March Madness has been going well for the Michigan State Spartans, as they moved past Ole Miss in the Sweet 16 matchup. But their most notable alumnus, and one of the biggest supporters of the program, Magic Johnson, was missing from the stands. Magic always roots for his team, but this time, he wasn’t there physically to support them.
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However, the NBA legend had a valid excuse for the same. Magic was busy collecting his 17th championship ring in LA. As a player and part-owner, he has 11 with the Lakers, one with the Sparks, one with LAFC, and two with Team Liquid, and he collected his 2nd ring with the Dodgers last night.
Despite his absence, Magic watched the Spartans game and celebrated their win. The NBA legend took to X to congratulate them, writing, “Great win by my Spartans to advance to the Elite 8! At the end of the game, our defense and going perfect from the free throw line in the last two minutes of the game was the key to this victory.”
He also took the opportunity to brag about his unmatched resume as a player and part-owner of several franchises. Magic wrote, “I couldn’t be at the game today as I’m with my Dodgers getting my 17th championship ring here in LA, but I plan on being in the building on Sunday in Atlanta!”
Great win by my Spartans to advance to the Elite 8! At the end of the game, our defense and going perfect from the free throw line in the last two minutes of the game was the key to this victory.
I couldn't be at the game today as I'm with my Dodgers getting my 17th championship… https://t.co/b1zzb9tFAr
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) March 29, 2025
Despite a slow start against Ole Miss, the Spartans managed to rally and secure a win. They were trailing by 10 points in the first half, but Jase Richardson’s heroics in the second half helped them overcome a poor start. With his 24 points, they were able to secure a close 73-70 victory.
But the Elite 8 isn’t enough for coach Tom Izzo to celebrate. After the win, he said, “We don’t put up any banners for Elite Eights. We put up banners for Final Fours and national championships.” Regardless, he’d be glad that Richardson kept his hopes alive with his hot hand.
The second seed in the South Region, the Spartans, will play the number one seed, Auburn, on Sunday. Magic has promised that he will be there to watch them play. Considering he’s not getting any other championship ring this week, Magic might be able to make time for it.
