Magic Johnson

**Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr.** (born August 14, 1959 in Lansing, Michigan) is an American retired NBA basketball player. He won the NBA Championship in 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988 all with the Los Angeles Lakers. He played college basketball at Michigan State University where he developed a rivalry and friendship with Boston Celtics star Larry Bird when he faced him in the 1979 NCAA finals and three NBA championship games.  Although Johnson was a versatile player who played all five positions occasionally, he is considered by many to be the greatest point guard, passer and playmaker in the history of the game.

In 1991, Johnson made public that he had been diagnosed with HIV. He is a supporter of AIDS prevention.

In 1992, Johnson was a member of the United States men's national basketball team. That team won an Olympic gold medal.

He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002 and was also named as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996.

On February 21, 2017, Johnson replaced Jim Buss as the president of basketball operations for the Los Angeles Lakers. On April 9, 2019, Johnson resigned from his role as president of basketball operations of the Lakers wishing to return to his role of NBA ambassador.

## Other websites

- Magic Johnson's NBA player profile

## Infobox (basketball biography)

- **name**: Magic Johnson
- **image**: Magic Johnson 2014 (cropped).jpg
- **caption**: Johnson in 2014
- **birth place**: Lansing, Michigan, USA
- **height**: 206 cm
- **weight**: 98 kg
- **high school**: Everett High School (Michigan), Everett (Lansing, Michigan)
- **college**: Michigan State Spartans men's basketball, Michigan State (1977–1979)
- **draftyear**: 1979
- **draftround**: 1
- **draftpick**: 1
- **draftteam**: Los Angeles Lakers
- **career start**: 1979
- **career end**: 1991, 1996
- **career position**: Point guard
- **career number**: 32
- **coach end**: 1994
- **years1**: –,
- **team1**: Los Angeles Lakers
- **years2**: Basketligan, 1999–2000
- **team2**: Borås Basket, Magic M7 Borås
- **years3**: Basketligaen, 2000
- **team3**: Magic Great Danes
- **cteam1**: Los Angeles Lakers
- **highlights**: **As a player:**
* 5× NBA champion (, , , , )
* 3× Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award, NBA Finals MVP (, , )
* 3× NBA Most Valuable Player Award, NBA Most Valuable Player (, , )
* 12× NBA All-Star (, –)
* 2× NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award, NBA All-Star Game MVP (, )
* 9× All-NBA First Team (–)
* All-NBA Second Team ()
* NBA All-Rookie First Team ()
* 4× List of National Basketball Association annual assists leaders, NBA assists leader (, , , )
* 2× List of National Basketball Association annual steals leaders, NBA steals leader (, )
* J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award ()
* NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team
* No. 32 Los Angeles Lakers#Hall of Famers, retired and honored numbers, retired by Los Angeles Lakers
* List of NCAA Men's Division I Basketball champions, NCAA champion (1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, 1979)
* NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player (1979)
* Consensus first-team NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans, All-American (1979 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans, 1979)
* Second-team All-American – National Association of Basketball Coaches, NABC (1978 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans, 1978)
* Third-team All-American – Associated Press, AP, United Press International, UPI (1978)
* No. 33 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball#Retired numbers, retired by Michigan State Spartans
- **stat1label**: Point (basketball), Points
- **stat1value**: 17,707 (19.5 ppg)
- **stat2label**: Rebound (basketball), Rebounds
- **stat2value**: 6,559 (7.2 rpg)
- **stat3label**: Assist (basketball), Assists
- **stat3value**: 10,141 (11.2 apg)
- **bbr**: johnsma02
- **hof player**: earvin-magic-Johnson
- **cbbaskhof year**: 2006