[185] He has also worked as a motivational speaker,[15] and was an NBA commentator for Turner Network Television for seven years,[186] before becoming a studio analyst for ESPN's NBA Countdown in 2008. Latest on UConn Huskies guard Andre Johnson Jr. including news, stats, videos, highlights and more on ESPN . John Howard Getty "J. J." Johnson (October 18, 1947 - January 7, 2016) was an American professional basketball player. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. [221], Johnson is a supporter of the Democratic Party. Top Tier Team Tiff Johnson (@TierTiff) / Twitter 2.9K subscribers in the rbleipzig community. [161] Several of his achievements in individual games have also been named among the top moments in the NBA. Knoxville, TN 37998 Phone: (865)573-4517 After a triple-double from Johnson in Game 6, the Lakers defeated the Sixers 42, as Johnson won his second NBA Finals MVP award. The men's basketball season concludes with NCCAA awards and mentions. In 1988, the Lakers edged the Detroit Pistons in a bitter seven-game series to become the first team since the 1968-69 Celtics to repeat as champs. NBA draft: Which rookies can have biggest impact in 2023-24? [10] LSU's Flau'jae Johnson discusses basketball and rap careers - USA TODAY [176], In 2010, Johnson and current and former NBA players such as LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Bill Russell, as well as Maya Moore from the WNBA, played a basketball game with President Barack Obama as an exhibition for a group of military troops who had been injured in action. [81] However, Abdul-Jabbar, who was now 38years old, scored 30points and grabbed 17rebounds in Game 2, and his 36points in a Game 5 win were instrumental in establishing a 32 lead for Los Angeles. The next year was not nearly as kind to Johnson or to the Lakers. [15] His public announcement of his HIV-positive status helped dispel the stereotype, still widely held at the time, that HIV was a "gay disease" that heterosexuals need not worry about; his bravery in making this announcement was widely commended. Since his retirement, Johnson has been an advocate for HIV/AIDS prevention and safe sex,[12] as well as an entrepreneur,[13] philanthropist,[14] broadcaster and motivational speaker. The decisive victory came on the Garden parquet floor 111-100 and marked the first time the Lakers defeated the Celtics in a Finals after eight previous failures strecthing back to when the Lakers played in Minneapolis. "[28] Fellow Lakers guard Michael Cooper said, "There have been times when [Johnson] has thrown passes and I wasn't sure where he was going. Apart from his reputation as a defensive stopper, Johnson was known as a clutch player who made several decisive plays in NBA playoffs history. For the NBA center, see, Two moments of Johnson during his tour with the All-Stars to Argentina in January 1994: (left) greeting a local player; (right) hugging soccer superstar, HIV announcement and Olympics (19911992), Return to the Lakers as coach and player (1994, 1996). The two years following the Westhead flap were great for Johnson individually but tough for Los Angeles. Ten of the 12 players on the team were named on the NBA's list of, Principal owners of the Los Angeles Dodgers franchise, Brooklyn Atlantics/Grays/Bridegrooms/Grooms/, Michigan State Spartans men's basketball 197879 NCAA champions, 1992 Tournament of the Americas Gold medal, 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, List of career achievements by Magic Johnson, List of athletes who came out of retirement, List of National Basketball Association career assists leaders, List of National Basketball Association career steals leaders, List of National Basketball Association career turnovers leaders, List of National Basketball Association career free throw scoring leaders, List of National Basketball Association career triple-double leaders, List of National Basketball Association career playoff scoring leaders, List of National Basketball Association career playoff rebounding leaders, List of National Basketball Association career playoff assists leaders, List of National Basketball Association career playoff steals leaders, List of National Basketball Association career playoff triple-double leaders, List of National Basketball Association career playoff turnovers leaders, List of National Basketball Association career playoff free throw scoring leaders, List of National