Magic johnson

Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Jr. (Lansing, Michigan, August 14, 1959) is an American former basketball player, considered one of the best in history. He played for the Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA from 1979 to 1991, when he He published that he had contracted HIV, leaving professional sports to fight it, except for a brief period in 1996. At 2.06 meters tall, he played point guard.

After winning the 1979 NCAA Tournament with Michigan State University, the Lakers drafted Johnson in 1979, with whom he won the NBA title five times, played nine Finals, and was the recipient of various individual awards such as the MVP of the Season, MVP of the Finals —both three times— and two All-Star Game MVPs, in 1990 and 1992. He also played 12 All- Star Game, was included in nine seasons in the league's best five and once in the second five, and led the regular season in assists four times.

On the other hand, Johnson was part of the Dream Team of the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games, considered the best team in the history of basketball, with the American team taking gold, sweeping their rivals. In 1996, a group of members of the media, former players, coaches and managers general, named him one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history and in 2002 he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of fame.

In 1991, the player made public that he had contracted the HIV virus, making the decision to retire from basketball immediately. With the support of his fellow professionals, he became the first openly HIV-positive player to play in the NBA.

From February 2017 to April 2019, he was President of Operations for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Sports career

Its beginnings

Johnson grew up in Michigan, and from a young age he loved playing basketball. He would get up early to go play before school, often going places dribbling a ball. According to his mother, he was very enthusiastic about everything he did. When he finally joined his high school basketball team, he managed to at the age of 15 a triple-double with 36 points, 16 rebounds and 16 assists. After this, a sportswriter called him "Magic" for the first time. He suffered the loss of a teammate in a car accident, so they vowed to win the state championship as a tribute to Reggie Chastaine, the deceased player, something they achieved in extra time in the final. high school the team achieved a balance of 27 wins and 1 only loss, averaged 28.8 points and 16.8 rebounds and won the state title again.

University

Magic developed his collegiate career at Michigan State University, near his hometown. He joined the team in the 1977-78 season, at the same time as Jay Vincent, and that year the result was very different from the previous season. In 1976-77, the team had won 12 and suffered 15 losses in the Big Ten Conference, while the following year, they managed to win 13 straight games and won the conference title after eleven years without doing so. In addition, they reappeared in the NCAA Tournament, after a 19-year absence, and reached the Midwest final, in which they were defeated by the University of Kentucky. Johnson's stats were 17 points, 7.9 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game and he was named Rookie of the Year.

They began the following season hesitantly, since at the end of January 1979 they had a record of 4 wins and 4 losses. However, in the ninth game they managed to win in overtime against until then the conference leader, Ohio State, and thus began a streak of 10 consecutive victories that entrenched them in first place in the Big Ten. In the final phase, they won their first 4 meetings, with an average difference of 23 points, and thus reached the NCAA final. The rival was Indiana State University, undefeated that season, and placed at number 1 in the ranking, in which Larry Bird, who would be his great rival and friend, played a few years later. Those from Michigan finally reached the championship with a score of 75-64; Johnson was chosen that season as the best player of the tournament He played only 2 seasons, but they were enough for his fame to grow nationally. He ultimately averaged 17.1 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7.9 assists.

Professional

The Birth of “Showtime” (1979-1980)

He was chosen as number 1 in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers, who had obtained this possibility after negotiating with the New Orleans Jazz and offering then-star Gail Goodrich in exchange for the first pick in the draft The Magic entered a franchise undergoing profound change, with Jack McKinney as new manager, Jerry Buss as new owner, and several new players. However, what most attracted Johnson was the chance to play alongside his great youth idol, center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA's all-time scoring leader. He immediately transmitted his enthusiasm on the court, and imposed a style of speed play, improbable passes, vibrant counterattacks, which soon became known as Showtime —showtime. Given his ease and height for rebounding and scoring, he quickly led the league in triple doubles, second only to throughout history by another great point guard, Oscar Robertson. In addition, his almost childish enthusiasm was transmitted to the stands and he soon became an idol of the masses.

