Magic Johnson

Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. was born on August 14, 1959, and is known today as a businessman and former professional basketball player. He is considered one of the greatest players in basketball history, often called the best point guard ever. Johnson played his entire NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers. After winning a national title with Michigan State in 1979, the Lakers selected him first overall in that year’s draft. He then led the team to five NBA championships during the "Showtime" era. In 1991, Johnson abruptly retired after announcing he had HIV. He returned for the 1992 All-Star Game, where he earned MVP honors, but retired again after other players protested his comeback. He made another return in 1996 at age 36, playing 32 games for the Lakers before retiring for good.

Johnson was known for his exceptional court vision, passing, and leadership. He won three NBA MVP awards, three NBA Finals MVP awards, nine All-NBA First Team selections, and made twelve All-Star appearances. He led the league in assists four times. He holds NBA records for average assists per game in both the regular season (11.19) and playoffs (12.35), as well as playoff records for total assists and triple-doubles. Johnson was co-captain of the 1992 U.S. Olympic "Dream Team," which won gold in Barcelona. He is one of eight players to achieve basketball’s Triple Crown. After leaving the NBA in 1991, he formed the Magic Johnson All-Stars, a barnstorming team that played exhibition games worldwide.

In 1996, Johnson was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, and in 2021 he was selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. He is a two-time Hall of Famer, inducted individually in 2002 and as part of the Dream Team in 2010. His friendship and rivalry with Celtics star Larry Bird—whom he faced in the 1979 NCAA finals and three NBA Finals—are well known.

Since retiring, Johnson has advocated for HIV/AIDS prevention and safe sex, and has worked as an entrepreneur, philanthropist, broadcaster, and motivational speaker. He was a part-owner of the Lakers and served as the team’s president of basketball operations in the late 2010s. He is a founding member of Guggenheim Baseball Management, which runs the Los Angeles Dodgers, and holds ownership stakes in the Los Angeles Sparks, Los Angeles FC, Washington Commanders, and Washington Spirit. Johnson has won 16 championships overall: one in college, five as an NBA player, and ten as an owner. In 2025, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Forbes estimates his net worth at $1.6 billion.

Johnson was raised in Lansing, Michigan, the son of Earvin Sr., a General Motors assembly worker, and Christine, a school janitor. He had six siblings and three half-siblings from his father’s previous marriage. His parents’ work ethic shaped him: his mother cleaned the house and prepared meals after work, while his father did janitorial work and collected garbage without missing a day at GM. Johnson often helped his father on the garbage route, earning the nickname "Garbage Man" from neighborhood kids. His mother raised him in the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

He fell in love with basketball young. His favorite player was Bill Russell, admired more for his championships than his athleticism. He also idolized Earl Monroe and Marques Haynes, practicing "all day." His father had played high school basketball in Mississippi and taught him the game; his mother, from North Carolina, also played as a child and watched her brothers play.

By eighth grade, Johnson was thinking about a basketball future. He was a dominant junior high player, once scoring 48 points in a game. He planned to attend Sexton High School, a successful program five blocks from home, but was bused to predominantly white Everett High School instead. His siblings Pearl and Larry had bused there before and faced racism—rocks thrown at buses, white parents keeping kids home. Larry was kicked off the basketball team after a practice confrontation and begged Johnson not to play. Johnson joined the team but grew angry when teammates ignored him, nearly fighting another player before coach George Fox intervened. He eventually accepted the situation and became a leader for the small group of black students. In his autobiography, *My Life*, he said his time at Everett changed him.

Johnson was first called "Magic" at age 15, after recording a triple-double of 36 points, 18 rebounds, and 16 assists as a sophomore.