And the first few months, I was miserable at Everett. The LA team had a great regular season with a 60-22 record. Magic Johnson was born on August 14, 1959. [33] The Lakers advanced through the 1982 playoffs and faced Philadelphia for the second time in three years in the 1982 NBA Finals. "Jamaal Wilkes had an unbelievable game", said Johnson in 2011. [44][130] The Lakers had a record of 2210 in the games Johnson played, and he considered his final comeback "a success. Forward; Follow. August 14, International Stats at Basketball-Reference.com, College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com, Scores from any date in BAA/NBA or ABA history, Frequently Asked Questions about the NBA, WNBA and Basketball, Basketball-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREE. He played for the Lakers for 13 seasons . At the age of 42, Johnson played with the All-Stars against his alma mater, Michigan State. the Deejay, Tragic, The Magic Man, Junior), Position: He was selected to play in 11 All-Star games. Michigan State, High School: [230] He has advertised GlaxoSmithKline's drugs,[231] and partnered with Abbott Laboratories to publicize the fight against AIDS in African American communities.[230]. inLansing,Michigan [223] In 2015, he once again endorsed Hillary Clinton in her second presidential campaign. In 1979, Magic had led Michigan State to the NCAA title over Larry Bird's Indiana State in the most-watched college final ever. 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. [48] Johnson became the only rookie to win the NBA Finals MVP award,[48] and his clutch performance is still regarded as one of the finest in NBA history. Clicking on a tab heading will display the specified set of statistics. Rookie Scales; College Tracker; Country Tracker; Manage Roster; Best Values; Birthday Tracker; Transactions . Despite two triple-doubles from Johnson during the series, Finals MVP Jordan led his team to a 41win. 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. [39], Johnson did not initially aspire to play professionally, focusing instead on his communication studies major and his desire to become a television commentator. [177][178], Buss supported Johnson as he revealed his diagnosis of HIV in 1991, and he never hesitated to keep Johnson close to the organization, bringing him in as part-owner, and even as a coach. [23][31] Johnson's sister Pearl and his brother Larry had bused to Everett the previous year and did not have a pleasant experience. Michael Jordan: Yes (1985) Larry Bird: . [25], Johnson came to love basketball as a young man. 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The rookie scored 11 of the 20 points. Johnson averaged 8.0 points per game during the Olympics, and his 5.5 assists per game was second on the team. Of course, Magic had the last laugh in 1980; Johnson captured Finals MVP while leading the Lakers to the championship over the Philadelphia 76ers. [77][109], Johnson's HIV announcement became a major news story in the United States,[108] and in 2004 was named as ESPN's seventh-most memorable moment of the previous 25 years. He managed to come back in the game in the fourth quarter and helped the Lakers win (taking a 3-2 lead). [165][166][167], Johnson first fathered a son in 1981, when Andre Johnson was born to Melissa Mitchell. or Best Offer. [23] Johnson looked forward to playing at Sexton High School, a school with a very successful basketball team and history that also happened to be only five blocks from his home. Magic, Buck, E.J. 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 Although Johnson's retirement prior to the 199293 NBA season voided this contract, Buss insisted that he still be paid. With 42 points . . Earvin (Magic) Johnson has signed a 25-year contract for $1 million a year, starting in 1984, Jerry Buss, the Los Angles Lakers' owner, said tonight. [68] During the championship series against the Sixers, Johnson averaged 16.2points on .533shooting, 10.8rebounds, 8.0assists, and 2.5steals per game. 8/14/1959. [112] The game ended after he made a last-minute three-pointer, and players from both teams ran onto the court to congratulate Johnson. [20], Earvin Johnson Jr. was born in Lansing, Michigan, to General Motors assembly worker Earvin Sr. and school janitor Christine. Eventually, Johnson accepted his situation and the small group of black students looked to him as their leader. Sign In; . In Game 6 of the 1980 Finals, Magic Johnson recorded 42 points and 15 rebounds to help the Lakers to the title. [163], On February 21, 2017, Johnson replaced Jim Buss as the president of basketball operations for the Los Angeles Lakers. Bird and Magic entered the league together in 1979. Johnson asserted that for him, the 82-game regular season was composed of 80 normal games, and two LakersCeltics games. [13][169] The couple adopted a daughter, Elisa, in 1995. All columns may be sorted by clicking the . 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]. Magic Johnson: No: Stephen Curry: No: All-NBA Second Team Team. [58] Johnson returned before the start of the 1981 playoffs, but the Lakers' then-assistant and future head coach Pat Riley later said Johnson's much-anticipated return made the Lakers a "divided team". 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. The game was played at a gym inside Fort McNair, and reporters covering the president were not allowed to enter. The Lakers. 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. [147], In 2009, Johnson and Bird collaborated with journalist Jackie MacMullan on a non-fiction book titled When the Game Was Ours. [45], Johnson was drafted first overall in 1979 by the Los Angeles Lakers. Born on August 14, 1959, Earvin 'Magic' Johnson is a former NBA player and the former president of basketball operations for the LA Lakers. "[28][33] Johnson could dominate a game without scoring, running the offense and distributing the ball with flair. [106], After a physical before the 199192 NBA season, Johnson discovered that he had tested positive for HIV. [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. [191], Johnson began thinking of life after basketball while still playing with the Lakers. [226][227], To prevent his HIV infection from progressing to AIDS, Johnson takes a daily combination of drugs, also called a drug cocktail. $95.00 shipping. The entire playing career for Magic Johnson is displayed below. He wondered why so many athletes had failed at business, and sought advice. His mother spent many hours after work each night cleaning their home and preparing the next day's meals, while his father did janitorial work at a used car lot and collected garbage, all while never missing a day at General Motors. "[119], During his