Magic Johnson had everything in the world he needed. He was larger than life character who demanded the attention of the entire world. His tenure with the Lakers earned him every accolade possible in the NBA. On top of that, he was rich with a highly profitable sneaker deal.
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Still, Johnson was clearly jealous of Michael Jordan even when he was just a rookie. The thing was, Johnson couldn’t wrap his head around MJ’s deal with Nike worth $2.5 million. He couldn’t believe an athlete could get such an incredible deal.
The jealousy bared his fangs first time in 1985 during the All-Star game. Johnson allegedly conspired with Isiah Thomas to snub MJ.
Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas snubbed Michael Jordan
In 1985, when Michael Jordan was in his second season, he made his first appearance in the All-Star game. The world had already witnessed what MJ was capable of. However, it seemed Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas couldn’t acknowledge Jordan.
So, the two allegedly conspired to snub him. In When The Game Was Ours, co-author Jackie MacMullan wrote:
“Everyone anticipated a big offensive night from number 23, yet Jordan took only 9 shots in 22 minutes of AllStar play, leading to whispers that he was “frozen out” by East point guard Isiah Thomas. Magic, because of his close association with Isiah, was also suspected of being involved in snubbing the league’s newest sensation. After the game, media reports citing sources close to Thomas and Johnson claimed the two conspired to keep the ball away from Jordan because they were jealous of his endorsements and his rapidly expanding, worldwide appeal. The story gathered steam when Jordan did not publicly refute the conspiracy theory.”
Johnson denied these claims vehemently
Magic Johnson later claimed that these were baseless lies. He apparently had no idea about the rumors until two days later.
When he came to know, Johnson claimed that he had no reason to do so. He confessed he barely knew Michael and there was no reason for him to not give Michael the ball.
When The Game Was Ours revealed Johnson’s defense:
“Magic maintained he did not learn of the controversy until two days after the game when television personality Ahmad Rashad, a mutual friend of both Johnson and Jordan, called and asked him, “Earvin, what’s going on with this?” Are you kidding me, Ahmad?” Johnson said. “Do you really believe I’m going to an AllStar Game thinking I don’t want to let Michael Jordan have the ball? First of all, why should I care? What does that do for me? I don’t have anything against him. I barely know him.”
Perhaps Johnson was being honest. Despite his jealousy, he would profit nothing by hurting Jordan. In fact, even with his jealousy increasing as Michael’s shoe deal grew bigger, he never let it show in their matchups.
