Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson is a household figure in the world of basketball and the NBA, possessing an iconic name befitting of his dazzling ball skills and unbelievable passing range that captivated America in the 1980s.
The legend behind how Johnson became forever known as ‘Magic’ dates back to 1975, when he was just 15 years of age. Fred Stabley Jr., a sports writer for the Lansing State Journal, attended Johnson’s first game at Everett High School, but was somewhat disappointed despite the sophomore leading his team to a 50-49 victory.
However, the journalist would fortuitously return for Johnson’s second game - and he saw the star power within the young player. Stabley Jr. said: “Somehow, fate had me assigned to the second game.
“I always tell people he had 36 points, 20 rebounds, 15 assists and 10 steals. It was the most amazing performance I had ever seen by anybody, and it was the second game of his high school career.”
It was Johnson’s first triple-double in his life - he would go on to record 138 in the NBA - and it came against a team that was supposed to be one of the best in the state of Michigan. Stabley Jr. met with Johnson after the game, and he ultimately redefined the future three-time MVP’s life.
“‘Earvin, we have got to call you something. How about Magic?’" Stabley Jr. said to Johnson. “Within two months, everyone in Michigan knew who Magic was.”
Johnson originally laughed at the writer’s suggestion - “My boys ain’t going to call me Magic!” - but the name caught on and captivated the state and wider nation. Magic Johnson became a renowned name and everyone wanted a piece of the budding star - although his mother, Christine, was not fond of the nickname bestowed upon him due to the weight of expectation that comes simply by being called 'Magic'.
However, the label appeared to enhance Magic himself, helping him live up to expectations as he led Everett High School to the state championship on the back of a 27-1 season. Johnson averaged 28.8 points and 16.8 rebounds per contest, before he decided to join Michigan State as he embarked on the college game.
After winning the NCAA title as a Spartan over Larry Bird's Indiana State, Magic was soon selected first overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1979 NBA Draft, and Johnson was most excited to play alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the center who would go on to become the leading scorer in league history. Despite his individual dominance, Abdul-Jabbar had not yet won a championship with the Lakers - but Johnson’s arrival was perfect.
“He was exactly the player we needed,” Abdul-Jabbar reveals in They Call Me Magic. Johnson’s size, ability, and willingness to direct the tempo of the offence using flashy passes and athleticism as a rookie helped the Lakers dominate.
Magic’s infectious joy, confidence and enthusiasm with which he played the game made fans consider the Lakers a must-watch team. Johnson averaged 18.0 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game as he was selected to the NBA All-Rookie Team and was named an NBA All-Star Game starter in his debut campaign.
The Lakers continued to roll in Magic’s rookie season with a record of 60-22 regular season record, capped off by a sensational win in the Western Conference Finals over the Seattle Supersonics in which Abdul-Jabbar scored 38 points to seal the series in Game Five. The Lakers turned their attention to the 1980 NBA Finals, where the Philadelphia 76ers and Julius Erving stood in their way.
The Lakers took a 3-2 lead in the series chiefly thanks to Abdul-Jabbar’s unbelievable scoring performances. The six-time MVP scored 33, 38, 33, 23 and 40 points before suffering an ankle sprain in Game Five, leaving him in a race to be fit for the all-important Game Six.
The Lakers felt deflated following Abdul-Jabbar’s injury ahead of their flight to hostile Philadelphia for Game Six. Doctors ruled Abdul-Jabbar, the greatest scorer in NBA history, out of the match to crush the Lakers’ withering morale. Johnson knew he had to make a statement, so he characteristically did - and it was magical.
Each member of the team had their own spot on the plane, with Magic usually sat in row two behind Abdul-Jabbar, whose seat was 1A. Johnson, instead of sitting in his usual spot, sat in Abdul-Jabbar’s seat and turned to face the team: “Have no fear, Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson is here.
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“Im about to show you and everybody on this team what type of game I got.”
Magic led the Lakers to the championship on the back of his 42 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists in a 123-107 win while playing guard, forward and centre at different stages in the match. He became the only rookie to win the NBA Finals MVP award, and the performance has gone down in history as one of the greatest of all-time.
“It’s the greatest performance, as far as I am concerned, in NBA Finals history,” said ESPN’s Michael Wilbon. “I said, ‘This dude Earvin Johnson, he’s going to be the greatest player of all-time’.”
With the historic win, Johnson had become one of only four players to win the NCAA Championship and the NBA title in successive years. There aren’t many words to describe Johnson’s mesmerising rise from Lansing to the bright lights of Los Angeles, but one thing is for sure: he was Magic.
They Call Me Magic debuts on Apple TV+ from April 22nd.