Basketball Association players with most assists in a game, List of National Basketball Association players with most steals in a game, "Magic weekend is on tap as Johnson set for NBA encore", "202122 Big Ten Men's Basketball Media Guide", "Daily Dime: Special Edition The 10 Greatest Point Guards Ever", "NBA All-Time Player Rankings: Top 10 Point Guards", "NBA 75: Top 75 NBA players of all time, from MJ and LeBron to Lenny Wilkens", "NBA 75: At No. Jarace Walker, Cason Wallace and Gradey Dick, all lottery picks in the 2023 NBA Draft, set a high standard for the programs next generation of talent. He won the Most Valuable Player Award and the Finals MVP Award three times each. American basketball player and entrepreneur (born 1959), "Earvin Johnson" redirects here. However, after Johnson went down with a hamstring injury in Game 2, the Lakers were no match for the Pistons, who swept them 40. USA Basketball announced Friday the 2023 USA Men . "[36] Johnson and Chastine were almost always together, playing basketball or riding around in Chastine's car. Magic was the fourth of seven children Earvin Sr. and Christine had together. The season also had its share of ugliness. [23] When recalling the events in his autobiography, My Life, he talked about how his time at Everett had changed him: As I look back on it today, I see the whole picture very differently. After spending just weeks in that role, he was promoted to president of basketball operations, giving Johnson control of the Lakers front office. Johnson had never seriously considered coaching, but he agreed to take the head coaching position with the Lakers in 1994 at Buss' request. Updated: 8:55 AM EST Nov 18, 2022 Dominique Yates Show Transcript LOUISVILLE, Ky. Josiah Johnson was born without legs, but that doesn't stop him from doing what he loves. The four-star guard will be the Longhorns' lone 2023 recruit and will. Its like finding a great orthopedic surgeon who can also operate a bulldozer.. Johnson went on to play for the 1992 U.S. Olympic Dream Team, write a book about safe sex, run several businesses he had started as a player, work for NBC as a television commentator and explore the possibility of purchasing an NBA franchise. He led all scorers with 39 points. Legends profile: Magic Johnson | NBA.com Johnson's career achievements include three NBA MVP Awards, three NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Awards, nine NBA Finals appearances, 12 All-Star games, and nine All-NBA First Team selections. He also missed several games due to a calf injury. Johnson said that what was "most amazing" about joining the Lakers was the chance to play alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,[47] the team's 7ft 2in (2.18m) center who became the leading scorer in NBA history. Combining his playing career and sports ownership career, Johnson has 10 NBA championships, five each as a player and later as a minority owner of the Lakers. [103] Johnson performed well during the season, with averages of 19.4points, 12.5assists, and 7.0rebounds per game, and the Lakers reached the 1991 NBA Finals. He was also named the league MVP in 1987, 1989, and 1990. [187], Johnson runs Magic Johnson Enterprises, a conglomerate company that has a net worth of $700million;[13] its subsidiaries include Magic Johnson Productions, a promotional company; Magic Johnson Theaters, a nationwide chain of movie theaters; and Magic Johnson Entertainment, a film studio. His plans underwent a dramatic change when he learned that he would be bused to the predominantly white Everett High School instead of going to Sexton,[26][30] which was predominantly black. > Archive 75: Magic Johnson| 75 Stories: Magic Johnson. The team was fighting for a playoff berth when Johnson assumed the reins, and Los Angeles immediately won five straight. Johnson was publicly critical of Van Exel, saying his actions were "inexcusable. . In the final minute of the game, Johnson had the ball stolen by Celtics center Robert Parish, and then missed two free throws that could have won the game. There they faced the Chicago Bulls, led by shooting guard Michael Jordan, a five-time scoring champion regarded as the finest player of his era. Then one of our guys catches the ball and scores, and I run back up the floor convinced that he must've thrown it through somebody. In Game 6 of the 1980 Finals, Magic Johnson had 42 points and 15 rebounds in the title-clinching