text: magic johnson earvin " magic " johnson jr . ( born august 14 , 1959 ) is an american retired professional basketball player who played point guard for the los angeles lakers of the national basketball association ( nba ) for 13 seasons . after winning championships in high school and college , johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 nba draft by the lakers . he won a championship and an nba finals most valuable player award in his rookie season , and won four more championships with the lakers during the 1980s . johnson retired abruptly in 1991 after announcing that he had contracted hiv , but returned to play in the 1992 all - star game , winning the all - star mvp award . after protests from his fellow players , he retired again for four years , but returned in 1996 , at age 36 , to play 32 games for the lakers before retiring for the third and final time . johnson 's career achievements include three nba mvp awards , nine nba finals appearances , twelve all - star games , and ten all - nba first and second team nominations . he led the league in regular - season assists four times , and is the nba 's all - time leader in average assists per game , at 11 . 2 . johnson was a member of the 1992 united states men 's olympic basketball team ( " the dream team " ) , which won the olympic gold medal in 1992 . after leaving the nba in 1992 , johnson formed the magic johnson all - stars , a barnstorming team that travelled around the world playing exhibition games . johnson was honored as one of the 50 greatest players in nba history in 1996 . johnson became a two - time inductee into the basketball hall of fame — being enshrined in 2002 for his individual career , and again in 2010 as a member of the " dream team " . he was rated the greatest nba point guard of all time by espn in 2007 . his friendship and rivalry with boston celtics star larry bird , whom he faced in the 1979 ncaa finals and three nba championship series , are well documented . since his retirement , johnson has been an advocate for hiv / aids prevention and safe sex , as well as an entrepreneur , philanthropist , broadcaster and motivational speaker . his public announcement of his hiv - positive status in 1991 helped dispel the stereotype , still widely held at the time , that hiv was a " gay disease " that heterosexuals need not worry about ; his bravery in making this announcement was widely commended . named by ebony magazine as one of america 's most influential black businessmen in 2009 , johnson has numerous business interests , and was a part - owner of the lakers for several years . johnson also is part of a group of investors that purchased the los angeles dodgers in 2012 and the los angeles sparks in 2014 . amateur career early years earvin johnson jr. was born in lansing , michigan to earvin sr. , a general motors assembly worker , and christine , a school custodian . johnson , who had six siblings , was influenced by his parents ' strong work ethic . johnson 's mother spent many hours after work each night cleaning their home and preparing the next day 's meals , while his father did janitorial work at a used car lot and collected garbage , all while never missing a day at general motors . earvin jr. would often help his father on the garbage route , and he was teased by neighborhood children who called him " garbage man . " johnson grew up in lansing , and came to love basketball as a youngster . his favorite basketball player was bill russell , whom he admired more for his many championships than his athletic ability . he also idolized players such as earl monroe and marques haynes , and practiced " all day . " magic johnson came from an athletic family . his father played high school basketball in his home state of mississippi , and johnson learned the finer points about the game from him . johnson 's mother , originally from north carolina , had also played basketball as a child , and she grew up watching her brothers play the game . by the time he had reached the eighth grade , johnson had begun to think about a future in basketball . he had become a dominant junior high player , once scoring 48 points in a game . johnson looked forward to playing at sexton high school a school with a very successful basketball team and a great tradition that also happened to be only five blocks from his home . his plans underwent a dramatic change when he learned that he would be bused to predominately white everett high school instead of going to sexton , which was predominately black . johnson 's sister pearl and his brother larry had bused to everett the previous year and did not have a pleasant experience . there were incidents of racism , with rocks being thrown at buses carrying black students , and white parents refusing to send their children to school . larry was kicked off the basketball team after a confrontation during practice , prompting him to beg earvin not to play . johnson did join the basketball team but became angry after several days when his new teammates ignored him during practice , not even passing the ball . he nearly got into a fight with another player before head coach george fox intervened . eventually johnson accepted his situation , and the small group of black students looked to him as their leader . when recalling the events in his autobiography , my life , he talked about how his time at everett had changed him : as i look back on it today , i see the whole picture very differently . it 's true that i hated missing out on sexton . and the first few months , i was miserable at everett . but being bused to everett turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened to me . it got me out of my own little world and taught me how to understand white people , how to communicate and deal with them . johnson was first dubbed " magic " as a 15 - year - old sophomore playing for everett high school , when he recorded a triple - double of 36 points , 18 rebounds and 16 assists . after the game , fred jr . , a sports writer for the lansing state journal , gave him the moniker despite the belief of johnson 's mother , a christian , that the name was sacrilegious . in his final high school season , johnson led lansing everett to a 27 – 1 win – loss record while averaging 28 . 8 points and 16 . 8 rebounds per game , and took his team to an overtime victory in the state championship game . johnson dedicated the championship victory to his best friend reggie chastine , who was killed in a car accident the previous summer . he gave chastine much of the credit for his development as a basketball player and as a person , saying years later , " i doubted myself back then . " johnson and chastine were almost always together , playing basketball or riding around in chastine 's car . upon learning of chastine 's death , magic ran from his home , crying uncontrollably . johnson , who finished his high school career with two all - state selections , was considered at the time to be the best high school player ever to come out of michigan and was also named to the 1977 mcdonald 's all - american team . michigan state university although johnson was recruited by several top - ranked colleges such as indiana and ucla , he decided to play close to home . his college decision came down to michigan and michigan state in east lansing . he ultimately decided to attend michigan state when coach jud heathcote told him he could play the point guard position . the talent already on michigan state 's roster also drew him to the program . johnson did not initially aspire to play professionally , focusing instead on his communication studies major and on his desire to become a television commentator . playing with future nba draftees greg kelser , jay vincent and mike brkovich , johnson averaged 17 . 