Earvin “Magic” Johnson attended Michigan State University, where he played college basketball for the Spartans. Even before making it as a college athlete, Johnson had made himself quite a name, which actually led to him earning the nickname Magic by a local writer in Michigan.
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Born and brought up in Michigan, Johnson had never thought of becoming what he did in a few years. After he led the Spartans to the NCAA championship in 1979 and was drafted first overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1979 NBA Draft.
Playing for a top NBA team in the greatest city in the country, Magic had it all since Day 1. His start to life in the NBA could not have been better, and yet, he says he did not come out of his apartment for the first couple of years.
Magic Johnson took time to get used to life in LA
A 20-year-old Magic Johnson came into the league of world-class athletes and took it over as he belonged there. But he could not do the same with the city of Angels. Well, not in the first two years at least.
In his recent appearance on the All the Smoke podcast with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, 5x NBA Champ and arguably the greatest Laker of all time revealed how he would never come out of his apartment for the first two years in LA.
“It was definitely a shock, trust me. First of all, I was scared to death coming out here. I stayed in my apartment for the first two years because I come from a small town, and so my first two years I concentrated on really letting people know that my game was real.”
But how long was that smile going to last behind four walls? It had to come out and take LA by storm, first with his game, then with the stardom, and then unfortunately with the day that is one of the saddest days in California, maybe even the whole nation.
From one of the greatest careers to a pre-mature retirement, Magic’s life became a roller coaster
In his 12-year career, Magic not only won 5 championships, 3 MVPs, 3 Finals MVPs, and several other accolades he also won plenty of hearts. He was probably the most loved player ever.
When it publicly announced his HIV diagnosis in the 1991 offseason and retired from the NBA immediately. That sent shockwaves to the nation.
Since then, he has had complete control over his disease. He then became an advocate for HIV/AIDS awareness and education and has been one of the biggest faces in the fight against HIV & AIDS.
Johnson also started various business ventures, including Magic Johnson Enterprises, and has made a fortune of around $600 million. Only Michael Jordan and LeBron James have made more than that among basketball players. What a life.
