magic johnson parents still alive

Buss took a special interest in Johnson, introducing him to important Los Angeles business contacts and showing him how the Lakers organization was run, before eventually selling Johnson a stake in the team in 1994. [137], In 1999, Johnson joined the Swedish squad M7 Bors (now known as 'Bors Basket'), and was undefeated in five games with the team. [174][175], Buss supported Johnson as he revealed his diagnosis of HIV in 1991, and he never hesitated to keep Johnson close to the organization, bringing him in as part-owner, and even as a coach. Earvin Sr, who used to play basketball, would watch the NBA games every Sunday with his sons. [19], Johnson was first dubbed "Magic" as a 15-year-old sophomore playing for Everett High School, when he recorded a triple-double of 36points, 18rebounds, and 16assists. [8] His friendship and rivalry with Boston Celtics star Larry Bird, whom he faced in the 1979 NCAA finals and three NBA championship series, are well documented. [131] Johnson led the way to a Game 2 victory with 26 points, but averaged only 7.5 points per game for the remainder of the series, which the Rockets won three games to one. During his seventh season in the NBA, he had a meeting with Michael Ovitz, CEO of Creative Artists Agency. [150] He is the only player to average 12 assists in an NBA Finals series, achieving it six times. "Los Angeles Lakers hire Magic Johnson to be head coach. [80] In the next season, Johnson averaged a career-high of 23.9points, as well as 12.2assists and 6.3rebounds per game,[40] and earned his first regular season MVP award. ", "Pro Basketball; Leaving on His Terms, Johnson Retires Again", "Hitting referee costs Van Exel $187,500. "[124] While Johnson played well in 1996, there were struggles both on and off the court. Magic Johnson: My Life. [176] 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. [161] Under Johnson, the Lakers sought to acquire multiple star players and cleared existing players, including future All-Star D'Angelo Russell, off of their roster in an attempt to free up room under the league's salary cap. [180] He has also worked as a motivational speaker,[12] and was an NBA commentator for Turner Network Television for seven years,[181] before becoming a studio analyst for ESPN's NBA Countdown in 2008. "Memory Lane: Magic records triple-double in exhibition win vs. Mich. St.", "Historias nrdicas: Magic Johnson, el vikingo", "Book review: When the Game Was Ours by Larry Bird and Magic Johnson", "HBO Documentary Revisits Magic JohnsonLarry Bird Rivalry That Saved Basketball", "All-Time Playoffs Individual Career Leaders", "ESPN SportsCentury: Top N. American athletes of the century. [172], Magic Johnson had an extremely close relationship with Lakers owner Jerry Buss, whom he saw as a mentor and a father figure. [61] After Johnson demanded to be traded, Lakers owner Jerry Buss fired Westhead and replaced him with Riley.

The Lakers played poorly in a Game 1 loss, prompting Johnson to express frustration with his role in coach Del Harris' offense. Peter Guber, who is the co-owner of the Golden State Warriors, owns a small stake in the Dodgers along with Johnson. [89] Johnson later accused Isiah Thomas of spreading the rumors, a claim Thomas denied. His favorite basketball player was Bill Russell, whom he admired more for his many championships than his athletic ability. ", "Everett High School Archives Yearbook (Lansing, MI), Class of 1977, Page 79. Johnson also is part of a group of investors that purchased the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2012 and the Los Angeles Sparks in 2014. [167] Johnson resides in Beverly Hills and has a vacation home in Dana Point, California.

Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player. [98] 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. [190][191] He has also made investments in urban real estate through the Canyon-Johnson and Yucaipa-Johnson funds. [33], Although Johnson was recruited by several top-ranked colleges such as Indiana and UCLA, he decided to play close to home. [36], Before the 199293 NBA season, Johnson announced his intention to stage an NBA comeback. After practicing and playing in several pre-season games, he retired again before the start of the regular season, citing controversy over his return sparked by opposition from several active players. ", "Magic Johnson would be interested in buying Clippers, source says", "Magic Johnson reportedly interested in buying Clippers, NBA plans Tuesday press conference on Donald Sterling investigation", "Magic Johnson buys life insurance company", "Wizards, Warriors, and Magic: A Strategic Partnership", "Magic Johnson leads dream team bidding for Dodgers", "Magic Johnson-led group is picked as Dodgers' next owner", "From bankruptcy to a World Series title: Dodgers' ascension is Magic", "New Dragons owners say they won't mess with success", "Capital Buzz: D.C. businessman buying Dayton baseball team", "Magic Johnson, 55, Los Angeles Sparks Co-OwnerMagic Johnson, 55, Los Angeles Sparks Co-Owner", "Sparks defeat Lynx for first WNBA championship since 2002", "Magic Johnson, Mia Hamm among owners of new L.A. pro soccer team", "MLS Wants Fans' Help To Pick Team Name, Logo For New 'LA Football Club'", "LA's MLS expansion team announces official club name: Los Angeles Football Club", "Magic Johnson backs Angelides for Governor", "Magic Johnson, Bill Clinton team up for Hillary", "Magic Johnson Backing Barbara Boxer for U.S. [39] After two years in college, during which he averaged 17.1points, 7.6rebounds, and 7.9assists per game, Johnson entered the 1979 NBA draft. [24] Buss was also unhappy with the Lakers' offense and had intended on firing Westhead days before the WestheadJohnson altercation, but assistant GM Jerry West and GM Bill Sharman had convinced Buss to delay his decision. They seem to be enjoying retirement by spending time with their extended family. [201], In 2015, Johnson completed his planned acquisition for a "majority, controlling interest" in EquiTrust Life Insurance Company, which manages $14.5 billion in annuities, life insurance and other financial products. [162] In an impromptu news conference on April 9, 2019, Johnson resigned from the Lakers, citing his desire to return to his role as an NBA ambassador. [203], In January 2012, Johnson joined with Guggenheim Partners and Stan Kasten in a bid for ownership of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team. [174] It was this arrangement that allowed Johnson to coach the team without receiving any additional salary. On the other hand, Christine was employed as a lunchroom supervisor at a local school. Although Johnson's retirement prior to the 199293 NBA season voided this contract, Buss insisted that he still be paid. Johnson left after eight months, saying that the White House had "utterly ignored" the work of the panel, and had opposed the commission's recommendations, which included universal healthcare and the expansion of Medicaid to cover all low-income people with AIDS. [32] Johnson played with the team frequently over the next several years, with possibly the most memorable game occurring in November 2001. [174], In 1997, his production company Magic Johnson Entertainment signed a deal with Fox. He went to Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz with the idea that he could successfully open the coffee shops in urban areas. ", "Magic Johnson and other Dodgers owners purchase the Sparks", "Magic Johnson now has championship rings in the NBA, MLB and WNBA", "Rebounding from basketball court to boardroom". [140], Johnson and Bird were first linked as rivals after Johnson's Michigan State squad defeated Bird's Indiana State team in the 1979 NCAA finals. [110] The Dream Team, which along with Johnson included fellow Hall of Famers such as Bird, Michael Jordan, and Charles Barkley, was considered unbeatable. [207] Johnson and Guber were also partners in the Dayton Dragons,[206] a Class-A minor league baseball team in Dayton, Ohio, that sold out more than 1,000 consecutive games, a record for professional sports. [174] Johnson credits Buss with giving him the business knowledge that enabled him to become part owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Johnson averaged 8.0 points per game during the Olympics, and his 5.5 assists per game was second on the team. [97] Under Dunleavy, the offense used more half-court sets, and the team had a renewed emphasis on defense.