retirement, Johnson has written a book on safe sex, run several businesses, worked for NBC as a commentator, and toured Asia, Australia and New Zealand with a basketball team of former college and NBA players. Best Season Stats. Rookie of the Year. I n today's post, we're going to share three facts that prove that Larry Bird was a better player than Magic Johnson. [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. Stats; Bio; Splits; Game Log; Advanced Stats; Biography. [62], In 1981, after the 198081 season, Johnson signed a 25-year, $25million contract with the Lakers (equivalent to $75,000,000 in 2021), which was the highest-paying contract in sports history up to that point. [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. RELATED: Magic Johnson Just the Latest Member of the Showtime Lakers to Turn a Cold Shoulder to New HBO . Earvin "Magic" Johnson is one of the greatest players in NBA history and Magic Johnson cards continue to see strong interest from collectors. Magic Johnson played 13 seasons for the Lakers. [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. NBA Finals MVP 1980 on Winning Time: Magic Johnson story is . Explore Magic Johnson career playoff stats [7][8] He also holds the record for most career assists in the playoffs. [146] With the two future Hall of Famers, the league won a whole generation of new fans,[147] drawing both traditionalist adherents of Bird's dirt court Indiana game and those appreciative of Johnson's public park flair. Shooting 41.9 percent from three, Johnson has emerged as a three-level shot-maker and passing threat. Magic Johnson Rookie Year Stats | StatMuse Magic Johnson averaged 18.0 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists in 77 games in his rookie season in 1979-80. [107] At the time, only a small percentage of HIV-positive American men had contracted it from heterosexual sex,[92][108] and it was initially rumored that Johnson was gay or bisexual, although he denied both. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. [101] Under Dunleavy, the offense used more half-court sets, and the team had a renewed emphasis on defense. Midway through Game 5 of the Finals, Kareem suffered a severe sprained ankle. [192] The experience taught him to listen to his customers and find out what products they wanted. With Kareem out, Magic started at center as a rookie and won the series, which earned him Finals MVP. [16] Many articles praised Johnson as a hero, and the then-U.S. President George H. W. Bush said, "For me, Magic is a hero, a hero for anyone who loves sports. ESTATE LIQUIDATION- LOT OF NEW OLD VINTAGE UNOPENED NBA Basketball CARDS IN PACK. Two-time Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame inductee: College Basketball Hall of Fame (class of 2006), 2016 WNBA champion (as part owner of the Sparks), 2020 World Series champion (as part owner of the Dodgers), This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 04:30. Cedric Ceballos, upset over a reduction in his playing time after Johnson's arrival, left the team for several days. His favorite basketball player was Bill Russell, whom he admired more for his many championships than his athletic ability. 1. Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player. . $22.75. [87][88], Before the 198788 NBA season, Lakers coach Pat Riley publicly promised that they would defend the NBA title, even though no team had won consecutive titles since the Celtics did so in the 1969 NBA Finals. Combining his playing career and sports ownership career, Johnson has 10 NBA championships, five each as a player and later as a minority owner of the Lakers. Johnson went on to win the Finals MVP that year, though he lost the Rookie of the Year trophy to Larry Bird. For the NBA center, see, Two moments of Johnson during his tour with the All-Stars to Argentina in January 1994: (left) greeting a local player; (right) hugging soccer superstar, HIV announcement and Olympics (19911992), Return to the Lakers as coach and player (1994, 1996). Check out Magic Johnson's College Stats, School, Draft, Gamelog, Splits and More College Stats at Sports-Reference.com 1979-80 NBA Season Stats: 18.0 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 7.3 APG, 2.4 SPG, 0.5 BPG Awards And Achievements: NBA Champion, Finals MVP, All-Star, All-Rookie Team After being selected with the No. [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. [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. [73], Prior to Johnson's fifth season, Westwho had become the Lakers general managertraded Nixon to free Johnson from sharing the ball-handling responsibilities. 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. Branham has put together a tremendous stretch with the Spurs and is coming off his best month of the season. Everett in Lansing, Michigan, Draft: "[119] Johnson said that despite the physical, highly competitive practices and scrimmages leading up to the 1992 Olympics, some of those same teammates still expressed concerns about his return to the 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. Magic Johnson made at least $39,342,860 playing professional basketball. 1980 Topps Magic Johnson Rookie Card Larry Bird RC Julius Erving PSA 9 Mint . [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. 1980 Topps Magic Johnson Rookie Card Larry Bird RC Julius Erving PSA 9 Mint. Jamaal Wilkes scored 37 points, including a dunk with 50 seconds left that gave Los Angeles a 12-point lead. Johnson's stats in 77 games were identical to those he had at Michigan State (18.0 ppg, 7.7 RPG, 7.3 APG). Brown will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing a successful surgical procedure to address a right tibia stress (). 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. 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). Explore What team had the best over/under record last year? The Lakers finished the season on a ten-game losing streak, and Johnson's final record as a head coach was 511. Holds the all-time record for highest career assists-per-game average11.2 Holds the all-time record for most assists in Playoffs2,346 Johnson is also the only player in NBA history to have at least 2,000 assists in a playoff career [1] Holds the all-time record for highest assists-per-game average in Playoffs12.4 Magic recorded 42 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals in a 123-107 victory over the Sixers in Philadelphia during Game 6 while filling in for Jabbar at the center position to win his. That fall, he was drafted by the Lakers as the first overall pick.. 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]. 910. 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. 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