Recently, Magic Johnson was on Jimmy Kimmel Live where he was asked about some of the most famous stars to watch a Los Angeles Lakers game. Having spent 13 seasons with the Lakers, the Hall of Famer has seen plenty of big names. However, he believes the biggest celebrity he has seen courtside is Michael Jackson.
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He recalled how the Lakers had the likes of Denzel Washington and Eddy Murphy come to watch a game. But, the King of Pop is undoubtedly the greatest. In fact, he even mentioned that he toured with him on three separate occasions. “We had Denzel, and Eddy Murphy on and off, but Michael Jackson…he was right behind the Laker bench, and I had toured with him three times,” said Magic.
The most interesting thing is, that it was actually Magic who invited Jackson to the game. The 13-time Grammy award winner was hesitant at first. But, after some convincing from the five-time NBA Champion, he came to the game. Unfortunately, as expected, fans hounded him once all was said and done, forcing him to make a quick exit. Magic joked, “He had to moonwalk out quick!”.
It certainly must have been quite the scene, even for a celebrity. But then again, this was Michael Jackson.
Michael Jackson inspired Magic Johnson to become a better basketball player
As one of the greatest NBA players of all time, Magic Johnson has had the pleasure of facing off against some other all-time greats. From Larry Bird to Hakeem Olajuwon to Michael Jordan. All of these players brought the competitiveness out of the Los Angeles Lakers legend.
However, as he shared on the All the Smoke podcast, touring with Michael Jackson is what made him want to become a better player. He claims that watching Jackson practice his moves in the mirror for two hours inspired him. “Never seen anybody like him. This dude would be in the mirror for two hours just working on his moves. It was unbelievable,” said Magic.
Inspiration can come from anywhere, and in this case, the King of Pop had a profound impact on Magic.
