“None of Them Were Even Born When I Was Playing!”: Hours After Partying With Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson Expresses Amazement Over Love From Young Fans in Italy

Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan have a long-standing friendship that was conceived on the NBA hardwood. The two basketball legends have been extremely close friends having shared numerous iconic moments together. Even though the days of them battling each other in the Finals are long gone, the two are still in touch with each other. As seen by several photos and videos that have flooded social media, the Hall-Of-Famers, along with Samuel L. Jackson and their respective wives have been vacationing in Italy. Now, Magic is one of the most influential players in NBA history. However, even he was amazed at the kind reception he received from the younger generation when he was out shopping.

From the social media postings seen so far, Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson are enjoying their holiday with friends and family. An avid social media user, the Los Angeles Lakers legend treated his fans with a few ‘unseen’ photos from their time in Italy. Further, a video of the entire group singing “Volare” has also left social media in a frenzy.

Magic Johnson is pleasantly surprised about his popularity among younger fans

Magic Johnson is one of the greatest basketball players to set foot on the court. The 6-foot-9 Point Guard had a huge influence on how the league was perceived. Apart from majorly being credited for introducing the league to the world, Earvin has also accomplished several impressive feats – five titles, three Finals Most Valuable Players, three MVPs, and multiple All-Star & All-NBA selections. It goes without saying, the Lakers icon is one of the most-loved athletes in the world.

Being adored by several fans from around the globe, it is no surprise why Johnson is greeted so passionately. However, a legend from the 1980s, Johnson was pleasantly surprised when younger fans were chanting his name. Taking his amazement to Twitter, the 63-year-old wrote:

I was out shopping today in Capri, Italy with Cookie and I met so many amazing young fans! I’m blown away because none of them were even born when I was playing basketball! We were in the store today and they were all chanting “Magic, Magic.”

The younger generation might not have been able to see Magic play live. However, they could be aware of Johnson’s stint at the California side’s front office. In this digital age, it isn’t difficult to catch highlights on YouTube. At the same time, they must have gotten a deep understanding of his journey through the HBO show “Showtime Lakers”.

Johnson is still inspiring people

Having been inspired by the philanthropic ventures carried out by Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley recently revealed to restructure his will. As mentioned in his interview with AL.com, Barkley will now leave $5 million for his alma mater Auburn for the purpose of providing scholarships to Black students.

“In my will, I am leaving Auburn $5 million. I’m going to change it to be just for scholarships for Black students. That’s just my way of trying to make sure Auburn stays diverse. I love Auburn. I’ve actually changed it to be used for kids from poor homes. But after that ruling yesterday, my phone was blowing up. I was talking to my friends and said, ‘I need to make sure Black folks always have a place at Auburn.’ So, I’m gonna change my will and make it exclusive for Black students… all $5 million. It’s just for me the right thing to do. I always want to make sure that Auburn’s diverse.”

It’s heartwarming to see the on-court, but more importantly, the off-court influence that Magic has had on the generations that followed him.