Magic Johnson
The Showtime legend who redefined the point guard position and became a champion on and off the court.
Earvin Johnson Jr., whose parents were Earvin Sr. and Christine, was born in Lansing, Michigan.[1]
Quick Facts
- Born
- 14 August 1959
- Birthplace
- Lansing, Michigan, U.S.
- High school
- Everett (Lansing, Michigan)
- College
- Michigan State (1977–1979)
- Draft year
- 1979
- Draft round
- 1
- Drafted by
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Career position
- Point guard
Facts from the source article.
Life and work
Johnson first received the nickname "Magic" at age 15 after a 36-point, 18-rebound, 16-assist game as a sophomore at Everett High School.[2] In 1991, Johnson announced he had tested positive for HIV and retired immediately.[3] He returned to play in the 1992 NBA All-Star Game, earning MVP honors with 25 points and 9 assists.[4]
What the cited sources add
Schwartz also reports that Johnson's performance in the 1992 All-Star Game, three months after his HIV diagnosis, "is the stuff of fairy tales"[5] A Deseret News article from 1996 states that Johnson's agent said his final retirement "has nothing to do with his health"[6] The same article reports that Johnson averaged 14.6 points, 6.9 assists, and 5.7 rebounds in 32 games during his final comeback season.[6] Thomsen's article also quotes Thomas denying the accusation and saying, "I wish he would have had the courage to say this stuff to me face to face".[7]
References
- Wikipedia, "Magic Johnson" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Eldridge, "Rebounding from basketball court to boardroom", USA Today, November 8, 2004; Johnson, Earvin "Magic", and William Novak. My Life. p. 4. .; Johnson, "My Life", Random House, 2009 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Magic Johnson" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Magic Johnson Bio", NBA Encyclopedia: Playoff Edition; Zillgitt, "Magic Memories of a Real Star", USA Today, September 27, 2002; "Magic Johnson Bio", NBA Encyclopedia: Playoff Edition; "Magic Johnson Bio", NBA Encyclopedia: Playoff Edition; Schwartz, "Magic made Showtime a show", ESPN; Atkins, "State Basketball Championships Are Now History", The Argus-Press, March 28, 1977, p. 9; "Everett High School Yearbook", Everett High School, 1977, p. 79; Smith, "True Lies", February 12, 1996; Danois, "The Meaning of Magic", Coach George Raveling, en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Magic Johnson" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Heisler, "Lakers Get the Better of a Close Call, 116–114: Pro basketball: The NBA remains unbeaten in McDonald's Open, but it gets by with a little help from its friends", Los Angeles Times, October 20, 1991; Carleton, "LA Lakers bring the NBA's flair to Paris", San Angelo Standard-Times, October 21, 1991, p. 3B; Weinberg, "7: Magic Johnson announces he's HIV-positive", ESPN, September 1, 2004; Weinberg, "7: Magic Johnson announces he's HIV-positive", ESPN, September 1, 2004 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Magic Johnson" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: McCallum, "Most Valuable Person", February 17, 1992; Bork, "Die großen Basketball Stars", 1994, p. 90–94}} {{ISBN; Cooper, "1992 NBA All-Star Game", NBA; "Classic NBA Quotes: Magic and Larry", NBA Encyclopedia: Playoff Edition (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Schwartz, "Magic made Showtime a show", ESPN. facts only, no text reused. espn.com
- "Magic Johnson Retires Again", Deseret News, May 14, 1996. facts only, no text reused. deseret.com
- Thomsen, "Isiah blasts Magic Johnson over criticisms in forthcoming book", October 22, 2009. facts only, no text reused. si.com
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Magic Johnson (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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