The percentages of his first season, 18 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists, were enough to be chosen in the All-NBA Rookie Team and to be a starter in the All-Star Game, although the Rookie of the Year title went to his friend Larry Bird, who joined the Boston Celtics that year. The Lakers finished with a record of 60 wins and 22 losses; after Paul Westhead's replacement on the bench for McKinney after a serious bicycle accident, they reached the 1980 Finals, where they met Dr. J, Julius Erving and the powerful Darryl Dawkins. The Lakers led the series 3-2, until Kareem Abdul-Jabbar hurt his knee. His coach then decided to put Magic in the position of center, who surprised everyone with 42 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals. He won Game 6 and the Finals 122-107 and was named NBA Finals MVP At just 20 years old, he had already earned individual honors in high school, college and as a professional. He became the third player in history to win consecutive NCAA and NBA titles, after Bill Russell and Henry Bibby.

Up and Down (1980-1983)

Johnson missed much of the 1980-81 season due to a knee injury and played only 37 regular season games. In that season's playoffs they were eliminated in the first round by the Houston Rockets. Despite this, at the end of it, Johnson signed a spectacular 25-year contract worth $25 million, courtesy of the team owner, Dr. Buss, who was impressed by his spectacular game. However, the problems continued the following season, where he had a bitter confrontation with his manager, Westhead. Following a home win for the Utah Jazz, the Magic said, I can't play for this team anymore. The team owner, instead of heeding Johnson's demands, fired the coach. For the first time in his career, the Magic had to listen to boos from the public, including from his own fans. Johnson responded to criticism in this way: in that season, he had at least 700 points, assists and rebounds, joining Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson in the select club that had reached such figures. The Lakers swept the playoffs and reached the finals again against the Sixers, who had Dr. J and Andrew Toney as main stars. Johnson led his team to a 4-2 victory, earning his second NBA Finals MVP title.

In the 1982-83 season, the Magic again had an outstanding performance averaging 16.8 points, 8.6 rebounds and 10.5 assists; In addition, he achieved his first nomination for the Best Quintet in the NBA, and his team reached the Finals again. However, this time he suffered the losses of his teammates Norm Nixon, James Worthy and Bob McAdoo due to injury and they were devastated in the final by the Sixers, who had their new center and finally MVP of the Finals, Moses Malone.

Larry Bird and the Bad Boys (1983-1988)

Johnson (right) fights for a ball with Boston Cedric Maxwell at the 1985 NBA Finals

At the same time, another player who would end up becoming a legend, a forward for the Boston Celtics and an old acquaintance of Magic, arrived at the league, with whom he faced off in the NCAA Final in 1979: Larry Bird. The German journalist Günter Bork defined them as polar opposites: on the one hand, the black, smiling and spectacular player that was Johnson, and on the other, the white, introverted and hard-working player that was Bird. In addition, the strength of both squads made the rivalry last over time. The Showtime, a fast and spectacular basketball, faced off against the precise and sure game of the Celtics.

Both were stars on their teams, but the Celtics competed in the Eastern Conference while the Lakers competed in the Western Conference, so the only way to meet in the postseason was in the Finals. This did not happen until 1984. That year Magic again had an outstanding performance, with averages of 17.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 13.1 assists, and along with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar led his team to the finals, where they would finally meet the Celtics. Several decisive errors in the second, fourth and seventh and final games sent the title flying to Massachusetts, and Larry Bird was named MVP of the Finals. For all this, Kevin McHale, one of Boston's mainstays, mocked describing his rival as & # 34; Tragic & # 34; Johnson.

In the following season, 84-85, Johnson stood out again in the regular season with an average of 18.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 12.6 assists. He led the Lakers to the Finals again, where they would again meet the Celtics. After a bad start with a 114-148 loss, the team reacted and turned the series around to finally win 4-2, thanks above all to Abdul-Jabbar —now 38 years old— and Magic, who averaged 15.2 assists in the 6 games of the final.

The 1985-86 season proved disappointing for the Magic and their Lakers. Despite the good figures again in the regular league -18.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 12.6 assists-, the Lakers fell resoundingly in the Western Conference Finals against the Houston Rockets led by their Twin Towers, Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson by 4 to 1. However, the following year Johnson had his best season. Averaging a career-high 23.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 12.2 assists, Magic won his first NBA MVP award, the only award that had eluded him since the start of his career. his career. The Lakers met the Celtics again in the final, where Michael Cooper's defense of Boston star Larry Bird was transcendental. Johnson was again providential, especially in the fourth game, when he scored a hook two seconds from time on two men taller than him, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish, which gave the Californian team a 107-106 victory. the Lakers won the final 4-2.