[194][195], 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.[196] Johnson became a minority owner of the Lakers in 1994, having reportedly paid more than $10million for part ownership. [184] In 2006, Johnson created a contract food service with Sodexo USA called Sodexo-Magic. The Lakers did not reach the playoffs during Johnson's executive tenure. Two-time Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame inductee: College Basketball Hall of Fame (class of 2006), 2016 WNBA champion (as part owner of the Sparks), 2020 World Series champion (as part owner of the Dodgers), 1993 Grammy Award (Best Spoken Word Album), This page was last edited on 11 July 2022, at 17:18. The franchise reached an agreement with free agent LeBron James on a four-year contract in 2018, but efforts to trade for Anthony Davis during the 201819 season proved unsuccessful. Johnson learned everything he could about business, often meeting with corporate executives during road trips. [217] In 2012, he endorsed Barack Obama for president. [36] 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. [72][73] During the Finals, Johnson averaged 18.0points on .560shooting, 13.6assists, and 7.7rebounds per game. ", "Magic Johnson's Gala Midsummer Night Magic Gets $1.3 Mil for UNCF.". ", "Knee injury knocks Magic out of Dream Team lineup against Germany. Johnson said that what was "most amazing" about joining the Lakers was the chance to play alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,[42] the team's 7ft 2in (2.18m) center who became the leading scorer in NBA history. [63] 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. [24] The Spartans reached the Elite Eight, but lost narrowly to eventual national champion Kentucky. Christine and Earvin Sr have been married for over sixty years now. [32] Johnson, who finished his high school career with two All-State selections, was considered at the time to be the best high school player ever to come out of Michigan[30] and was also named to the 1977 McDonald's All-American team. [141][142] The rivalry was also significant because it drew national attention to the faltering NBA. '", "Magic Johnson says Jerry Buss made him man he is today. And the first few months, I was miserable at Everett. ", "Hillary Clinton Fundraisers Coming to Beverly Hills", "'Disappointed' Magic Johnson quits AIDS commission. After protests from his fellow players, he retired again for four years, but returned in 1996, at age 36, to play 32games for the Lakers before retiring for the third and final time. [15] As such, in 2014, Johnson was named one of ESPNW's Impact 25. [223] Johnson was later criticized by the AIDS community for his decreased involvement in publicizing the spread of the disease. The game was played at a gym inside Fort McNair, and reporters covering the president were not allowed to enter. [162][163][164], Johnson first fathered a son in 1981, when Andre Johnson was born to Melissa Mitchell. [43] Despite Abdul-Jabbar's dominance, he had failed to win a championship with the Lakers, and Johnson was expected to help them achieve that goal. "[115] Johnson said that despite the physical, highly competitive practices and scrimmages leading up to the 1992 Olympics, some of those same teammates still expressed concerns about his return to the NBA. Johnson would often help his father on the garbage route, and he was teased by neighborhood children who called him "Garbage Man". By the time he had reached the eighth grade, Johnson had begun to think about a future in basketball. They also toured the United States, playing five games against teams from the CBA. He later said of his parents, My dad was my hero, and I got my personality from my mother., A post shared by Earvin "Magic" Johnson (@magicjohnson). Johnson was honored as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996 and selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021 and became a two-time inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famebeing enshrined in 2002 for his individual career, and again in 2010 as a member of the "Dream Team". [24] Johnson came from an athletic family. It got me out of my own little world and taught me how to understand white people, how to communicate and deal with them. His mother spent many hours after work each night cleaning their home and preparing the next day's meals, while his father did janitorial work at a used car lot and collected garbage, all while never missing a day at General Motors. [94], Playing without Abdul-Jabbar for the first time, Johnson won his third MVP award[95] after a strong 198990 NBA season in which he averaged 22.3points, 11.5assists, and 6.6rebounds per game. "[130] Johnson was himself suspended five days later, when he bumped referee Scott Foster, missing three games. [40] 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. Eventually, Magics hard work paid off since he was a star during his time at Michigan State and became a bonafide legend while playing for the Lakers. [210] He won the WNBA championship as the owner in 2016. Johnson has become a leading voice on how to invest in urban communities, creating redevelopment opportunities in underserved areas, most notably through his movie theaters and his partnership with Starbucks. Johnson's career achievements include three NBA MVP Awards, three NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award, nine NBA Finals appearances, 12 All-Star games, and nine All-NBA First Team selections. "[24][29] Johnson could dominate a game without scoring, running the offense and distributing the ball with flair. Although Andre was raised by his mother, he