Magic Johnson Biography, Wiki: We are always get jealous when watching the tall, buff NBA players during the basketball matches. Lakers have been a very famous basket ball team, and one their former team members was not only titled magic but also performed it on the field. Let us dive into the life of Magic Johnson and know more about him.
Who is Magic Johnson?
Earvin “Magic” Johnson is an American former Professional Basketball player and also the former President of basketball operations of the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association or NBA. He played 13 seasons and was regarded as the greatest point guard of all time. He has been an advocate for HIV/AIDS prevention and safe sex since his retirement along-with being a entrepreneur, philanthropist, broadcaster and motivational speaker.
Magic Johnson Biography, Wikipedia
Johnson was born on 14th August, 1959 in Lasing, Michigan. He was a member of the 1992 United States men’s Olympic basketball team called the “The Dream Team” and they went to win a gold medal too. After his retirement, he joined the Magic Johnson All-Stars, a team that traveled around the playing exhibition games. He was first dubbed as “Magic” during his sophomore year when he recorded a triple-double of 36 points, 18 bounds and 16 assists.
Magic Johnson Family
Johnson’s parents Earvin Sr., a General Motors assembly worker, and Christine, a school janitor, played basketball in their younger years. He was inspired by his parents strong work ethic as they worked day and night without rest to provide for the family. He has six sibling’s and three half-sibling’s from his fathers previous marriage. His sister’s name is Pearl and brother’s name is Larry.
Johnson had his first son name Andre Johnson in 1981 with his first wife Melissa Mitchell. Andre works as the marketing director at Magic Johnson Enterprises. He later married Earlitha “Cookie” Kelly and they have a son together name Earvin III or EJ who is openly gay and starred in the reality show “Rich Kids of Beverly Hills”. They also adopted a daughter named Elisa in 1995. He currently lives in Beverly Hills. Johnson is a Christian and has said that his religion is the most important thing in his life.
Magic Johnson Education
Johnson wanted to attend Sexton High School with a very successful basketball team, but was enrolled into Everett High School. He Chose to join Michigan State college in East Lansing to finish his graduation.
Magic Johnson Biography, Family, Education, Personal Details
Real Name | Earvin “Magic” Johnson |
Nickname | Magic |
Profession | Professional Basketball player |
Marital Status | Married |
Wife’s Name | Earlitha “Cookie” Kelly |
Child Name | Andre Johnson; Earvin III Johnson and Elisa Johnson |
Physical Status | |
Age | 62 years |
Height (Approx.) | 2.6 m (6 ft 9 in) |
Weight (Approx.) | 100 kg (220 lb) |
Eye Colour | Black |
Hair Colour | Black |
Personal Information | |
Date of Birth | 14th August, 1959 |
Birthplace | Lasing, Michigan |
Nationality | American |
School Name | Everett High School |
College Name | Michigan State |
Qualifications | Graduation |
Family Background | |
Father’s Name | Earvin Sr. |
Mother’s Name | Christine |
Siblings Name | Pearl and Larry |
Career | |
Source of Income | Basketball |
Net Worth | $ 600 million |
Magic Johnson Career
Johnson was drafted first in Los Angeles Lakers in 1979. He scored 18 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game for a season and was then selected for the NBA All-Rookie Team. In 1981, he signed a contract with the Lakers for the 1980-81 season. During a physical for the 1991-92 NBA season, Johnson found out that he had contracted HIV and announced his retirement following the revelation in a press conference.
He was later chosen to compete in the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics for the US National Team also dubbed the “Dream Team”. For the 1993-94 NBA season, he returned as coach for the Lakers team. At the age of 36, he re-joined the Lakers in 1995. In 2017, he became the President of basketball operations for the Lakers. He reigned in 2019 and expressed his desire to return to being a NBA Ambassador.
He started his own record label known as Magic Johnson Music as a joint venture with MCA in 2000. He also runs Magic Johnson Enterprises with subsidiaries- Magic Johnson Productions, Magic Johnson Theaters and Magic Johnson Entertainment. He also created “Magic Card”, a pre-paid MasterCard for low-income people. He created a contract food servive named Sodexo-Magic in 2006.
Magic Johnson Health
Johnson was infected with HIV and admitted that he contracted the disease due having multiple sexual partners during his time as a player. After the diagnosis, he created Magic Johnson Foundation to provide charity to help combat the disease. He was the main speaker for the United Nations World AIDs Day conference in 1999 and has served as their Messenger of Peace. To prevent his infection from turning into AIDS, Johnson takes a daily combination of drugs.
Magic Johnson Awards
NBA:
- 10-time NBA champion (five as a player, five as owner/executive)
- Three-time NBA MVP
- Three-time Finals MVP
- Nine-time All-NBA First Team
- 12-time NBA All-Star
- Two-time All-Star Game MVP
- 1992 J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award
- Named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996
- Selected on the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021
- No. 32 retired by the Lakers
- Statue in front of the Staples Center
USA Basketball:
- 1992 Olympic gold medal (U.S. national team)
NCAA:
- 1979 NCAA champion (Michigan State)
- No. 33 retired by Michigan State
- Statue at Michigan State
High school:
- 1977 Michigan high school state champion (Lansing Everett High School)
Halls of Fame:
- Two-time Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame inductee:
- 2002 – individual
- 2010 – member of “The Dream Team”
- College Basketball Hall of Fame (class of 2006)
- FIBA Hall of Fame (class of 2017 as a member of “The Dream Team”)
- Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Sports ownership:
- 2016 WNBA champion (as part owner of the Sparks)
- 2020 World Series champion (as part owner of the Dodgers)
NAACP Image Awards:
- 1992 Jackie Robinson Sports Award
Entertainment:
- 1993 Grammy Award (Best Spoken Word Album)
Magic Johnson Books
Book | Author | Year |
Magic: A Biography of Earvin Johnson | Haskins, James | 1981 |
Magic: More Than a Legend | Gutman, Bill | 1991 |
The Magic: Earvin Johnson | Morgan, Bill | 1991 |
Magic Johnson: My Life | Johnson, Earvin | 1992 |
Magic Johnson: Hero On and Off the Court | Gutman, Bill | 1992 |
Magic Johnson: Basketball’s Smiling Superstar | Johnson, Rick L. | 1992 |
Magic Johnson: Basketball Immortal | Rozakis, Laurie | 1993 |
Magic Johnson (Junior World Biographies) | Schwabacher, Martin | 1993 |
Die großen Basketball Stars | Bork, Günter | 1994 |
Magic Johnson (Basketball Legends) | Frank, Steven | 1994 |
Basketball: Sternstunden | Bork, Günter | 1995 |
Magic! Against The Odds | Blatt, Howard | 1996 |
Earvin “Magic” Johnson: The Star of Showtime | Rosner, Mark | 1999 |
Earvin Magic Johnson: Champion and Crusader | Gottfried, Ted | 2001 |
Magic Johnson Social Media Handles
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YouTube | Click here |
Magic Johnson FAQs
Who is Magic Johnson?
Earvin “Magic” Johnson is an American former Professional Basketball player and also the former President of basketball operations of the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association or NBA.
When was Magic Johnson born?
Johnson was born on 14th August, 1959 in Lasing, Michigan.
Who is Magic Johnson wife?
He is married Earlitha “Cookie” Kelly.