magic johnson

Point guard Jersey #(s):

32, 33, 15 Height:

6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) Weight:

255 lb (116 kg) Born: August 14, 1959 (1959-08-14) (age 49)

Lansing, Michigan, U.S. Career information Year(s): 1979–1996 NBA Draft: 1979 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1 College: Michigan State Professional team(s) Los Angeles Lakers (1979–1991, 1996) Career stats Points 17,707 Rebounds 6,559 Assists 10,141 Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com Career highlights and awards 5× NBA Champion (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988) 3× NBA MVP (1987, 1989, 1990) 12× All-Star (1980, 1982–1992) 3× NBA Finals MVP (1980, 1982, 1987) 9× All-NBA First Team Selection (1983–1991) 1× All-NBA Second Team Selection (1982) 1980 NBA All-Rookie Team 2× NBA All-Star Game MVP (1990, 1992) NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team Basketball Hall of Fame

Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is a retired American professional basketball player who was a point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). After winning a championship at both the high school and college levels, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers. He won a championship and a Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award (his first of three) in his rookie season, and the Lakers won four more championships during the 1980s. Johnson retired abruptly in 1991 after announcing that he had HIV, but returned to win the MVP of the 1992 All-Star Game. After protests from his fellow players, he retired again for four years, but returned in 1996 to play 32 games for the Lakers before retiring for the third and final time.

Johnson's career achievements include three NBA MVP Awards, nine NBA Finals appearances, twelve All-Star games, and ten All-NBA First and Second Team nominations. He led the league in regular-season assists four times, and is the NBA's all-time leader in assists per game with an average of 11.2.[1] Johnson was also a member of the "Dream Team", the U.S. basketball team that won the Olympic gold medal in 1992.

Johnson was honored as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996, and enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002.[2] He was rated the greatest NBA point guard of all time by ESPN in 2007.[3] His friendship and rivalry with Boston Celtics star Larry Bird, based on regular games at championship level between the Lakers and Celtics, were well documented. Since his retirement, Johnson has been an advocate for HIV/AIDS prevention and safe sex,[2] as well as a philanthropist.[4] Contents [hide] 1 Amateur career 1.1 Early years 1.2 Michigan State University 2 Professional biography 2.1 Rookie season in the NBA (1979–80) 2.2 Ups and downs (1980–83) 2.3 Battles against the Celtics (1983–87) 2.4 Repeat and falling short (1987–91) 2.5 HIV announcement and Olympics (1991–92) 2.6 Post-Olympics and later life 3 Off the court 3.1