“Who Is This Guy Magic Johnson?”: Spencer Haywood Was Taken Aback By Michigan Guard’s Physical Stature

Magic Johnson had an immediate impact on the Los Angeles Lakers in his debut season in 1979-80, wasting no time in leading the team to a championship victory. However, it wasn’t just his gifted talents that left everyone in awe. Teammates like Spencer Haywood and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar were shocked to discover that the 6ft 9” player was, in fact, a guard.

During an appearance on the Legends Of Sport podcast, Haywood shared his candid reaction upon discovering that Earvin was a guard.

“Who is this guy Magic? I heard a lot about him in Michigan because you know everybody in Detroit ‘well, you playing with a guard’. I’m like ‘what? He’s 6ft 9”’,” Haywood revealed.

Haywood’s astonishment was understandable. At the time, the tallest point guards in the league – Jerry West and Oscar Robertson – stood at 6ft 4”. A player five inches taller than the tallest point guards was bound to shock everyone.

Despite his unconventional height for the position, Johnson impressed everyone. Haywood stated that Johnson’s passing during the early stages of that season instilled confidence in the Purple & Gold, strengthening the belief in the team’s ability to win the championship.

Haywood credits Johnson for filling the team with excitement

Entering the NBA at the age of 20, Magic Johnson was filled with excitement. However, older players on the roster, such as Spencer Haywood and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, weren’t initially amused by his boundless enthusiasm. They even tried to curb the youngster’s energy.

Yet, after the team’s first clash against the San Diego Clippers, they quickly realized that Johnson’s enthusiasm would play a key role in the team’s success. Not only did it help Haywood and Abdul-Jabbar get back the joy of their youth, but it also resulted in the team dominating the league for the months to come.

 “This is something special because he was bringing that enthusiasm and that joy to the game that we had sort of like pushed aside because we had got old and jaded a little bit. So, we started to feel like kids again. These young guys here feeling like really joyful just to play and he brought that to us. And oh boy, what a year,” Haywood said.

Indeed, Johnson’s infectious energy not only resulted in a championship but also laid the foundation for the Showtime Lakers era that followed.