Johnson, "Magic" (Earvin Jr.)
Basketball
b. Aug. 14, 1959, E. Lansing, MI
Johnson played just two years of basketball at Michigan State University, leading the school to the NCAA championship in 1979, when he was named outstanding tournament player and a first-team All-American at guard. He averaged 17.1 points per game in his collegiate career.
The 6-foot-9, 225-pound Johnson was a charismatic figure on and off court. His remarkable all-around basketball skills, combined with his infectious smile and enthusiasm, made him one of the best-known professional athletes of his time.
He was chosen by the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the 1979 NBA draft and was named to the league's all-rookie team in 1980, when he helped lead the Lakers to an NBA championship. After missing much of the 1980-81 season with a knee injury, Johnson played for four more championship teams, in 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1988, and he was named the league's most valuable player in 1987, 1989, and 1990.
Johnson led the league in assists per game four times, with 10.5 in 1982-83, 13.1 in 1983-84, 12.6 in 1985-86, and 12.2 in 1986-87, and he set a record for most career assists, since broken by John Stockton. He also led in steals with 3.43 per game in 1980-81 and 2.67 in 1981-82. Unlike most guards with high assist totals, however, Johnson was also a prolific scorer, four times averaging more than 20 points a game.
His finest performance probably came during the 1980 NBA playoffs. After starting center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar went down with a knee injury, Johnson took over at center in the final game against the Philadelphia 76ers, scored 42 points, and was named most valuable player in the playoffs. He also won that award in 1982 and 1987.
A first-team All-NBA performer nine years in a row, from 1983 through 1991, Johnson shocked the sports world in 1991 when he announced that he had contracted the AIDS virus through heterosexual contact. He retired from the Lakers, but he played for the 1992 "dream team" that won an Olympic gold medal.
Johnson coached the Lakers very briefly during the 1993-94 season, winning only 5 of 18 games, and he attempted a comeback with them in 1995, but retired again after playing in only 32 games.