win. Johnson's half-court shot at the buzzer would have won the game, but it fell short. (Johnsons mother, a devout Christian, thought the nickname was blasphemous.) [28] His career 138triple-double games places him third all-time behind Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook. 3 jersey which hangs from the rafters of the TD Garden, the home arena of the team. [68] Despite his off-court troubles, Johnson averaged 18.6points, 9.6rebounds, 9.5assists, and a league-high 2.7steals per game, and was voted a member of the All-NBA Second Team. [81] After the Lakers defeated the Celtics in six games, Abdul-Jabbar and Johnson, who averaged 18.3points on .494shooting, 14.0assists, and 6.8rebounds per game in the championship series,[82][83] said the Finals win was the highlight of their careers. Magic Johnson Music signed R&B artist Avant as its first act. "[28][33] Johnson could dominate a game without scoring, running the offense and distributing the ball with flair. But being bused to Everett turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened to me. Updates? He played point guard and brought new versatility to that position. [20], Earvin Johnson Jr. was born in Lansing, Michigan, to General Motors assembly worker Earvin Sr. and school janitor Christine. In the 1980 NBA Finals against the Philadelphia 76ers, Johnsons performance in the series-clinching sixth game was the stuff of legend. As an All-America sophomore Johnson directed his team to the national title in 1979, beating Larry Birds Indiana State squad in perhaps the most anticipated (and most watched) NCAA championship game ever played. His sublime talent elicited wonder and admiration from even the most casual basketball fan. 2022-2023 Men's Basketball Roster - Johnson C. Smith University Athletics [178] Calling Buss his "second father" and "one of [his] best friends", Johnson spent five hours visiting Buss at the hospital just a few months before his death from cancer. [189] In 2006, Johnson created a contract food service with Sodexo USA called Sodexo-Magic. [76] The Lakers won the first game, and led by two points in Game 2 with 18seconds to go, but after a layup by Gerald Henderson, Johnson failed to get a shot off before the final buzzer sounded, and the Lakers lost 124121 in overtime. 17 in their "50 Greatest Athletes of the 20th Century"[160] In 2006, ESPN.com rated Johnson the greatest point guard of all time, stating, "It could be argued that he's the one player in NBA history who was better than Michael Jordan. Johnson's mother, originally from North Carolina,[29] had also played basketball as a child, and she grew up watching her brothers play the game.[26]. [108] He admitted to having "harems of women" and talked openly about his sexual activities because "he was convinced that heterosexuals needed to know that they, too, were at risk". [125] Stating that it was never his dream to coach, he chose instead to purchase a 5% share of the team in June 1994. . 9 Offers 0 Visits 0 Coach Visits. In 1996-97, Johnson was selected to the NBAs 50th Anniversary All-Time Team. Tate and 12,640 other LSU fans witnessed the Tigers' baseball team take a big step toward matching the women's basketball team's ultimate accomplishment, as LSU defeated Kentucky in Game 2 of the . [49] Johnson became the only rookie to win the NBA Finals MVP award,[49] and his clutch performance is still regarded as one of the finest in NBA history. Final. Photo Galleries. [217] The temporary name was Los Angeles Football Club,[218] which later became permanent in 2015. He even jumped for the opening tip. Ex-Lake Highlands five-star guard Tre Johnson named to 2023 Team USA His all-around play inspired the addition of the term triple-double to basketballs lexicon, although history demands that Robertson be recognized as the first man to regularly post double figures in three statistical categories in the same game. [1] The Celtics retired Johnson's No. Johnson was first called Magic when he was a star at Everett High School. "[126] Amid speculation from general manager Jerry West that he may only coach until the end of the season,[126] Johnson took over a team that had a 2838 record, and won his first game as head coach, a 110101 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. [86][87] The Lakers met the Celtics for the third time in the NBA Finals, and in Game 4 Johnson hit a last-second hook shot over