Magic Johnson Arrival

Lore & Background

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. He 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.

Reader's Guide

Johnson received three NBA Most Valuable Player awards, three NBA Finals MVP awards, nine All-NBA First Team designations, and twelve All-Star Game selections. He led the league in regular-season assists four times. Johnson holds the NBA records for average assists per game in the regular season (11.19) and in the playoffs (12.35 assists per game). He also holds the NBA playoffs records for most career assists and triple-doubles. Johnson was the co-captain of the 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team ('The Dream Team'), which won the Olympic gold medal in Barcelona. He is one of eight players to achieve the basketball Triple Crown.

Did You Know?

• Johnson was honored as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996 and selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.
• He is a two-time inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame—enshrined in 2002 for his individual career and as a member of the Dream Team in 2010.
• Johnson has won 16 championships during his career: one in college, five as an NBA player, and ten as an owner.
• In 2025, Johnson received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.