Magic Johnson is a retired basketball player who became President of Basketball Operations for the Los Angeles Lakers in February 2017. He earned his famous name ‘Magic’ when he was 15 years old. In fact, he had 36 points, 16 assists and 18 rebounds in a match and was named ‘Magic” by sportswriter Fred Stabley Jr. in the Lansing State Journal. He retired from basketball in November 1991 after contracting HIV. Throughout his life he has operated various businesses such as opening a chain of cinemas, buying 125 Starbucks stores, buying a stake in the LA Lakers team, working with Sodexo and starting his own team called “Magic Johnson All- Stars” music record label and many others.

Born name

Earvin Johnson Jr.

nickname

Magie, Bock, Rawal

Sun sign

Lion

Place of birth

Lansing, Michigan, USA

Residence

Johnson owns an elegant Tuscan-style mansion in Beverly Hills.

nationality

training

Magic Johnson went to Everett High School . After graduating high school, he enrolled at Michigan State University in 1977. He had offers from several top-ranking colleges, but his preference for staying close to home led him to move to Michigan State has been recorded. He graduated from university in 1979 with a major in communications.

occupation

Former professional basketball player, President of the Los Angeles Lakers Basketball Department

family

• Vater – Earvin Johnson Sr. (General Motors Assembly Worker)
• Mutter – Christine Johnson (School Custodian)
• Siblings – Quincy Johnson (Brother), Larry Johnson(Brother), Michael Johnson (Brother), Lois Johnson (Brother), Pearl Johnson (Sister), Kim Johnson (Sister), Evelyn Johnson (Sister), Yvonne Johnson (Sister), Mary Johnson (sister)

Manager

Magic Johnson is represented by Celebrity Consultants, LLC (Talent Management Company).

Position

Point Guard

Shirt Number

32

Build

Average

Height

206 cm (6 ft 9 in)

weight

112 kg or 247 lbs

girlfriend/spouse

Magic Johnson has dated

1. Melissa Mitchell – In 1981, Melissa Mitchell gave birth to Johnson’s first son, Andre Johnson. Andre was raised by Mitchell, but he visited his father every summer. Johnson has even appointed his son as Marketing Director of Magic Johnson Enterprises .
2. Kathleen Sullivan (1985-1987) – Johnson reportedly began dating television journalist Kathleen Sullivan in 1985. They dated for about two years before deciding to call it quits in 1987.
3. Heather Hunter – In 1991, several American tabloids reported that Johnson was having an affair with adult film star Heather Hunter. However, these reports have been refuted by both Johnson and Hunter.
4. Cookie Johnson (1991-Present) – In September 1991, Johnson got married to Earlitha “Cookie” Kelly in a small ceremony in his hometown of Lansing. She stood by him like a stone in the fight against HIV infection. In June 1992, she gave birth to their son, Earvin Johnson III. EJ is openly gay and has appeared on the reality TV show, Rich Kids of Beverly Hills . In 1995 they adopted a daughter, Elisa.

race/ethnicity

Schwarz

He is of African American descent.

hair colour

Schwarz

eye color

dark brown

sexual orientation

Just

distinguishing features

• big body
• Bald

brand promotion

Magic Johnson can be seen in the following TV commercials:

• 24-hour fitness
• Converse-Schuhe
• Jackson Hewitt Tax Service
• KFC Hot Wings 12 pcs. meal time
• 7 bis
• American Express

He has also been featured in print advertisements for the Natrol My Defense Immune Support dietary supplement.

Religion

Christianity

Known for

His wildly successful basketball career was with the NBA team, Los Angeles Lakers. Over the course of his professional career, he has won numerous individual awards as well as multiple championships and tournaments with the Lakers team.

First NBA match

In 1979, Magic Johnson made his professional basketball debut for the Los Angeles Lakers.

first movie

In 1988, Magic made his big screen debut as himself in the comedy-drama film She’s Having a Baby . However, his performance in the film was not credited.

His first credited film appearance was in the family comedy film. are we done yet , which was released in 2007.

First TV show

In 1979, Magic Johnson made his first TV show appearance on the talk show, The Mike Douglas Show .

Personal trainer

Magic Johnson works regularly to keep fit even in old age. For his workouts, he usually visits the Equinox Gym in West Los Angeles. However, he doesn’t have a set workout routine and loves to mix up his exercises. There are weeks when he spends most of his time on the treadmill to work his cardio, while other weeks he just focuses on his strength training.

He still loves to play basketballan integral part of his training regime. He usually loves to play on the Equinox Sports Club court. However, if he can get up early in the morning, he likes to shoot himself.

He usually starts his day with a banana, which he grabs on the way to the gym. After training, he likes oatmeal and a protein shake. He also eats a lot of fish for protein intake. To satisfy hunger between meals, he usually eats nuts and fruit.

