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Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Jr. (born August 14, 1959 in Lansing, Michigan) is an American professional basketball star who played for the Los Angeles Lakers during the 1980s and early 1990s. Playing point guard, he led the Lakers to five NBA championships ( 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988), as well as four other NBA FinalsThe NBA championship round where the team who wins the Eastern conference finals plays against the team that wins the Western conference finals. National Basketball Association. appearances. He also led Michigan State UniversityMichigan State University is a university in East Lansing, Michigan near the state capital of Lansing. Michigan State University is known for its programs in agriculture and veterinary medicine. The school's most famous alum may be former basketball super to the NCAA titleThe NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship commonly known as March Madness or the Big Dance is held each year to determine the NCAA Division I college basketball champion in the United States. See also Division II, Division III Past winners of the in 1979Events January-February January 1 Sino-American relations: United States and the People's Republic of China establish diplomatic relations January 4 State of Ohio agrees to pay $675,000 to families of dead and injured in Kent State University shootings. against arch-rival Larry BirdLarry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is a former NBA basketball player. Considered one of the best players of all time, Bird, along with colleagues Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson, revolutionized the game during the 1980s. Drafted sixth overall by the's Indiana State UniversityIndiana State University is one of the many state-supported universities in Indiana, located in Terre Haute, Indiana. The school's athletic teams are known as the Sycamores''. They participate in the Division I-AA Gateway Football Conference for football. Johnson is also the only NBA rookieRookie is a term for a person who is in their first year of play of their sport and has little or no experience. By extension the term has come to mean anyone new to a profession or activity (e. Rookie cop, Rookie pilot). Rookie is also the name of an Ita to win the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award ( 1980). He is one of only four players to win NCAA and NBA championships in consecutive years.Johnson earned the nicknameA nickname is a short, clever, cute, derogatory, or otherwise substitute name for a person or thing's real name, (for example, Nick is short for Nicholas . As a concept, it is distinct from both pseudonym and stage name, although there may be overlap in t "Magic" in high school, both for his flamboyant passing style and winning ways. While not known as an exceptional scorer, Magic excelled in all other facets of the game. In different periods of his career, he led the league in assists and steals. He led the Lakers in scoring three times ( 1987, 1989, 1990) and in rebounding twice ( 1982, 1983). His unselfish playmaking and dazzling no-look passes on the fast break ushered in the "Showtime" era of Laker basketball, which dominated the eighties. Although he and Bird eventually became the best of friends off the court, they revived the heated Lakers- Celtics rivalry, and drew millions of new fans to the NBA.
Perhaps the greatest game of Johnson's career came on May 16, 1980 in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. Still in his rookie season, Magic started the game at center (filling in for the injured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), and eventually played every position on the floor in an absolutely dominating performance (in Philadelphia, nonetheless). Scoring a game-high 42 points and grabbing a game-high 15 rebounds, he led the Lakers to the NBA crown, stunning Julius Erving, the Philadelphia 76ers, and a national television audience who came to understand the moniker "Magic".
Outside of basketball, Johnson is probably most famous for his November 7, 1991 public announcement that he had contracted the HIV virus and would be immediately retiring from basketball. The public announcement by a prominent and popular athlete shocked the nation into awareness about the AIDS epidemic and helped put the virus into the public eye.
His post-basketball business ventures include Magic Johnson Theatres, a nationwide chain of movie theaters whose complexes are primarily in urban locations. The chain is now a part of Loews Theatres, but is operated as a separate entity. More recently, his interests have expanded to include ownership of several Starbucks franchises, again primarily in urban locations.
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