Historical Figure
Magic Johnson
b. 1959
American basketball player and entrepreneur (born 1959)
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Biography
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. Often regarded as the greatest point guard of all time, Johnson spent his entire career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). After winning a national championship with the Michigan State Spartans in 1979, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA draft by the Lakers, then led 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. He retired again after fellow players protested his return, but returned in 1996, at age 36, to play 32 games for the Lakers before retiring for the third and final time.
Timeline
The story of Magic Johnson, told in moments.
Born Earvin Johnson Jr. in Lansing, Michigan. One of ten children. Got the nickname "Magic" from a sportswriter after a 36-point, 18-rebound, 16-assist high school game.
Won the NBA championship as a rookie with the Lakers. Started at center in Game 6 in place of the injured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Scored 42 points, grabbed 15 rebounds. He was 20 years old.
Announced he was HIV-positive and retiring from basketball. He was 32. Many expected him to die within years. He didn't. Returned for the 1992 All-Star Game and won MVP.
Played on the Dream Team at the Barcelona Olympics. First time NBA players competed. The team won gold by an average margin of 44 points per game. Johnson was the floor general.
Became part of the ownership group that purchased the Los Angeles Dodgers for $2.15 billion, a record price for a sports team at the time. His business empire spans movie theaters, restaurants, and real estate.
In Their Own Words (2)
I think sometimes we think, "Well, only gay people can get it; it's not going to happen to me", and here I am saying that it can happen to anybody.
Johnson on who can get HIV, from his official announcement about living with HIV (7 November 1991), 1991
Everyone thought I was going to die like a year later, they didn't know. So I helped educate sports, and then the world, that a man living with HIV can play basketball. He's not going to give it to anybody by playing basketball.
Then & No Magic Johnson
Artifacts (15)
The American portrait gallery; (IA americanportrait00jone)
Jones, A[bner] D[umont] [from old catalog]
Through the magic door; (IA throughmagicdoor00doylrich)
Doyle, Arthur Conan, Sir, 1859-1930 Furman, Dorothy Hearst, William Randolph, 1863-1951
Through the magic door (IA throughmagicdoor00doyluoft)
Doyle, Arthur Conan, Sir, 1859-1930
Literary remains of Edward Lewis Johnson, esq (IA literaryremainso00john)
Johnson, Edward Lewis, 1802-1842 Blanchard, Laman, 1804-1845
A prop de les stars de l 'NBA [Printed Text]:] 20 anys viatjant pel mon del bàsquet
Sumario: Jordi Robirosa, un dels locutors desports més carismàtics del nostre país,--explica off the record els secrets del món apassionant de lNBA.--Als inicis dels anys vuitanta, la informació...
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