Magic Johnson favorite things

• Fish – sea bass
• Restaurant for a healthy meal – About Alloro
• Style icons – Gucci, Roberto Cavalli, Giorgio Armani
• Restaurant for a decadent meal – Any Wolfgang Puck or Mastro restaurant
• Biggest vices – red wine and sweets
• Basketball Player – Bill Russell

Magic Johnson Facts

1. Growing up, he was raised by the neighborhood kids, who called him the garbage man because he helped his father pick up garbage at his part-time job.
2. His first basketball coach was his father, who played basketball in Mississippi. His father helped him learn the intricacies of the game.
3. When he first matriculated at Everett High School, he didn’t have a comfortable time initially, as his new teammates often ignored him in practice and rarely passed the ball to him.
4. He was first called Magic when he was 15 and was a sophomore of high school when he recorded a triple-double of 36 points, 16 assists and 18 rebounds and sportswriter Fred Stabley Jr. used the moniker in the Lansing State Journal .
5. By the time he graduated from high school, he had managed to rack up two All-State selections. He was considered by some to be the best high school player to emerge from Michigan.
6. When he first enrolled in university, he had no intention of becoming a professional basketball player but instead focused on studying communications as he wanted to become a television commentator.
7. In 1979 he was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers for the first time overall. The best part about recruiting for Johnson was that he had the opportunity to play alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
8. In his debut season in the NBA, he was selected as an NBA All-Star Game starter and named to the NBA All-Rookie Team.
9. At the beginning of the 1980/81 season he tore a cartilage in his left knee. Because of the injury, he had to sit out 45 games. He managed to return before the 1981 playoffs.
10. In 1981, he signed a 25-year, $25 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. It was the highest paying contract in any sport at the time.
11. Early in the 1981-82 season, he had a falling out with team coach Westhead, whom Johnson accused of making the team predictable and slow. After threatening to leave the team, Westhead was fired by owner Jerry Buss.
12. Johnson denied having any role in Westhead’s sacking, but fans across the country were unconvinced and he was booed across the league, even by Lakers fans.
13. After a physical examination before the start of the 1991/92 season, he found he was HIV positive. In November 1991, he held a press conference to reveal his diagnosis and announced that he was retiring from the game.
14. After his diagnosis, there were rumors that he was bisexual or gay, as few American men at the time contracted the disease through heterosexual intercourse. He obviously refuted all these rumours.
15. At the start of the 1992–93 season, he announced that he would make a comeback. After participating in several preparatory games, he was forced to cancel his return due to fierce opposition from several active players.
16. In 1985 he started an annual charity event called AMidsummer Night’s Magic, which included Black Tie Event and Celebrity Basketball Match, was organized until 2005. Proceeds from the event were donated to the United Negro College Fund.
17. In 1991 he founded the Magic Johnson Foundation , which works to support a range of healthy, educational, and social initiatives. The foundation has also set up community empowerment centers.
18. In 1994, he returned to performance basketball with the formation of the Magic Johnson All-Stars, which included several retired NBA stars and collegiate players.
19. The Magic Johnson All-Stars played in South America, Australia, Japan, Israel, Europe and New Zealand and at one point he made as much as $365,000 from a single game.
20. In February 2017, he was named president of basketball operations for the Los Angeles Lakers. He replaced his old boss Jim Buss in the high-profile role.
21. In 1998 he founded his record label Magic 32 Records , later rebranded as Magic Johnson Music.
22. He previously founded a series of cinemas called the Magic Johnson Theaters, mostly focused in inner-city neighborhoods. He sold the chain to Loews Cineplex Entertainment in 2004.
23. In 2006, he partnered with Sodexo USA to start a contract food service called Sodexo-Magic.
24. His first venture into this business was his high-end sporting goods store called Magic 32. The store closed after just a year and Johnson lost $200,000 due to the failed project.
25. After meeting Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, as part of his idea to open coffee shops in urban areas, he bought 125 Starbucks stores, which were generating above-average sales. Their partnership was called Urban Coffee Opportunities.
26. In 2010, he decided to sell his interest in stores back to Starbucks, ending the successful 12-year partnership.
27. In 1994 he became a minority shareholder of the Los Angeles Lakers. He had to pay more than $10 million to acquire his stake, which he sold to surgeon Patrick Soon-Shiong in 2010.
28. In 2012, he formed an investment group to buy the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team for $2 billion. It was the highest amount paid for a sports team at the time.
29. In October 2012, it was announced that he was a co-owner of Major League Soccer club Los Angeles Football Club.
30. He was appointed keynote speaker at the United Nations World AIDS Day Conference organized in 1999. He has also worked as a United Nations Messenger of Peace.
31. Visit his official website @ magicjohnson.com.
32. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.