Magic Johnson was an indispensable part of the Lakers team during the ’80s and the early ’90s decade. The Lakers made one of their wisest choices by picking Johnson as the 1st overall pick of the 1979 draft. However, not many know about the business move by owner Jerry Buss to retain Magic till retirement. In 1981, the Lakers drafted Mike McGee as their first overall pick and traded Mitch Kupchak to make two solid additions to the roster. However, this did not complete Jerry Buss’ ambitions to refortify the Lakers for upcoming championships and success. A few years, Jerry Buss and Magic Johnson re-negotiated Johnson’s contract, annulling his previous contract for a whopping $25,000,000 agreement for 25 years. This deal was expected to retain Magic Johnson’s services with the franchise until retirement. The deal was signed in secret until word spread out pretty soon. Former Lakers legend Wilt Chamberlain expressed his disappointment, highlighting the inequality in pay faced by the other players on the roster.
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In the book Showtime, Jeff Pearlman further noted this incident between the Lakers, Magic Johnson, and Wilt Chamberlain’s thoughts. Johnson was a five-time NBA champion and had won the Finals MVP three times in his career. He became the centerpiece of the showtime Lakers, winning them accolades and success to build the team’s shining legacy.
Wilt Chamberlain expressed his disappointment at Magic Johnson’s unprecedented contract offered by the Lakers
Magic Johnson’s new 1984 Lakers contract was mostly unheard of before in basketball. It’s safe to say that Magic had a reasonably close relationship with owner Jerry Buss, who often talked him under his wind on several occasions. To secure Magic’s services for years until his retirement, Buss had the ultimate plan: a deal Magic could never refuse. Johnson was offered an unprecedented $25 million deal for a period of 25 years.
This deal came in when NBA players were mainly underpaid compared to the value they added to their teams. As the news of this secret agreement spread, many, including Lakers legend Wilt Chamberlain, expressed their disappointment and concerns. Here is how Jeff Pearlman takes note of this situation in his book Showtime.
“Although the additions of McGee and Kupchak were important, the earth-shattering move wasn’t an addition, but a refortification. Shortly after the trade with Washington, Buss renegotiated Johnson’s contract, tearing up his old deal in favor of an unprecedented twenty-five year, $25 million agreement that would run well into the player’s retirement. Both men agreed to keep quiet about the numbers, but word leaked out of the league office. ‘I don’t know how Magic can be totally loved by his teammates now.’ said Wilt Chamberlain, former Lakers center. ‘He’s getting all that money, and all that publicity.'”
Wilt Chamberlain’s concerns and skepticism against Magic were valid. When Johnson signed his new contract, the average salary of an NBA player ranged from $189,000 to $218,000 annually. It’s quite baffling to note how Johnson played only eight years out of his 25-year-long contract. Given the terms of the deal, the contract was worth $1,000,000 per year and would have lasted until 2009! This still stands as the longest contract in the NBA, and the record remains unbroken to this day.
Magic Johnson once defended showtime teammate Kareem-Abdul Jabbar against Shaq’s comments
Although Kareem-Abdul Jabbar is credited with crafting the iconic skyhook shot, Shaq popularized it further during his playing career. Therefore, this incredible skill move was intrinsically linked to the Big Aristotle rather than its creator, Kareem-Abdul Jabbar. Shaq had once even claimed that he could be the one to block Kareem’s skyhooks a couple of times. Speaking about this, Magic once remarked:
“I like Shaq, but he was no Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. This man could dominate you with both hands. When they had to change the game because of you, that’s greatness.”
Magic’s statement does lend fans a belief that Kareem indeed was an unreckonable force in basketball. But so was Shaq during his prime era of playing as a boundless center in the ’90s and 2000s. While the debate for the greatest center between Shaq and Kareem seems perennial, it’s undeniable that both were arguably two of the greatest players of their respective eras.
