The Los Angeles Lakers’ fanbase houses many celebrities and superstars because of the City of Angels’ Hollywood connection. Three-time Academy Award winner Jack Nicholson’s devotion to the Lakers is pretty well-known in the NBA Community on the West Coast. However, his fandom seems to run deeper than what fans might have anticipated. Magic Johnson revealed in his co-authored book “When the Game Was Ours”, that Nicholson was one of the first to make a sizable donation after Johnson founded “The Magic Johnson Foundation” in 1991 following his HIV diagnosis.
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However, the $600,000,000 worth actor isn’t the only renowned fan we see regularly in NBA games. It is pretty common to find familiar celebrity faces courtside during intriguing games. Hollywood director Spike Lee, and famous rappers like Jay-Z and Drake, are all part of the NBA fandom. They are called ‘superfans’ and represent the wide fanbase of their respective teams.
Jack Nicholson stood with Magic Johnson in his HIV battle
On November 7, 1991, Johnson made a public announcement that he had contracted HIV. He also said that he would immediately retire from basketball to focus on fighting the disease. Post-announcement, the Lakers legend started “The Magic Johnson Foundation”, dedicated to supporting communities and spreading awareness about the deadly disease. The book When the Game Was Ours details Nicholson, who has been a devout Lakers fan since the 1970s, making one of the first donations to the foundation;
“The Magic Johnson Foundation was created in 1991 with the aim of raising awareness of AIDS and HIV by providing education, treatment, and research. One of the first donations he [Magic] received was a sizable check from actor and devout Lakers fan Jack Nicholson.”
Nicholson is a platinum-standard celebrity for the Lakers and perhaps one of the biggest names among the celebrity fans in the league. The 12-time Oscar nominee has been a season ticket holder for decades now. He has been a witness to the Lakers’ multiple titles. His influence on the Lakers’ culture is unfathomable, especially because he has always shared a close connection with the biggest stars on the team.
86-year-old Nicholson has been less frequent for the Lakers games nowadays. However, his love for the Lakers would always echo in the Crypto.com arena.
Magic says he wouldn’t be alive if it wasn’t for the support of his wife in his battle with HIV
After going through a physical before the 1991-92 season started, Johnson discovered that he had contracted HIV. The massive electric jolt that Johnson felt was beyond comprehension. But for Johnson, telling the world and walking away from the hardwood was easier than breaking the news to his wife Cookie Johnson. He said this on the The Limits with Jay Williams podcast:
“I got home and told her, I said, “I can understand if you want to leave, you know, I get it.” And man, she hit me so hard upside my head and she said, “You know what, we’re gonna beat this together.” And that’s when I knew I was gonna be here for a long time, because if she had left, I probably wouldn’t be sitting here in this interview right now.”
Cookie has been married to Magic for over 22 years now. She has been by his side staying true to every word she said in their marriage.
