“I think Magic Johnson is gonna break into tears at the moment!”: When the Lakers Hall of Famer broke the all-time assist record

Magic Johnson was the league MVP in 1990 and in true Showtime fashion, he broke the all-time assist record in the next season.

Magic Johnson was fresh off his MVP season and had five championships under his belt and he was closing in on another record. The assist record. 

For a player who could play any role and whose biggest asset was his passing skill, assisting was the most important attribute for Magic Johnson. 

He was a naturally gifted playmaker and with his help, the Showtime Lakers were a reality. The assist record was something that Magic had been chasing for a long time. 

Oscar Robertson was the holder, he has 9887 assists under his belt. On April 15, 1991, in a game against the Dallas Mavericks, Johnson broke the assist record with his ninth assist. 

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“Magic Johnson has 9888 assists, that’s an average of 11.35!” 

The commentators, the arena, and even his teammates were in a celebratory mood, praising him and congratulating him. 

The moment was tear-filled  “I think he’s about to break into tears,” the commentator gushed as players around Johnson celebrated his achievement. 

Johnson was visibly emotional as he had already been talking about reaching this moment and even alluded to a story about his father. 

The Arena even played out a message from the Oscar Robertson himself. “You having the assist record will only add to the prestige,” Big O said in his message. 

“Really Magic, I was only holding it on for you anyway” the message concluded

Magic recorded 19 assists this game, along with 7 points. Truly flexing his passing skills. He ended his career with 10,141 assists, which now sits 6th on the record list.

Today, we look back at this moment and celebrate a legend of the game. We are sure that in the upcoming docuseries, “They Call Me Magic!” they will cover this iconic moment and more.

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