Earvin Johnson Jr., born August 14, 1959, better known as Magic Johnson, is a renowned American former professional basketball player. He was chosen first overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1979 NBA draft after winning championships in high school and college. Johnson later steered the team to five NBA titles during the Showtime era.
Wiki Profile
Full Name: | Earvin Johnson Jr |
Date of Birth: | August 14, 1959 |
Place of Birth: | Lansing, Michigan |
State of Origin: | Michigan |
Nationality: | American |
Occupation: | Former Basketball Player |
Net Worth: | $620 million |
Wife/Spouse: | Cookie Johnson |
Early Life and Education
Earvin Johnson Jr. was born in Lansing, Michigan, to Christine, a school janitor, and Earvin Johnson Sr., a General Motors assembly worker.
Magic Johnson was influenced by his parents’ strong work ethic. Johnson had six siblings and three half-siblings by his father’s previous marriage.
While his father worked at General Motors without ever missing a day, his mother spent many hours each evening after work cleaning their house and preparing the meals for the next day.
Johnson frequently accompanied his father on the garbage run, and the nearby kids taunted him by calling him “Garbage Man.”
As a young man, Johnson developed a liking for basketball. Bill Russell was his favorite basketball player, and he admired him more for his many championships than for his athletic prowess.
In addition, he practiced “all day” and idolized players like Marques Haynes and Earl Monroe (26). Johnson comes from a sporting background.
In his native Mississippi, where his father played high school basketball, Johnson learned the nuances of the sport from him.
Johnson’s mother, who is originally from North Carolina, grew up watching her boys play basketball and had also participated in the sport herself.
Career
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 choices are among Johnson’s career accomplishments.
He was the NBA’s all-time leader in average assists per game in both the regular season (11.19 assists per game) and the playoffs.
He also led the league in regular season assists four times (12.35 assists per game). He is the player with the most playoff assists in career history.
Johnson played on “The Dream Squad,” the American men’s Olympic basketball team that captured the gold medal in Barcelona in 1992.
Johnson founded the Magic Johnson All-Stars, a barnstorming squad that toured the globe playing exhibition games, after quitting the NBA in 1991.
Johnson was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame twice: once in 2002 for his individual career and once in 2010 as a part of the “Dream Team.”
He was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996, was chosen for the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.
He played against Boston Celtics star Larry Bird in the 1979 NCAA championship game and three NBA championship series. Their friendship and rivalry is well known.
Magic Johnson Net Worth
Magic Johnson is a retired American basketball player and entrepreneur with a net worth of $620 million.
Personal Life
Magic Johnson is married to Cookie Johnson, who was born on January 20, 1959, in Huntsville, Alabama. S.
Their union is blessed with three children, EJ Johnson, Andre Johnson, and Elisa Johnson.