Before the 1987-88 season began, Lakers coach Pat Riley shocked the team when he promised to repeat the title despite the curse that the same team had not won two consecutive rings since the 1968-69 season. Johnson once again had a productive regular season, with 19.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 11.9 assists per game. In the playoffs the Lakers survived two hectic playoffs that reached Game 7, against the Utah Jazz and the Dallas Mavericks, to meet in the final with the feared bad boys, the Detroit Pistons, with a reputation for playing basketball at the limit of allowed hardness. After 6 intense games, with the score tied at 3 victories, the figure of James Worthy emerged in the seventh and final game by achieving a triple-double, 36 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists, which led his team to the championship by winning 108-105 and winning the MVP of the Finals.

MVPs in the sunset (1988-1991)

In the 1988-89 season, Johnson averaged 22.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 12.8 assists per game; In addition, he reached his second NBA MVP.The Lakers reached the Finals again, but Magic's ligament injury put the title on a platter against the Pistons, who swept the Pistons 4-0; this result was the prelude to the finals farewell to the great Abdul-Jabbar, who at the age of 42 would play a post-season for the last time. The following year history would repeat itself, since Johnson won the MVP again, but the Lakers would fall in the second round of the playoffs against the Phoenix Suns.

In the 1990-91 season, the Lakers would repeat their appearance in the finals, this time against the Chicago Bulls that had their great star Michael Jordan. His contribution, coupled with Scottie Pippen's exceptional defense against Magic, who was injured in the second game of the final, gave them the first in a long series of successes for the Windy City team.

Magic announces that he is living with HIV (1991-1992)

Before the start of the 1991-92 season, Johnson was in Salt Lake City where the Lakers were to play a preseason game, a few days after returning from Paris from the McDonald's Open, when he received the club's call, to return immediately to Los Angeles. There, on October 24, 1991, the medical staff informed him of his condition.He officially missed his first three games due to a stomach infection; He wasted no time in calling a press conference that shocked the sports world on November 7, 1991, when he announced that he was infected with the HIV virus and his immediate retirement from basketball. He discovered his diagnosis while trying to get life insurance when he tested positive for HIV. But far from negative messages, he surprised by announcing his happiness that his wife Cookie and the son they were both expecting were not infected and that he was going to dedicate his life to fighting this infection. The NBA environment was shocked, and even the President George H. W. Bush stated, "To me, the Magic is a hero, a hero to anyone who loves the game.".

"I did not know that the conference had been broadcast live nationally by CNN and ESPN (...) My friends were calling me from all over the country. Some of them told me the exams would be done. In the following days, I was searched for media coverage of my infection and reporting, which after my announcement, millions of people went to hospitals and clinics around and asked them to take HIV tests. Direct lines were unable to respond to all calls. Condom sales grew, as well as grants for AIDS organizations. "

Johnson talking about the impact of his announcement that he is a carrier of HIV.

Despite all this, Magic was voted by the public to play the All-Star Game that season. Several players were reluctant to play someone who could theoretically give them a deadly virus, including Karl Malone. Despite this, he played the game; the Western Conference won 153-113. After the win, he hugged his rivals and friends in a spontaneous tribute, and he was awarded the MVP of the match.

The Dream Team (Barcelona 92)

Despite having tested positive for HIV, Magic was called up to the United States Basketball Team to participate in the Barcelona 92 Olympic Games. That mythical team, called the Dream Team —which is referred to by fans and the press as a dream team—due to the number of NBA basketball stars gathered in it, it swept the basketball tournament. For the first time, living legends of the sport played together on the same team, which, in addition to Johnson, included Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, Scottie Pippen, John Stockton and David Robinson, among others.

Johnson was limping throughout the tournament with a minor knee injury and played less in the tournament than he would have liked. Despite this, the Barcelona Olympic Games will be remembered, among other things, for having been the place where one of the greatest players in history gave his last lessons.

Brief return to the NBA (1996)

Johnson announced his return to the courts in the 1992-93 season. However, after participating in preseason games, he decided to retire for personal reasons. He embarked on other commitments, including writing a book on safe sex and touring Asia and Australia with former NBA players.

