He was selected to play in his first All-Star game. [213] He won the WNBA championship as the owner in 2016. [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. . . [185], Johnson runs Magic Johnson Enterprises, a conglomerate company that has a net worth of $700million;[13] its subsidiaries include Magic Johnson Productions, a promotional company; Magic Johnson Theaters, a nationwide chain of movie theaters; and Magic Johnson Entertainment, a film studio. [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. [154], For his feats, Johnson was voted as one of the 50 Greatest Players of All Time by the NBA in 1996,[156] and selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021. [23][31] Johnson's sister Pearl and his brother Larry had bused to Everett the previous year and did not have a pleasant experience. Statistics; Transactions . [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. PREMIUM. [144][145] The rivalry was also significant because it drew national attention to the faltering NBA. [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. Michael Jordan: Yes (1985) Larry Bird: . [103][104] Although the series was portrayed as a matchup between Johnson and Jordan,[105] Bulls forward Scottie Pippen defended effectively against Johnson. inLansing,Michigan He went to Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz with the idea that he could successfully open the coffee shops in urban areas. Magic Johnson was drafted by Los Angeles Lakers, 1st round (1st pick, 1st overall), 1979 NBA Draft. However, after Johnson went down with a hamstring injury in Game 2, the Lakers were no match for the Pistons, who swept them 40. [157] The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inducted him in 2002. Clicking on a tab heading will display the specified set of statistics. [33], Despite their on-court rivalry, Johnson and Bird became close friends during the filming of a 1984 Converse shoe advertisement that depicted them as enemies. 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. That fall, he was drafted by the Lakers as the first overall pick.. "Earvin Johnson" redirects here. Johnson was awarded his third Finals MVP title after averaging 26.2points on .541shooting, 13.0assists, 8.0rebounds, and 2.33steals per game. 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]. [230] He has advertised GlaxoSmithKline's drugs,[231] and partnered with Abbott Laboratories to publicize the fight against AIDS in African American communities.[230]. This is average NBA player's height . Three Point Attempts (3PTA) Points Per Game (PPG) Assists Per Game (APG) Rebounds Per Game (RPG) Blocks Per Game (BPG) Steals Per Game (SPG) Field Goal Percentage (FG%) Free Throw Percentage (FT%) Three Point Percentage (3PT%) Minutes Played Turnovers True Shooting Percentage Playoff Stats Games (G) Minutes Played Per Game (MP) Points Assists (Ast) [187] In 2006, Johnson created a contract food service with Sodexo USA called Sodexo-Magic. His 11.2 assists are an NBA record for assists per game for a career. [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. Mathurin recorded a game-high 26 points while Banchero scored 23 for . $5.00. Johnson was publicly critical of Van Exel, saying his actions were "inexcusable. Magic Johnson has a 6'9" wingspan. Check out Magic Johnson's College Stats, School, Draft, Gamelog, Splits and More College Stats at Sports-Reference.com Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. All-Rookie 1st Team . the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. 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. What made Johnson's performance even more remarkable was that he was an NBA rookieand, indeed, one who had left college after only two years, and was only 20 years old. SPONSORED. Johnson's half-court shot at the buzzer would have won the game, but it fell short. [28] After the game, Fred Stabley Jr., a sports writer for the Lansing State Journal, gave him the moniker[32] despite the belief of Johnson's mother, a devout Christian, that the name was sacrilegious. [163], On February 21, 2017, Johnson replaced Jim Buss as the president of basketball operations for the Los Angeles Lakers. [120] The 1992 event, which was the first one held after Johnson's appearance in the 1992 Olympics, raised over $1.3 million for UNCF. [76][77] During the Finals, Johnson averaged 18.0points on .560shooting, 13.6assists, and 7.7rebounds per game. [180] Shortly after the cancellation of his talk show, Magic Johnson started a record label. [195] Another major project is with insurance services company Aon Corp.