visited Johnson each summer, and later worked for Magic Johnson Enterprises as a marketing director. [220] He hosted a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign on August 22, 2016. Dworkin, Sharon Lee, and Faye Linda Wachs. [138][139] Johnson also became a co-owner of the club;[140] however, the project failed after one season and the club was forced into reconstruction. [13], Johnson initially said that he did not know how he contracted the disease,[13] but later acknowledged that it was through having numerous sexual partners during his playing career. Coming off the bench, Johnson had 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 10 assists to help the Lakers to a 128118 victory. [111] After qualifying for the Olympics with a gold medal at the 1992 Tournament of the Americas,[112] the Dream Team dominated in Olympic competition, winning the gold medal with an 80 record, beating their opponents by an average of 43.8 points per game. Senate. [205] The Johnson-led group, which also includes movie executive Peter Guber, paid $2billion for the Dodgers, the largest amount paid for a professional sports team. ISBN0-449-22254-3. [13] 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". Powered by WordPress.com VIP. But being bused to Everett turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened to me. 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. Johnson had never seriously considered coaching, but he agreed to take the head coaching position with the Lakers in 1994 at Buss' request. "Magic Johnson returns to the Breslin Center." [187] In 2012, Johnson launched a cable TV network called Aspire, featuring programming targeted at black audiences, similar to networks such as Black Entertainment Television (BET) and TV One. [119][120] Johnson, who took the job at the urging of owner Jerry Buss, admitted "I've always had the desire (to coach) in the back of my mind." Larry was kicked off the basketball team after a confrontation during practice, prompting him to beg his brother not to play. The Lakers finished the season on a ten-game losing streak, and Johnson's final record as a head coach was 511. [125] On February 14, Johnson recorded the final triple-double of his career, when he scored 15 points, along with 10 rebounds and 13 assists in a victory against the Atlanta Hawks. [81][82] 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. Since his retirement, Johnson has been an advocate for HIV/AIDS prevention and safe sex,[9] as well as an entrepreneur,[10] philanthropist,[11] broadcaster and motivational speaker. [96] Mike Dunleavy became the Lakers' head coach in 199091, when Johnson had grown to be the league's third-oldest point guard. [40] In the 1988 playoffs, the Lakers swept the San Antonio Spurs in 3 games, then survived two 43series against the Utah Jazz and the Dallas Mavericks to reach the Finals and face Thomas and the Detroit Pistons,[86] who with players such as Bill Laimbeer, John Salley, Vinnie Johnson and Dennis Rodman were known as the "Bad Boys" for their physical style of play. After a triple-double from Johnson in Game 6, the Lakers defeated the Sixers 42, as Johnson won his second NBA Finals MVP award. Johnson was publicly critical of Van Exel, saying his actions were "inexcusable. ", "Magic Johnson Endorses President Barack Obama. Johnson, Earvin "Magic", and William Novak. [124] A few days later, Johnson changed his mind and retired permanently, saying, "I am going out on my terms, something I couldn't say when I aborted a comeback in 1992. ", "199394 Los Angeles Lakers Schedule and Results. He led the league in regular season assists four times, and is the NBA's all-time leader in average assists per game in both the regular season (11.19 assists per game) and the playoffs (12.35 assists per game). ", "Magic Johnson wows the crowd and talks minority-owned businesses", "Magic Johnson Says He Wouldn't Have Joined Bird After LeBron James's Move", "Bank On Condos: NBA Great In $71M Tower Deal", "Manhattan-style condos come to Fort Greene", "Magic Johnson buys into D.C.-area Pepsi bottling operation", "Magic Johnson Becomes Part Owner of Lakers. [218] He endorsed and appeared in campaign ads for unsuccessful Los Angeles mayoral candidate Wendy Greuel in 2013. [171], In 2010, Magic 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. [122] He was coaching a team that had five of his former teammates on the roster: Vlade Divac, Elden Campbell, Tony Smith, Kurt Rambis, James Worthy, and Michael Cooper, who was brought in as an assistant coach. [45][46] Johnson averaged 18.0points, 7.7rebounds, and 7.3assists per game for the season, was selected to the NBA All-Rookie Team, and was named an NBA All-Star Game starter. Ovitz encouraged him to start reading business magazines and to use every connection available to him. [209], Together with Guggenheim, Johnson was also involved in the February 2014 purchase of the Los Angeles Sparks team in the WNBA. [206] The Dodgers won the 2020 World Series, giving Johnson a Major League Baseball title to his credit. [67], During the 198283 NBA season, Johnson's first of nine consecutive double-double seasons, he averaged 16.8points, 10.5assists, and 8.6rebounds per game, and earned his first All-NBA First Team nomination. [188], Johnson began thinking of life after basketball while still playing with the Lakers. Let's leave it at that. Despite two triple-doubles from Johnson during the series, Finals MVP Jordan led his team to a 41win. ", "To Magic Johnson, Jerry Buss was friend, mentor, and 'second father. [12] His public announcement of his HIV-positive status in 1991 