Summer Olympics for the U.S. national team, dubbed the "Dream Team" because of the NBA stars on the roster. The 42 points scored by Johnson were the most ever by a rookie in the NBA, a record that still stands today. . Explore Magic Johnson career playoff stats [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. Magic Johnson on NBA 2K23 Other biographies include: On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [80] However, Abdul-Jabbar, who was now 38years old, scored 30points and grabbed 17rebounds in Game 2, and his 36points in a Game 5 win were instrumental in establishing a 32 lead for Los Angeles. [33] The Lakers advanced through the 1982 playoffs and faced Philadelphia for the second time in three years in the 1982 NBA Finals. [215] The temporary name was Los Angeles Football Club,[216] which later became permanent in 2015. In 1992, Buss had given Johnson a contract that paid him $14 million a year, as payback for all the years he was not the league's highest-paid player. "[28][33] Johnson could dominate a game without scoring, running the offense and distributing the ball with flair. Magic Johnson played 13 seasons for the Lakers. Right, Born: the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. "[134] Johnson was himself suspended five days later, when he bumped referee Scott Foster, missing three games. $19,999.99. [87] The game-winning shot, which Johnson dubbed his "junior, junior, junior sky-hook",[87] helped Los Angeles defeat Boston in six games. Birthdate. [15] His public announcement of his HIV-positive status helped dispel the stereotype, still widely held at the time, that HIV was a "gay disease" that heterosexuals need not worry about; his bravery in making this announcement was widely commended. Total points scored: 17,070 (83rd all time) Magic averaged 19.5 points per game during the. 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. 1980 Topps Magic Johnson Rookie Card Larry Bird RC Julius Erving PSA 9 Mint. After protests from his fellow players, he retired again for four years, but returned in 1996, at age 36, to play 32games for the Lakers before retiring for the third and final time. Although they were facing the defending NBA champion Houston Rockets, the Lakers had home court advantage in the five-game series. Javascript is required for the selection of a player. Up 3-2 in the series and without Kareem, a rookie Magic and the Lakers had to travel to Philadelphia in . [211] Johnson and Guber sold their stake in the Dragons in 2014. At just 20 years old, he remains the. Branham has put together a tremendous stretch with the Spurs and is coming off his best month of the season. 8/14/1959. He said that he retired because he "didn't want to hurt the game. [79], In the 198485 regular season, Johnson averaged 18.3points, 12.6assists, and 6.2rebounds per game, and led the Lakers into the 1985 NBA Finals, where they faced the Celtics again. Larry Bird finished above Magic Johnson in the NBA MVP Voting in 8 of their 9 first seasons. [3][55][56] He also became one of four players to win NCAA and NBA championships in consecutive years. Magic Johnson was a member of the renowned NBA team 1990-91 Los Angeles Lakers who played at the Point Guard or Shooting Guard position. [36] Johnson played with the team frequently over the next several years, with possibly the most memorable game occurring in November 2001. [147], In 2009, Johnson and Bird collaborated with journalist Jackie MacMullan on a non-fiction book titled When the Game Was Ours. . All rights reserved. SimLeague Basketball. Brown will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing a successful surgical procedure to address a right tibia stress (). 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. [25] Upon learning of Chastine's death, Magic ran from his home, crying uncontrollably. Explore What team had the best over/under record last year? The franchise reached an agreement with free agent LeBron James on a four-year contract in 2018, but efforts to trade for Anthony Davis during the 201819 season proved unsuccessful. [163], On February 21, 2017, Johnson replaced Jim Buss as the president of basketball operations for the Los Angeles Lakers. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Do you have a sports website? Shoots: All-Rookie 1st Team . Ovitz encouraged him to start reading business magazines and to use every connection available to him. [129], After the Lakers lost to the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs,[136] Johnson initially expressed a desire to return to the team for the 199697 NBA season, but he also talked about joining another team as a free agent, hoping to see more playing time at point guard instead of power forward. Magic, Buck, E.J. MP over 99% complete back to 1976-77. home/away, monthly, etc More Magic Johnson Basketball Reference pages. [131][132] He missed two games and was stripped of his title as team captain. [28] In the last championship series of his career, Johnson averaged 18.6points on .431shooting, 12.4assists, and 8.0rebounds per game. [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. [225], After announcing his infection in November 1991, Johnson created the Magic Johnson Foundation to help combat HIV,[226] although he later diversified the foundation to include other charitable goals. [4] Several of his achievements in individual games have also been named among the top moments in the NBA. [74] Johnson averaged another double-double season, with 17.6points, 13.1assists, and 7.3rebounds per game. Johnson left after eight months, saying that the White House had "utterly ignored" the work of the panel, and had opposed the commission's recommendations, which included universal healthcare and the expansion of Medicaid to cover all low-income people with AIDS. [158] ESPN's SportsCentury ranked Johnson No. Johnson's average of 18.0 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game was enough to make the All-Rookie Team and become a starter on the All-Star Team, even though the NBA Rookie of the Year Award went to his rival Larry Bird, who had joined the Boston Celtics. [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. 230. He went to Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz with the idea that he could successfully open the coffee shops in urban areas. 