[196] In 20052007, Johnson was part of a syndicate that bought the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower, then the tallest building in Brooklyn, for $71 million and converted the 512-foot high landmark structure from an office building into luxury condominiums. [192] The partnership, called Urban Coffee Opportunities, placed Starbucks in locations such as Detroit, Washington, D.C., Harlem, and the Crenshaw District of Los Angeles. After showing Schultz the tremendous buying power of minorities, Johnson was able to purchase 125 Starbucks stores, which reported higher than average per capita sales. He had become more powerful and stronger than in his earlier years, but was also slower and less nimble. At just 20 years old, he remains the. Magic Johnson: 1 (1982) . Magic Johnson joined Shaquille O'Neal and celebrity coach Spike Lee to lead the blue team to a 147132 victory over the white team, which was coached by Arsenio Hall. "[36] Johnson and Chastine were almost always together, playing basketball or riding around in Chastine's car. [49][50] Johnson averaged 18.0points, 7.7rebounds, and 7.3assists per game for the season, was selected to the NBA All-Rookie Team, and was named an NBA All-Star Game starter. The Lakers played poorly in a Game 1 loss, prompting Johnson to express frustration with his role in coach Del Harris' offense. [28] In the last championship series of his career, Johnson averaged 18.6points on .431shooting, 12.4assists, and 8.0rebounds per game. [197][198], In 1990, Johnson and Earl Graves Sr. obtained a large interest in the Washington, D.C. PepsiCo bottling operation, making it the company's largest minority-owned facility in the U.S.[199] Johnson became a minority owner of the Lakers in 1994, having reportedly paid more than $10million for part ownership. [48] Coach Paul Westhead, who had replaced McKinney early in the season after he had a near-fatal bicycle accident,[49][54] decided to start Johnson at center in Game 6; Johnson recorded 42points, 15rebounds, 7assists, and 3 steals in a 123107 win, while playing guard, forward, and center at different times during the game. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. [16], Johnson initially said that he did not know how he contracted the disease,[16] but later acknowledged that it was through having numerous sexual partners during his playing career. Other biographies include: On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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], At the age of 36, Johnson attempted another comeback as a player when he re-joined the Lakers during the 199596 NBA season. He is often regarded as the greatest point guard of all-time. Midway through Game 5 of the Finals, Kareem suffered a severe sprained ankle. "[33][128], Determined to play competitive basketball despite being out of the NBA, Johnson formed the Magic Johnson All-Stars, a barnstorming team composed of former NBA and college players. They also toured the United States, playing five games against teams from the CBA. . [154], Johnson was exceptional because he played point guard despite being 6ft 9in (2.06m), a size reserved normally for frontcourt players. Magic Johnson. He wondered why so many athletes had failed at business, and sought advice. Johnson's stats in 77 games were identical to those he had at Michigan State (18.0 ppg, 7.7 RPG, 7.3 APG). 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. I n today's post, we're going to share three facts that prove that Larry Bird was a better player than Magic Johnson. Magic Johnson averaged 19.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 11.2 assists per game. He was selected to play in 11 All-Star games. [170] Johnson resides in Beverly Hills and has a vacation home in Dana Point, California. The Hall of Fame guard is a five-time NBA champion, but he is perhaps best remembered for his long-running rivalry with Larry Bird. [19] During Johnson's ownership of these teams, the Sparks won the 2016 WNBA championship, the Dodgers won the 2020 World Series, and LAFC won the 2022 MLS Cup. Despite two triple-doubles from Johnson during the series, Finals MVP Jordan led his team to a 41win. [72] With Johnson's teammates Nixon, James Worthy, and Bob McAdoo all hobbled by injuries, the Lakers were swept by the Sixers, and Malone was crowned the Finals MVP. However, Magic's playoff stats are better. [148][149] Johnson appeared at Bird's retirement ceremony in 1992, and described Bird as a "friend forever";[113] during Johnson's Hall of Fame ceremony, Bird formally inducted his old rival. 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. [28] In his final high school season, Johnson led Everett to a 271 winloss record while averaging 28.8points and16.8 rebounds per game,[28] and took his team to an overtime victory in the state championship game. Often regarded as the best point guard of all time, Johnson is also considered to be one of the greatest players in NBA history. [135] Johnson led the way to a Game 2 victory with 26 points, but averaged only 7.5 points per game for the remainder of the series, which the Rockets won three games to one. 1989-90 Hoops #310 David Robinson IA Rookie RC BGS 10 Pristine. 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.