Magic Johnson Pens Emotional Message To ‘Forever Captain’ Kareem Abdul-Jabbar And Charles Barkley Following Final Four

Prateek Singh | 07/04/2025
Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (L), and Charles Barkley (R)

The Michigan State Spartans lost 64-70 to the Auburn Tigers last Sunday, which crushed their hopes for the Final Four. After they secured an Elite 8 spot, Magic Johnson had promised that he would come to watch them battle it out against Auburn. Magic kept his promise, but his team couldn’t get past Charles Barkley’s alma mater.

After their loss, Magic penned a congratulatory post for the Spartans and thanked them for a wonderful season. For the NBA legend, it’s the experience that counts. Even though he couldn’t see his team get past the Tigers, Magic had a great time during the Final Four games.

Capital One, with which Magic has worked closely, was the official bank and credit card partner of the men’s Final Four. After its conclusion, he shared a post on X, sharing his experience. He wrote, “Another successful Final Four in San Antonio, TX with my incredible partners at Capital One!” Magic also shot a lot of commercials for Capital One with people who mean a lot to him.

He mentioned Samuel L. Jackson, Charles Barkley, and Spike Lee in the post. Magic and Samuel L. Jackson are longtime friends who often go on holidays together, along with their families. He has previously worked with Lee, and Chuck is his Dream Team buddy.

But the special shoutout went to his “forever captain and Showtime Laker teammate Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.” Magic has always shows the utmost respect for the former all-time leading scorer of the NBA. Another interesting thing that happened over the last week was the blimps that were spotted in the sky.

Magic wrote, “It was so cool seeing the Magic Blimp flying over San Antonio and the mini blimp in the Alamodome.” Ahead of the Final Four, Capital One launched blimps featuring Magic and Barkley in San Antonio. Although they were promotional tools for the company, several fans spotted the blimps and posted them on social media as well.

Despite his busy schedule, Magic Johnson managed to make time for college basketball because it means a lot to him. The NBA legend had a memorable collegiate career and brought the first-ever NCAA trophy for the Spartans in 1979. His rivalry with Indiana State Sycamores’ Larry Bird, which later transitioned into the NBA, made the 1979 NCAA tournament one of the most iconic seasons of all time.

Post Edited By: Sameen Nawathe
Charles Barkley Magic Johnson

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Prateek Singh

Prateek is a Senior NBA Writer for The SportsRush. He has over 900 published articles under his name. Prateek merged his passion for writing and his love for the sport of basketball to make a career out of it. Other than basketball, he is also an ardent follower of the UFC and soccer. Apart from the world of sports, he has followed hip-hop religiously and often writes about the origins, evolution, and the biggest stars of the music genre.

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