From 1966 to 1984, the NBA used to flip a coin to determine the first overall pick in the draft, a far cry from the lottery system now. Luck had a say in it, much like today. The fate of the worst team in the East and the West hinged on it. One particular year, the coin not just flipped the fortunes of a team, but that of the game itself.
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The year was 1979. The Los Angeles Lakers had, arguably, the biggest luck of the coin in the NBA Draft history when they got the first pick, and drafted the great Magic Johnson. The team on the losing side of the coin was the Chicago Bulls.
Now, before the history buffs among you jump up, a quick clarification: The Lakers weren’t the worst team in the West. They got the New Orleans Jazz’ first-round pick in a trade. Nonetheless, it marked a turning point in the Lakers’ legacy.
The franchise touched new heights during the Magic era. The 12-time All-Star became not just one of the franchise’s biggest athletes but also one of the greatest basketball players of all time.
Magic led the Lakers to five championships in the 1980s. When he entered the roster, the franchise already had a veteran superstar — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. However, Kareem was unable to inspire the side to a title since the 1971 victory. Magic provided that midas, or rather, magical touch.
Have you wondered how basketball history would have panned out had the Bulls won the coin flip? Let us imagine a parallel Bulls-verse, replete with multiple titles, and of course, Magic.
During an appearance on the Jennifer Hudson Show, Magic shared his thoughts on the possibility. He said, “You know, it was a coin flip to see if I would play for the Bulls or the Lakers. I’m happy it turned out the way it did. You know why, Jennifer? Because then it would be no Michael [Jordan] in Chicago and no Magic in LA. So, it worked out.”
If Magic did the same things for the Bulls in the 1980s that he did in LA, MJ wouldn’t have ended up in Chicago. With the success that Magic would’ve brought to the franchise, they would not have had the third pick in the 1984 Draft to select Jordan.
Johnson would’ve been successful in Chicago
A lot of credit for Magic’s success in LA is given to the team that played around him, especially Abdul-Jabbar. However, one can’t deny the fact that Magic was a formidable force from the moment he joined the league. He won an NBA title, Finals MVP, and made an All-Star appearance within a year of joining.
Of course, it is also true that he would not have won a title with the Bulls in his rookie year. At the time, the Bulls had a weaker roster compared to the Lakers. With the likes of Artis Gilmore, Mark Landsberger, Scott May, Ollie Johnson, and Reggie Theus, they were in dire need of a point guard.
Magic, one the greatest point guards in the history of the game, would have completed the Bulls puzzle perfectly. He would have had a phenomenal first season, the title notwithstanding.
And if he was then able to turn things around within the next couple of years, the Bulls would have moved on from building a good team to finding star players from other teams to forge a championship-winning side.
But would the Bulls have found someone like Kareem to be by Magic’s side chasing championships?
For sure, yes. Magic did most of the heavy lifting in his prime. And, any great two-way player would’ve provided the support he needed on the court.
Another point to ponder in this Magical (pun intended) Bulls-verse is Johnson’s rivalry with Larry Bird. Now that tussle is legendary, and pretty much part of NBA folklore. What would’ve happened to the classic rivalry had Magic gone to Chicago?
The Magic-Bird rivalry
A lot of things in Magic’s career would’ve changed if he had gone to Chicago instead of LA. But the rivalry between him and the great Bird would have still played out.
However, instead of meeting each other in the Finals for the greatest show ever on the grandest of occasions, they would have battled each other in the Eastern Conference. Will that bring down its relevance and reverence in history? Possibly yes, for things are celebrated in retrospect when the occasion is grand, and the stakes high.
The Magic-Bird rivalry started much before they joined the league. The 1979 NCAA Championship game is considered to be a classic game in basketball history. The competition the world witnessed went on to change the game forever.
Michigan State, led by Magic defeated Indiana State, led by Bird. The final scoreline read 75-64. At the time, it was the most-watched college basketball game ever. Magic grabbed the Most Outstanding Player title too.
When they entered the NBA, the rivalry only grew. So, if Magic had gone to Chicago instead of LA, the narrative would have remained. Just the setting would have changed. Imagine: a Boston-Chicago rivalry in the 1980s.
Role of coaching staff and franchise ownership in Magic Johnson’s career
The late Dr. Jerry Buss played a massive role in Magic’s journey — right from his rookie year to multiple championships and to his role now as a billionaire and owner of several teams. The former owner of the Lakers was very fond of his superstar.
During a 2019 interview with Uninterrupted, Magic said, “I owe a lot of it to Dr. [Jerry] Buss,” talking about his business success.
He revealed that Dr. Buss used to hand him books to read and teach him how the business of sport works even when he was a young player at the franchise.
Back to fantasy: what would have happened to this layer of Magic’s legacy if he went to Chicago? There isn’t a clear-cut answer to this. It is likely that he would have gotten similar support from Jerry Reinsdorf, the owner of the Bulls.
Last but not the least comes the coach part. There is no doubt the great Pat Riley had a role in how Magic and the Lakers achieved so much in the 1980s. That wouldn’t have happened if he had gone to Chicago because, at the time, they were struggling to find an inspiring head coach. It wasn’t until 1989 that the Bulls finally landed the right person for the job, the great Phil Jackson.
The bottom line: regardless of the outcome of that coin flip, Magic would’ve become one of the greatest to ever play this game. The only difference would probably be that he would join the ranks of Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, and Karl Malone. All-time greats but without a ring. With the coin toss going in the Lakers’ favor, Magic landed at a place where he not just had his skill as a player, but also a great team, owner, and coach to push him to greater heights and five championship rings.
