Magic Johnson is arguably the greatest point guard of all time. The 6ft 9” playmaker was an integral member of the ‘Showtime’ Los Angeles Lakers, who had reigned supreme over the NBA in the 1980s.
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The 63-year-old came into the league in 1979 as the first overall pick and was a vital reason why the Lakers won the championship that year. It was almost unheard of at the time, and to be fair, even today for a rookie, to be as pivotal as he was in a franchise’s triumph.
A masterful performance from Magic Johnson at the time.
Johnson was known for his ability to run the point effectively. A strong argument can be made for the fact that the five-time NBA champion is the greatest passer in NBA history, due to his flashy and beguiling style of play.
However, for all his success, Johnson has also had his fair share of failures, which has led to him being on the receiving end of slander.
Also read: With $620 Million to His Name, Magic Johnson Knew How to Live It Up in Europe With Wife Cookie
How Magic Johnson came back from ‘Tragic Magic’ and he wants the same for Russell Westbrook
Back in the 1980s, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics were the apex exemplar of basketball. The two franchises were head and shoulders above their opponents.
During the 80s, in spite of helping the franchise capture two championships as well as, on his own accord, capturing two NBA Finals MVPs, Magic Johnson was booed in LA.
In the 1984 NBA Finals, against the Boston Celtics, he committed two crucial errors, following which he missed two clutch free throws. The Laker faithful let him hear it. It was the second Finals this happened.
Speaking to Shannon Sharpe on his podcast, ‘Club Shay Shay’, Johnson divulged the inception of the moniker and the grounds behind how it came to fruition.
Sharpe mentioned the sequence of events that led up to the initiation of the tag, which was doubled down by the three-time NBA MVP.
Acknowledging the remark, Johnson stated-
“Right, Tragic Magic.”
However, with Russell Westbrook being in a similar situation, Sharpe inquired of ‘Magic’ if he had any advice for the former NBA ‘MVP’, to which Johnson shared his insights.
Johnson stated-
“First, take accountability. That’s number one. If I don’t play well, say I don’t play well. When I didn’t perform well in 84′ against the Celtics, I admitted that. I took accountability. Saying I didn’t perform well. I was the reason why the Lakers lost that series and I had to say to myself I had to get better. So what did I do? I went out that whole summer, I trained hard and got better. And then we played them again in 85′, next season, and man I was on fire. We won, you didn’t hear that no more.”
It’s a good perspective of how high-profile stars handle disparagement and how they rise above it. Considering how he has been playing so far this season, the advice might have worked incredibly for Westbrook.
The years of validation!
Despite hearing those nicknames, Johnson prevailed when it was all said and done. His persistence was displayed. Johnson within that same decade would go on to help the organization attain three more NBA championships, prior to his hiatus from the league.
The manner in which he did so was glorious and in light of the incident, Johnson went on to capture more individual as well as team accolades.
Provided Russell Westbrook can find his feet in LA before it’s too late, he might, after all, have the storybook ending to his career, one always wishes for.
Also read: Robert Horry Recalls What He Learned After Going 1v1 Against Magic Johnson During Lakers Tryout
