“Didn’t Know His Name Was Earvin”: Magic Johnson Has the Greatest Nickname in Basketball History According to Former NBA All-Star

Gilbert Arenas believes that no one other than Magic Johnson has the best nickname among the many famous ones in basketball history.

It goes without saying that Magic Johnson is perhaps the Lakers legend most steeped in the team’s history. The Magic man turned things around for a franchise that didn’t have much success with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Once Magic arrived, the Lakers made it to 9 NBA Finals, winning 5 of them. Magic was the man who set the identity for those Showtime teams, which thrived on the fast break but also had great half-court offensive tools.

Even today, Magic’s Lakers rank among the greatest offenses in NBA history. He was the most popular NBA player of his time, and yet, many people didn’t even know his real name!

Gilbert Arenas believes that Magic Johnson has the best basketball nickname of all time

Gilbert Arenas got to discussing basketball nicknames on a recent episode of Gil’s Arena. When asked about his pick by host Josiah Johnson, Arenas’ pick was decisive – he went with Magic Johnson:

“The reason I say that is because we thought that was his real name. We called him Magic Johnson. Didn’t even know his name was Earvin. Everybody else’s nickname was a nickname, we thought Magic Johnson was real!”

“When we talk about Magic Johnson and everyone says the best point guard and everything, we say ‘Magic’, ‘Johnson’. Not knowing the n****’s name is Earvin.”

Arenas’ argument makes a lot of sense. The only sporting nickname I can think of that is more ubiquitous is ‘Tiger’ Woods. The man is named Eldrick Tont, but he’s probably never been addressed by that name in 27 years as a pro.

How did Magic get his nickname?

Earvin “Magic” Johnson got his nickname from a local sportswriter in Lansing, Michigan, during his high school basketball career.

The story goes that as a 15-year-old sophomore playing for Everett High School, Johnson filled in for an injured teammate and recorded a triple-double (scoring 36 points, grabbing 18 rebounds, and dishing out 16 assists) in a game against St. Mary’s.

After the game, Fred Stabley Jr., a writer for the Lansing State Journal, wrote an article about the game and referred to Johnson as “Magic” because of his extraordinary play and ability to do things on the court that seemed almost supernatural.

The nickname quickly caught on and became part of Johnson’s identity. He continued to live up to the name throughout his basketball career, playing with incredible skill and flair, and dazzling fans with his ability to make impossible passes and clutch shots.