Celtics big men Parish and Kevin McHale to win the game 107106. John Collins is headed to Utah in exchange for Rudy Gay and a future second-round pick, per multiple reports. [215] He won the WNBA championship as the owner in 2016. Johnson is also Lake's top rebounder. Rip City Remix is an homage to the vintage era of the Portland Trail Blazers. Before the 1991-92 campaign Johnson stunned the world with the announcement that he had tested positive for the HIV virus and was retiring from the NBA. Group B is made up of Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Uruguay. After a short and lacklustre tenure, he surprisingly resigned at the end of the 201819 season, stating that he would rather spend his time as an ambassador of the sport. The Northern Vermont University-Johnson Athletic Department and it's coaches host many summer camps and clinics throughout the year. Even Abdul-Jabbar had to tell the rookie to cool it, because there were 81 more games yet to play and that didnt count playoffs. After upsetting a Clyde Drexler-led Portland TrailBlazers team that won the Pacific Division in the Western Conference Finals, the Lakers made another trip to the NBA Finals. Dennis Johnson - Wikipedia [199][200], In 1990, Johnson and Earl Graves Sr. obtained a large interest in the Washington, D.C. PepsiCo bottling operation, making it the company's largest minority-owned facility in the U.S.[201] Johnson became a minority owner of the Lakers in 1994, having reportedly paid more than $10million for part ownership. Texas head coach Rodney Terry and the men's basketball program signed former Kansas recruit Chris Johnson on Monday. The Lakers did not reach the playoffs during Johnson's executive tenure. [84], Johnson again averaged a double-double in the 198586 NBA season, with 18.8points, 12.6assists, and 5.9rebounds per game. [181] In 1998, Johnson hosted a late night talk show on the Fox network called The Magic Hour, but the show was canceled after two months because of low ratings. Senate. In 1996-97, Johnson was selected to the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team. [45] He also joined Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson as the only NBA players to tally at least 700points, 700rebounds, and 700assists in the same season. [46], Johnson was drafted first overall in 1979 by the Los Angeles Lakers. The U.S. (1-1) was drawn into Group D for the first round of qualifying from the Americas region, joined by Cuba, Mexico and Puerto Rico. Bowen and Stockton also have past USA Basketball qualifying-game experience. He surpassed Robertsons career assists record, a mark he later relinquished to John Stockton. [148], In 2009, Johnson and Bird collaborated with journalist Jackie MacMullan on a non-fiction book titled When the Game Was Ours. The 76ers swept the series. Johnson PPG 15.5 RPG 4.4 APG 1.9 PIE 11.3 HEIGHT 6'8" (2.03m) WEIGHT 210lb (95kg) COUNTRY USA LAST ATTENDED North Carolina AGE 27 years BIRTHDATE March 3, 1996 DRAFT 2019 R1 Pick 11 EXPERIENCE 4. Magic Johnsons dynamic talents as a point guard led him to NBA titles, MVPs and more. [16] He stated that his wife Cookie and their unborn child did not have HIV, and that he would dedicate his life to "battle this deadly disease". He had become a dominant junior high player, once scoring 48 points in a game. [149][150] Johnson appeared at Bird's retirement ceremony in 1992, and described Bird as a "friend forever";[114] during Johnson's Hall of Fame ceremony, Bird formally inducted his old rival. Magic Johnson - Son, Stats & Wife - Biography While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. He was an intense competitor who led his high school team to a state championship in 1977 and led Michigan State University to the National Collegiate Athletic Association championship in 1979handing Larry Bird and Indiana State its only defeat of that season. That bugs me a little. (He would eventually tie Bird in the MVP count, claiming the award again in 1989 and 90.). [74], Prior to Johnson's fifth season, Westwho had become the Lakers general managertraded Nixon to free Johnson from sharing the ball-handling responsibilities. [41] Playing with future NBA draftees Greg Kelser, Jay Vincent, and Mike Brkovich, Johnson averaged 17.0points, 7.9rebounds, and 7.4assists per game as a freshman, and led the Spartans to a 255record, the Big Ten Conference title, and a berth in the 1978 NCAA tournament.