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. In comparison, Magic`s stats are 19.5, 7.2 and 11.2, respectively. After a triple-double from Johnson in Game 6, the Lakers defeated the Sixers 42, as Johnson won his second NBA Finals MVP award. [217] In 2018, Los Angeles FC debuted in MLS as an expansion team, and in 2022 won the MLS Cup. [39], Johnson did not initially aspire to play professionally, focusing instead on his communication studies major and his desire to become a television commentator. He was named an All-Star starter and made the All-Rookie Team. All the same, Johnson's incredible dominance throughout the 1980s gives him an unimpeachable resume. 1 overall pick by the Lakers, Johnson had an immediate partner in crime with Abdul-Jabbar. 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. [155] Johnson is the only player in NBA Finals history to have triple-doubles in multiple series-clinching games. [177] It was this arrangement that allowed Johnson to coach the team without receiving any additional salary. $95.00 shipping. Games (G) Michael Jordan: 82 (2002-03) Larry Bird: . Magic won his first Finals MVP in 1980, averaging 21.5 PPG, 11.2 RPG, and 8.7 APG. or Best Offer. [41], During the 197879 season, Michigan State again qualified for the NCAA tournament, where they advanced to the championship game and faced Indiana State, which was led by senior Larry Bird. . [51], The Lakers compiled a 6022record in the regular season and reached the 1980 NBA Finals,[52] in which they faced the Philadelphia 76ers, who were led by forward Julius Erving. Johnson said that what was "most amazing" about joining the Lakers was the chance to play alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,[46] the team's 7ft 2in (2.18m) center who became the leading scorer in NBA history. the Deejay, Tragic, The Magic Man, Junior) Position: Point Guard, Shooting Guard, and Power Forward Shoots: Right 6-9 , 215lb (206cm, 97kg) More bio, uniform, draft, salary info Hall of Fame 12x All Star 4x AST Champ 2x STL Champ 5x NBA Champ 10x All-NBA 1979-80 All-Rookie [121][122], Johnson returned to the NBA as coach of the Lakers near the end of the 199394 NBA season, replacing Randy Pfund, and Bill Bertka, who served as an interim coach for two games. [187] In 2006, Johnson created a contract food service with Sodexo USA called Sodexo-Magic. 5, Magic Johnson combined dazzling playmaking with charisma to lead the Showtime Lakers to five titles", "Magic Johnson vs. Stephen Curry: Does Warriors star have stats case to surpass Lakers legend as GOAT point guard? [157] The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inducted him in 2002. The rookie with the million-watt smile. Birthdate 8/14/1959. Johnson had never seriously considered coaching, but he agreed to take the head coaching position with the Lakers in 1994 at Buss' request. How many games did Magic Johnson field goal miss a season due to injury? [113], Several journalists hypothesized that the JohnsonBird rivalry was so appealing because it represented many other contrasts, such as the clash between the Lakers and Celtics, between Hollywood flashiness ("Showtime") and Boston/Indiana blue collar grit ("Celtic Pride"), and between blacks and whites. Free shipping. At the age of 20 Magic Johnson took the Lakers to the victory in the series-clinching sixth game with a legendary performance. [141][142] Johnson also became a co-owner of the club;[143] however, the project failed after one season and the club was forced into reconstruction. Magic Johnson on NBA 2K23. The Lakers would finish the season on a ten-game losing streak though. [138][139] On November 1, 2002, Johnson returned to play a second exhibition game against Michigan State. [206], In January 2012, Johnson joined with Guggenheim Partners and Stan Kasten in a bid for ownership of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team. the Deejay, Tragic, The Magic Man, Junior are nicknames for Magic Johnson. [226][227], To prevent his HIV infection from progressing to AIDS, Johnson takes a daily combination of drugs, also called a drug cocktail. Johnson's stats in 77 games were identical to those he had at Michigan State (18.0 ppg, 7.7 RPG, 7.3 APG). [28] Johnson came from an athletic family. [150] The following year, HBO developed a documentary about their rivalry titled Magic & Bird: A Courtship of Rivals, which was directed by Ezra Edelman. In what was his rookie year. Los Angeles Lakers, 1st round (1st pick, 1st overall), 1979 NBA Draft, Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 2002 (Full List), More Magic Johnson pages at Sports Reference. As remarkable Magic's performance was in Game 6, Kareem's. [36] He officially returned to the team on January 29, 1996,[128] and played his first game the following day against the Golden State Warriors. There was a point early on in the episode when Johnson (Quincy Isaiah) hears that Larry Bird (Sean Patrick Small) was selected as the 1980 NBA Rookie of the Year. In the decisive Game 7 in Boston, as the Lakers trailed by three points in the final minute, opposing point guard Dennis Johnson stole the ball from Johnson, a play that effectively ended the series. [176] Calling Buss his "second father" and "one of [his] best friends", Johnson spent five hours visiting Buss at the hospital just a few months before his death from cancer. He now has the type of off-ball offense and defensive tools NBA teams can picture translating. Nick Mac 1 day ago. His single-game playoff record of 24 assists . FGA, TRB, AST, PF, GS over 99% complete back to 1975-76. Magic Johnson Music signed R&B artist Avant as its first act. [33] Johnson dedicated the championship victory to his best friend Reggie Chastine, who was killed in a car accident the previous summer. Rookie of the Year. [38] His college decision came down to Michigan and Michigan State in East Lansing. [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". Earvin Johnson Jr. [177], In 1997, his production company Magic Johnson Entertainment signed a deal with Fox. [205], He is an investor for aXiomatic eSports, the ownership company of Team Liquid. 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