Player Profile - Magic Johnson
My favorite basketball hero, Ervin Johnson aka Magic. Magic Johnson is perhaps one of the most iconic names in the sport of basketball. He had one of the most stellar careers and is widely respected both on and off the court.
He is a multiple time NBA champion and NBA MVP award recipient. Magic shared a legendary partnership with Kareem Abdul Jabbar and James Worthy. He was part of the Showtime Lakers of the 1980's who were the most dominant team of that era.
His style of play suited that of the Lakers which was fast, flashy and totally entertaining. Sky-hooks, No-looks, Fast-breaks, Alley-oops and dizzying display of ball handling were all part and parcel of their play.
His battles with Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics have gone down in basketball folklore as one of the greatest ever and despite the numerous times they met on the court, they always maintained a deep respect for each other.
Later in his career Magic was diagnosed with HIV and retired subsequently only to return and then retire again due to complains by fellow professionals only to return and then retire again one final time.
He was also part of the USA 'Dream Team' which won the 1992 Olympic Gold medal thus making him a part of the two of the most successful and talked about teams in the history of sport.
When Magic was drafted into the NBA in 1979, he was given the role of playing as the Point Guard of a team that also had Kareem Abdul Jabbar, the leading NBA scorer of all time. In his rookie season Magic fared pretty well and in fact ended up winning the NBA finals MVP award. In his first playoffs, in game of the finals, Magic was slated to start as center after Jabbar sprained his ankle. In what was supposed to be a makeshift appearance, Magic turned in an All-star performance from center to help his side win the NBA championship. This performance is still regarded by many as one the finest of his career and of all-time.
Next up came the numerous duels with Larry Bird and Boston Celtics whom they would meet in the finals thrice. Although Magic won 5 titles, the series against the Celtics were the best they both ever had and they were the sweetest titles of them all. They had been playing each other ever since the NCAA championships back in their college days. For both Bird and Johnson, to outdo the other on the court was the greatest source of satisfaction.
Magi would end up winning his last title against the 'Bad Boys' of Detroit led by Isiah Thomas by becoming the first team in 20 years to successfully defend their title. Both Isiah and Magic played in the same position but had contrasting styles and built but at the same time admired each other.
His last appearance in the finals came against Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls which ended in a 4-1 victory for the Bulls in what was symbolic of passing of the torch from one great legend to the next. In many ways, Jordan took off from where Magic left the game. Until this time, Magic and the Lakers were the undisputed kings of the basketball world both in terms of winnings and popularity and were subsequently overtaken by the Bulls for the next decade before the next generation of players took over.
Magic also played for the USA 'Dream Team' in the 1992 Summer Olympics, a team that included Karl Malone, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Charles Barkley, Larry Bird among others. They won the Gold Medal and did so by going unbeaten throughout the tournament and won by an average of 43.8 points. It was the first time that professional NBA athletes had entered the Olympics.
But it was not just his achievements on the court that made him the man he is today, Magic also became an advocate for safe sex and for the fight against HIV/AIDS after his playing career was over. He became one of the more successful businessmen out of NBA players and also coached the Lakers for a short while. He is also a very popular and respected man in the media is regularly seen on TV presenting commentary, insight and awards during NBA matches.
All in all, Magic Johnson epitomizes a complete life not just as an NBA professional but even off the court as a successful entrepreneur, activist and media personality.
Always,
Prateek