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. [24] In 1985, Johnson created "A Midsummer Night's Magic", a yearly charity event which included a celebrity basketball game and a black tie dinner. Magic was the fourth of seven children Earvin Sr. and Christine had together. [54] Johnson returned before the start of the 1981 playoffs, but the Lakers' then-assistant and future head coach Pat Riley later said Johnson's much-anticipated return made the Lakers a "divided team". [219] In 2015, he once again endorsed Hillary Clinton in her second presidential campaign. I had to be up at 6 oclock Saturday to help him work., The talent was always there, with Magic getting his famous nickname after scoring a triple-double during a high school game when he was 15 years old. [24] In the last championship series of his career, Johnson averaged 18.6points on .431shooting, 12.4assists, and 8.0rebounds per game. The rivalry continued in the NBA, and reached its climax when Boston and Los Angeles met in three out of four NBA Finals from 1984 to 1987, with the Lakers winning two out of three Finals. After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Lakers, winning five NBA championships during their Showtime era. [52][157][158] At the 2019 NBA Awards, Johnson received the NBA Lifetime Achievement Award (shared with Bird). ", "Magic Johnson Gives His Label an Assist", "Sports Briefing Pro Basketball; Magic Johnson Signs With ESPN", "Magic Johnson joins ESPN, ABC as NBA studio analyst", "Magic Johnson on his growing foodservice business", "Former Magic Johnson Theaters Re-opens as Rave Cinemas. [58], In 1981, after the 198081 season, Johnson signed a 25-year, $25million contract with the Lakers (equivalent to $75,000,000 in 2021), which was the highest-paying contract in sports history up to that point. [83] The game-winning shot, which Johnson dubbed his "junior, junior, junior sky-hook",[83] helped Los Angeles defeat Boston in six games. [13] Many articles praised Johnson as a hero, and the then-U.S. President George H. W. Bush said, "For me, Magic is a hero, a hero for anyone who loves sports. [29], Despite their on-court rivalry, Johnson and Bird became close friends during the filming of a 1984 Converse shoe advertisement that depicted them as enemies. So, if youre wondering how they helped their son as a child and where they might be today, weve got you covered. Senate. "[121] Amid speculation from general manager Jerry West that he may only coach until the end of the season,[121] 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. The label, initially called Magic 32 Records, was renamed Magic Johnson Music when Johnson signed a joint venture with MCA in 2000. Magic was born in 1959 to Christine and Earvin Sr. [71] In Game 3, Johnson responded with 21assists in a 137104 win, but he made several crucial errors late in the contest during Game 4. [151] In the 1982 NBA Finals, he was named the Finals MVP averaging just 16.2 points, the lowest average of any Finals MVP award recipient in the three-point shot era. [103] 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". He had become a dominant junior high player, once scoring 48 points in a game. [91] It was the fifth and final NBA championship of his career. [59][60] Early in the 198182 season, Johnson had a heated dispute with Westhead, who Johnson said made the Lakers "slow" and "predictable". [19][27] Johnson's sister Pearl and his brother Larry had bused to Everett the previous year and did not have a pleasant experience. Johnson's autobiography is .mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:#d33}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:#d33}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#3a3;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}Johnson, Earvin (1992). He led all scorers with 39 points. [83][84], Before the 198788 NBA season, Lakers coach Pat Riley publicly promised that they would defend the NBA title, even though no team had won consecutive titles since the Celtics did so in the 1969 NBA Finals. 2022 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. He grew up as part of a big family of nine other siblings living in a triple bedroom home in Lansing, Michigan. He insisted that his health was not an issue, while downplaying questions about returning as a player, saying, "I'm retired. [151] He holds the All-Star Game single-game record for assists (22), and the All-Star Game record for career assists (127). Magics childhood was filled with lots of love, thanks to a great family and friends. Similarly, Bird admitted that Johnson's daily box score was the first thing he checked in the morning. At the age of 42, Johnson played with the All-Stars against his alma mater, Michigan State. Today, the couple seems to still live in Lansing, where they eventually built their dream home. According to sports journalist Larry Schwartz of ESPN, Johnson and Bird saved the NBA from bankruptcy. The book detailed their on-court rivalry and friendship with one another. [24] His career 138triple-double games places him third all-time behind Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook. [107] Johnson led the West to a 153113win and was crowned All-Star MVP after recording 25points, 9assists, and 5rebounds. 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. [222][223], To prevent his HIV infection from progressing to AIDS, Johnson takes a daily combination of drugs. [197] Johnson sold his ownership stake in the Lakers in October 2010 to Patrick Soon-Shiong, a Los Angeles surgeon and professor at UCLA,[198] but continued as an unpaid vice president for the team. kareem jabbar lakers