Magic Johnson was a prominent figure in the “Lakers” era of the 1980s, and he played an important role in the rise of the NBA. However, he returned to the league in 1996 after a brief retirement, and it was a different experience overall.
Johnson won the NBA Finals with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988. Some of his key teammates during these championship runs included Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, and Michael Cooper.
In 1991, following an NBA Finals loss to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, Johnson was diagnosed with HIV, prompting his first retirement. He returned in 1995 after a brief stint as Lakers coach.
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In his second game back, Magic Johnson faced the eventual champion Chicago Bulls and experienced his second “Welcome to the League” moment against a Jordan-led team.
#advanceampads0# #advanceampads1#Magic teammates that season included Vlade Divac, Nick Van Exel and Eddie Jones. They had a respectable season together, going 53-29.
Magic also revealed that Jordan gave him tough career advice.
#advanceampads2# #advanceampads3#Magic retired after that season, and the Lakers were eliminated in the first round by the Houston Rockets.
For Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson is the best point guard
While Jordan’s words may sound strong, it’s worth noting that during his retirement, Jordan always had a deep respect for Magic Johnson.
In August, Stephen A. Smith revealed that Jordan personally conveyed to him that Magic holds the title of the greatest point guard of all time.
#advanceampads4#Jordan’s alleged message to Smith included acknowledging that Curry is “by far the best shooter.”
Despite this, Jordan emphasized that Magic was the pioneer of the triple-double. He highlighted Magic’s impressive accomplishment of winning five NBA championships, one more than Stephen Curry.
#advanceampads5# #advanceampads6#Johnson was selected to the All-Star team 12 times and to the All-NBA team 10 times. He also won three MVP titles and played a key role in leading the Lakers to five NBA championships in the 1980s.