In the 1993-94 season, he agreed to take charge of the Lakers team as head coach, but after playing 16 games he resigned. In exchange, he became a shareholder of the team in June 1994. The surprise came already The 1995-96 season began, when he put on basketball shoes again to play his last 32 games as a professional, at the age of 36. Despite the time off, he averaged 14.6 points, 6.9 assists and 5.7 rebounds; In addition, he got to play the playoffs, although the Houston Rockets eliminated them in the first round after which he retired for good.

Statistics of his NBA career

Regular season

Playoffs

Magic: The Legend

Johnson's dorsal 32 was withdrawn by the Lakers in 1992.

He would develop his entire professional stage in the Lakers —from 1979 to 1991— where thanks to his speed, his great handling of the ball and his magnificent vision of the game, he masterfully played the point guard position —with 2.06 meters tall-, and led the team to win five NBA championships -1980, 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988-. Johnson is one of only four players to win back-to-back NCAA and NBA titles, and is the only rookie in NBA history to win NBA Finals MVP in 1980; an award that he won again on two other occasions —1982 and 1987—. He was elected Season MVP three times —1987, 1989 and 1990— and All-Star Game MVP in 1990 and 1992; this last occasion, a year after his withdrawal. In the opinion of analyst Bill Simmons, the Magic was the best point guard in the league between the 1982-1983 and 1990-1991 seasons.

The nickname "Magic" comes from high school and is due to his great passing skills, which allowed him to dish out a large number of assists —11.2 per game throughout his professional career for a total of 10,141— to his playmates to whom, with his charisma, he spread his enthusiasm for the game and his winning character. He was a good scorer, averaging 19.5 points per game his entire career, but Magic excelled in every facet of the game. During different periods of his career, he was the best in the championship in assists — he led this ranking from 1982 to 1987 — and takeaways. He guided the Lakers to be the highest scoring team three times —1987, 1989 and 1990— and the highest rebounding team twice —1982 and 1983. For some fans and journalists, his way of playing without looking at his passes and his speed contributed to the Lakers' style of play at that time being known as "Showtime".

Key moments in Magic Johnson's career

Magic Johnson in 1987

• In the 1979-1980 season, Los Angeles Lakers arrived at the NBA Finals in front of Philadelphia 76ers; the stars at that time were Kareem Abdul Jabbar by the Lakers and Julius Erving — or Dr. J.— by the 76ers. In the fifth match of the final, disputed at the Los Angeles Forum, with the matched series 2 to 2, Kareem injured a ankle when his sky-hook—the sky's pussy—did the match for the Lakers. Kareem held the rest of the game with the sprain and even got the basket that sealed the victory at that meeting, but his effort would pass him bill and could no longer play the rest of what was left of the end. On the plane to Philadelphia to contest the sixth encounter, Magic asked his trainer to play rot. In fact, he made the start jump and from then he deployed an extremely versatile game that led him to play with tremendous efficiency in the five positions of the game. The 76ers could never stop him and Magic ended the match with 42 points, 15 rebounds and 7 assists. The Lakers won the game and the final series, and the NBA chose it MVP of the Finals.

• In the 1984-85 season the end of the previous season was repeated: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics. The previous year Boston took the championship in what was seen as Larry Bird's rematch for the college final that lost five years ago when he played with Indiana St., against Michigan St. led by Magic. Thus the tradition remained: the Lakers had never won a final series to the Celtics. And on this occasion, things didn't start very well for them either. In what Boston fans remember as "The Massacre of the Day of the Falls"—since the party was held in that American festivities, called "Memorial Day"—the Celtics inflicted a severe remedial (148-114) so it seemed that "the curse" was going to hold another year. This was a mirage. Driven by Magic, who had significantly improved his outer shot, and Kareem, who was named MVP of those finals with 38 years, the Lakers overwhelmed the beating of the first match and the weight of the adverse story. They won the end at 6 meetings and then held the title on the mythical Boston Garden patch.

