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Magic Johnson

From "june Bug" To "magic"



Earvin Johnson Jr. was born on August 14, 1959 in Lansing, Michigan, the middle of seven children. His father, Earvin Sr. worked on an assembly line at General

Earvin "Magic" Johnson

Motors and held a second job hauling garbage; his mother Christine worked as a janitor and cafeteria worker at a local school while taking primary responsibility for rearing the children. Johnson was expected to adopt the same tireless work ethic as his parents. "'You want five dollars Junior?'" his father would ask, as Johnson recalled in his autobiography. "'Here, take the lawn mower. There's a lot of grass in this town, and I bet you could earn that money real quick.'" When Earvin Sr. did relax, he often did so by watching basketball and critiquing the players' moves. Johnson took keen note and then hit all the courts in the neighborhood to try out what he learned. This is when his older neighbors began to call him "June Bug." All the practice paid off, and by the time he joined the team at Lansing Everett high school he was clearly destined for greatness. It was during his sensational freshman year where, in one game, he scored thirty-six points and grabbed eighteen rebounds, that Fred Stabley, Jr., a sportswriter for the Lansing State Journal decided the rising star needed a nickname. Reasoning that "Dr. J" and "Big E" were already taken, he opted for "Magic." Johnson recalls that, while the nickname gave opposing teams, and their fans, additional heckling fodder, this only fueled his drive. "The name became a challenge, and I love challenges," Johnson recalled. "The signs and the slogans only served to fire me up." Johnson was named an All-State player three times and, during his senior year, led his team to the state championship.



Chronology

1959 Born August 14 in Lansing, Michigan
1973 Begins freshman year at Lansing Everett High School; named starter on basketball team and given nickname "Magic"
1975 Leads team to Class A tournament quarterfinals, named to All-State Squad
1976 Leads team to Class A semifinals, again named All-State
1977 Leads team to Class A championship, named All-State for third time, enters Michigan State University on basketball scholarship
1978 Leads MSU Spartans to Big Ten championship
1979 Leads Spartan to NCAA championship, named tournament MVP, sets new school record for season assists, begins rivalry with Larry Bird
1979 Foregoes remainder of college career to turn pro, drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round
1980 Proves instrumental in Lakers' NBA tournament win, named championship series MVP
1981 Son Andre is born on February 20
1987 Named league MVP
1988 Leads Lakers to yet another NBA championship, the first time a team wins two in a row since the Boston Celtics in 1969
1991 Marries Earleatha "Cookie" Kelly in September
1991 On November 7, publicly announces that he has been diagnosed with HIV and will retire from the NBA
1991 Named to President Bush's National AIDS Commission on November 15
1992 Johnson's Number 32 is retired by the Los Angeles Lakers
1992 Wins Olympic gold medal as member of U.S. "Dream Team"
1992 Son Earvin III is born on June 4
1992 Resigns from National AIDS Commission, citing the government's lack of genuine interest in fighting the disease
1992 Joins NBA All-Star team despite his retirement and named game MVP
1992 Aborts NBA comeback after several players express fear of catching HIV from contact with Johnson
1993 Founds Johnson Development Corporation
1993-94 Becomes Lakers head coach for 15 games at end of season
1994 Becomes minority owner of Los Angeles Lakers
1995 Adopts daughter Elisa
1996 Announces on January 29 that he will return to play for the Lakers
1996 Retires on his "own terms" on May 14
1997 Founds Magic Johnson Entertainment
1998 Hosts talk show, which is canceled after two months
2002 Named to Basketball Hall of Fame

Additional topics

Famous Sports StarsBasketballMagic Johnson Biography - From "june Bug" To "magic", Chronology, Taking Off, Awards And Accomplishments - CONTACT INFORMATION