Magic Johnson

Johnson was born Earvin Johnson Jr. in Lansing, Michigan, the son of autoworker Earvin Johnson Sr. and school custodian Christine Johnson. He grew up in a large household with nine siblings, developing a dedicated basketball routine that often began on local courts by 7:30 in the morning.

Johnson married Cookie Johnson on September 14, 1991. The couple has two children together: their son Earvin III, known as EJ, born in 1992, and their daughter Elisa, whom they adopted in 1995. Johnson also has an older son, Andre Johnson, from a previous relationship.

Johnson earned his famous nickname at Everett High School when a local sportswriter watched the 15-year-old post 36 points, 16 rebounds, and 16 assists in a single game. As a high school senior, he led Everett to a 27-1 record and the 1977 Michigan state championship.

He elected to stay close to home for college, attending Michigan State University in East Lansing. As a freshman, Johnson led the Spartans to the Big Ten Conference championship. In his 1978-1979 sophomore season, he guided Michigan State to the NCAA championship game, where the Spartans defeated Larry Bird and previously unbeaten Indiana State. That matchup became one of the most-watched games in basketball history and launched an enduring rivalry between the two stars.

Selected first overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1979 NBA draft, Johnson made an immediate impact under new team owner Jerry Buss. In his rookie campaign, Johnson stepped in at center for an injured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in Game 6 of the 1980 NBA Finals against the Philadelphia 76ers, recording 42 points, 15 rebounds, and seven assists. He became the first rookie in league history to win the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player award.

Alongside Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, and head coach Pat Riley, Johnson directed the fast-paced, high-scoring style known as Showtime. He led the Lakers to four more NBA championships in 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1988. Over his 13 seasons with the Lakers, Johnson claimed three regular-season MVP awards (1987, 1989, 1990) and three Finals MVP honors, while maintaining a career average of 11.2 assists per game, the highest in NBA history.

On November 7, 1991, Johnson announced to the public that he had tested positive for HIV and was immediately retiring from the NBA. At the time of his announcement, he was the league's all-time career assists leader. His openness helped dispel widespread misconceptions about the virus, and he quickly established the Magic Johnson Foundation to fund HIV/AIDS awareness and research programs.

Despite his retirement, Johnson returned to play in the 1992 NBA All-Star Game, earning MVP honors. That summer, he joined Michael Jordan and Larry Bird on the United States Olympic men's basketball team, dubbed the Dream Team, capturing a gold medal at the 1992 Games in Barcelona. Johnson later served as the Lakers head coach for 16 games in the 1993-1994 season and made a brief 32-game playing comeback with the team during the 1995-1996 season before retiring for good.

Following his athletic career, Johnson built a prominent commercial portfolio through Magic Johnson Enterprises. His investments focused heavily on underserved urban communities, establishing movie theater chains and dozens of Starbucks locations. He also authored several books on sports and business leadership, including 32 Ways to be a Champion in Business and the co-authored When the Game Was Ours with Larry Bird.

Johnson purchased a minority stake in the Lakers in 1994, which he held until 2010. In 2012, he joined the ownership consortium that acquired the Los Angeles Dodgers, later adding stakes in the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks, Major League Soccer's Los Angeles FC, and the NFL's Washington Commanders. In 2017, he returned to the Lakers front office as president of basketball operations, helping recruit LeBron James in 2018 before stepping down at the end of the 2018-2019 season.