• In the 1987 Finals, "Magic" Johnson and Larry Bird again saw their faces in what was their third and final final rivals. The decisive match was the fourth, which was played in Boston. In addition to his regular attendance, Magic did not stop score from half a distance throughout the meeting. Already in the last minute of the game, when there were few seconds left for the end, Larry Bird put in a triple that left the 106-105 marker for Boston. Five seconds from the final beep, Magic took the ball to the left of the personal light bulb, in front of the basket, marked by Kevin McHale. Previa pretended on the left, he went to the right and went to the pass, Robert Parish, Larry Bird and McHale himself. Magic seemed locked up, but at that time he threw a "mini hook from heaven" —June sky-hook as he called it himself—with his right hand to win the game. The ball came clean, the Lakers took the series in 6 meetings and Magic got his third MVP of the Finals. At the end of the game, Larry Bird said: "You always expect to lose with the Lakers for a hook, but you never expect it from Magic."

• In 1988, Detroit Pistons, self-named "Bad Boys — in Spanish: "bad guys"— and led by Isiah Thomas, they finally succeeded in defeating the Celtics in the Finals of the Eastern Conference. It seemed like that was going to be their year, but the Lakers were waiting for them in the end, and they still had one more lesson to teach them on their way to the championship. The series was very tough, between the control basketball of the Pistons and the spark of the Lakers, it came to an agonizing seventh encounter. In the final seconds Bill Laimbeer put a triple for Detroit that put himself to a single point of the marker, but nothing else pulling out of the background, the ball came to the hands of Magic, which gave a pass that crossed the whole court to fall into the hands of A.C. Green, who scored a tray to put the Lakers up for three points. In need of a triple, Detroit quickly pulled out and looked for Thomas, whom Magic stole the ball at the last second as he raised his arms in a sign of victory, while the Forum audience invaded the court for the celebration.

• Since the Celtics managed to win two consecutive championships in the biennium 1968-69, no other team had been able to repeat it. Magic, in his full maturity as a player, was a decisive man for the Lakers throughout the final and on the way to it, thanks to his successful passes, an outstanding play-sharing and fundamental baskets when in the decisive moments, the ball "burned" in the hands of others. Perhaps never since then the MVP of the Finals was deserved, although an impressive threefold of his partner James Worthy in the last match made the jury decide for this award.

Rivalry with Larry Bird

Larry Bird, Johnson's big rival throughout his career.

The first time the media talked about the rivalry between Johnson and Larry Bird was in the 1979 NCAA Final, when the Magic's Michigan State Spartans defeated Bird's Indiana State Sycamores. Both had previously met on a college players' tour of Europe the previous year. The rivalry continued in the NBA and reached its height when the Lakers and Celtics met in the Finals four times between 1984 and 1987. Johnson claimed that the regular season it consisted of 80 games and the two Lakers-Celtics matchups, while Bird confessed that the first thing he read in the mornings were the statistics from the previous Magic game.

Different specialized journalists speculated that the rivalry between the two players went beyond the game, that it also had to do with the confrontation of the glamour of Hollywood against the working class of Boston and Indiana, even between blacks and whites. The big beneficiaries were the television networks, which before the arrival of both players in the league had shown a decline in professional basketball viewers, and who saw how viewers once again enjoyed their broadcasts. The arrival of both players ushered in a new generation of fans. ESPN sportswriter Larry Schwartz went further, stating that both players had saved the league from bankruptcy.

Despite their rivalry on the track, their friendship was strengthened by an advertisement for Converse shoes in 1984, in which they appeared as bitter enemies. The league itself took advantage of the pull of both players to announce the Finals of the competition. Johnson was a guest at Larry Bird's retirement ceremony, describing him as a friend for life. In turn, Bird was the one who introduced his friend at the induction ceremony into Magic's Basketball Hall of Fame.

In 2009, Johnson and Bird collaborated with journalist Jackie MacMullan, including their personal testimonials for the development of the book When the Game Was Ours, detailing their on-court rivalry and off-court friendship. from the field.

In 2010, the production company HBO Sports published a documentary about the rivalry, directed by Ezra Edelman and titled Magic and Bird: A Courtship of Rivals.

Later Life

Johnson with Nancy Pelosi in 2003.

After announcing his HIV infection in November 1991, he created the Magic Johnson Foundation to help combat the disease, although he later diversified his objectives to also help other types of causes. In 1992 he joined the National AIDS Commission, but left eight months later after claiming that the commission was not doing enough to combat the disease. The following year he wrote an educational guide entitled What you can do to avoid AIDS —in Spanish: What can you do to avoid AIDS— In 1999, he was the keynote speaker at the World AIDS Day Conference held in in the United Nations. In addition, he was named Messenger of Peace of said institution.

In 1998, he hosted a talk show on Fox television, but it was canceled after two months of broadcasting due to low viewership. He later started Magic Johnson Enterprises, a company with a net worth of $700 million, and which included among its subsidiaries a production company, Magic Johnson Productions, a national chain of theaters, Magic Johnson Theaters, and film studios, Magic Johnson Entertainment.

Since he was diagnosed with the AIDS virus, Magic has dedicated himself to giving talks and conferences in American schools and institutions to show people how to prevent their disease and how to fight against it. She recounts her experience with the hope that young people, especially, will get her message, as she explained at a Washington school in 2006: «The only things that have saved my life have been early detection and antiretrovirals. ». She tries to show the world that her disease is, in the first place, preventable, and that, in the case of falling into it, you can learn to live with it.

He has made friendly tours with other teams around the world, and even returned to the NBA, but this time to coach his longtime team, with only 16 games remaining in the 1993-94 regular season. In the 1995-96 season he returned to play 32 games (always with the Lakers) and then retired permanently.

His numbers at the time of his retirement were impressive: In a relatively short playing life of 906 regular-season games — Utah Jazz guard John Stockton played in 1,504 games — the Magic averaged 19.5 points per game — for a total of 17,707, with percentages of 52% in field goals, 30.3% in triples and 84.4% in free throws—, 7.2 rebounds —for a total of 6,559— and 11.2 assists —with which he won the match.

Controversies about his illness

Magic Johnson in 2007.

On October 10, 2008, a Minneapolis station announced it would air ads to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS after a pair of commenters accused Magic Johnson of faking his diagnosis and harsh criticism from the former basketball player.

Chris Baker and Langdon Perry of radio station KTLK made the comments two days earlier on Baker's conservative show. The context of the comments was not entirely clear, but they arose when a listener called in to complain about the demands on workers. Perry responded with a question about diseases that a person can live with for a long time "if he gets medicine."

Baker replied “like Magic Johnson?”, to which Perry added “like Magic Johnson with his fake AIDS. Magic faked AIDS." Baker said "you think Magic faked AIDS out of pity?", and Perry replied "I'm pretty sure Magic faked AIDS". "Me too," Baker stated.

The doubt that such statements can sow makes it necessary to remember that HIV ended Magic Johnson's professional career on a high, disputing Michael Jordan for the honor of being the best player in NBA history to date. At that time, HIV was also socially stigmatized. The proof came with the All-Star game of that year 1992, when the fear of a recognized player was expressed, such as Karl Malone who, having been selected, refused to play if he appeared, fearing an accidental contagion. This evidenced the serious damage to his job options (sports and advertising with notable economic performance), as well as to his personal relationships, also deteriorating his personal reputation for being a case of promiscuity.

Johnson issued a statement days later saying he was “outraged that Chris Baker and Langdon Perry were downplaying such a serious and deadly matter. Millions of people are dying of HIV/AIDS, and the fact that they joke about my condition is unbelievable," said the former player.

Achievements and recognitions

Magic Star on Hollywood Fame Walk.

• 01! Olympic gold at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games.

• 5 times NBA champion (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988).
• 3 times MVP finals (1980, 1982 and 1987).
• 3 times MVP of the season (1987, 1989 and 1990).
• 12 times All Star.
• 2 times All-Star Game MVP.
• Chosen on 9 occasions in the best quintet in the league.
• Chosen in the best rookies quintet in 1980.
• 4 times Leader in League assistance.
• 2 times Leader in league ball thefts.
• It has the record of attendance at playoffs throughout a race (2346).
• It has the record of more points scored by a rookie in a match of the Finals, with 42, and more assistance in a time with 14.

Honors

• Picked one of the top 50 players in the history of the NBA in 1996.
• Since 2001, he has a star on Hollywood Walk of Fame.
• Since 2001, the PBWA awards the best-treated player to the media, with the name of Magic Johnson Award.
• Include in Basketball Hall of Fame (Clase 2002).
• Elected on the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.
• The trophy to the best player at the end of the Western conference, bears his name.

Games won at the buzzer

Filmography

Magic Johnson in July 2017.

Biographies

Magic Johnson's autobiography is Johnson, Earvin (1992). Magic Johnson: My Life. Random House. ISBN 0449222543. ISBN 0-449-22254 -3