0 points , 7 . 9 rebounds , and 7 . 4 assists per game as a freshman , and led the spartans to a 25 – 5 record , the big ten conference title , and a berth in the 1978 ncaa tournament . the spartans reached the elite eight , but lost narrowly to eventual national champion kentucky . during the 1978 – 79 season , michigan state again qualified for the ncaa tournament , where they advanced to the championship game and faced indiana state , which was led by senior larry bird . in what was the most - watched college basketball game ever , michigan state defeated indiana state 75 – 64 , and johnson was voted most outstanding player of the final four . after two years in college , during which he averaged 17 . 1 points , 7 . 6 rebounds , and 7 . 9 assists per game , johnson entered the 1979 nba draft . after the 1994 – 95 season , heathcote stepped down as coach of the spartans , and on june 8 , 1995 , johnson returned to the breslin center to play in the jud heathcote all - star tribute game . he led all scorers with 39 points . professional career rookie season in the nba ( 1979 – 80 ) johnson was drafted first overall in 1979 by the los angeles lakers . johnson said that what was " most amazing " about joining the lakers was the chance to play alongside kareem abdul - jabbar , the team 's 7 ft 2 in ( 2 . 18 m ) center who became the leading scorer in nba history . despite abdul - jabbar 's dominance , he had failed to win a championship with the lakers , and johnson was expected to help them achieve that goal . johnson averaged 18 . 0 points , 7 . 7 rebounds , and 7 . 3 assists per game for the season , was selected to the nba all - rookie team , and was named an nba all - star game starter . the lakers compiled a 60 – 22 record in the regular season and reached the 1980 nba finals , in which they faced the philadelphia 76ers , who were led by forward julius erving . the lakers took a 3 – 2 lead in the series , but abdul - jabbar , who averaged 33 points a game in the series , sprained his ankle in game 5 and could not play in game 6 . paul westhead decided to start johnson at center in game 6 ; johnson recorded 42 points , 15 rebounds , 7 assists , and 3 steals in a 123 – 107 win , while playing guard , forward , and center at different times during the game . johnson became the only rookie to win the nba finals mvp award , and his clutch performance is still regarded as one of the finest in nba history . he also became one of four players to win ncaa and nba championships in consecutive years . ups and downs ( 1980 – 83 ) early in the 1980 – 81 season , johnson was sidelined after he suffered torn cartilage in his left knee . he missed 45 games , and said that his rehabilitation was the " most down " he had ever felt . johnson returned before the start of the 1981 playoffs , but the lakers ' then - assistant and future head coach pat riley later said johnson 's much - anticipated return made the lakers a " divided team " . the 54 - win lakers faced the 40 – 42 houston rockets in the first round of playoffs , where houston upset the lakers 2 – 1 after johnson a last - second shot in game 3 . in 1981 , after the 1980 – 81 season , johnson signed a 25 - year , $ 25 - million contract with the lakers , which was the highest - paying contract in sports history up to that point . early in the 1981 – 82 season , johnson had a heated dispute with westhead , who johnson said made the lakers " slow " and " predictable " . after johnson demanded to be traded , lakers owner jerry buss fired westhead and replaced him with riley . although johnson denied responsibility for westhead 's firing , he was booed across the league , even by laker fans . however , buss was also unhappy with the lakers offense and had intended on firing westhead days before the westhead – johnson altercation , but assistant gm jerry west and gm bill sharman had convinced buss to delay his decision . despite his off - court troubles , johnson averaged 18 . 6 points , 9 . 6 rebounds , 9 . 5 assists , and a league - high 2 . 7 steals per game , and was voted a member of the all - nba second team . he also joined wilt chamberlain and oscar robertson as the only nba players to tally at least 700 points , 700 rebounds , and 700 assists in the same season . the lakers advanced through the 1982 playoffs and faced philadelphia for the second time in three years in the 1982 nba finals . after a triple - double from johnson in game 6 , the lakers defeated the sixers 4 – 2 , as johnson won his second nba finals mvp award . during the championship series against the sixers , johnson averaged 16 . 2 points on .533 shooting , 10 . 8 rebounds , 8 . 0 assists , and 2 . 5 steals per game . johnson later said that his third season was when the lakers first became a great team , and he credited their success to riley . during the 1982 – 83 nba season , johnson averaged 16 . 8 points , 10 . 5 assists , and 8 . 6 rebounds per game and earned his first all - nba first team nomination . the lakers again reached the finals , and for a third time faced the sixers , who featured center moses malone as well as erving . with johnson 's teammates norm nixon , james worthy and bob mcadoo all hobbled by injuries , the lakers were swept by the sixers , and malone was crowned the finals mvp . in a losing effort against philadelphia , johnson averaged 19 . 0 points on .403 shooting , 12 . 5 assists , and 7 . 8 rebounds per game . battles against the celtics ( 1983 – 87 ) prior to johnson 's fifth season , west — who had become the lakers general manager — traded nixon to free johnson from sharing the ball - handling responsibilities . johnson that season averaged a double - double of 17 . 6 points and 13 . 1 assists , as well as 7 . 3 rebounds per game . the lakers reached the finals for the third year in a row , where johnson 's lakers and bird 's celtics met for the first time in the post - season . the lakers won the first game , and led by two points in game 2 with 18 seconds to go , but after a layup by gerald henderson , johnson failed to get a shot off before the final buzzer sounded , and the lakers lost 124 – 121 in overtime . in game 3 , johnson responded with 21 assists in a 137 – 104 win , but in game 4 , he again made several crucial errors late in the contest . in the final minute of the game , johnson had the ball stolen by celtics center robert parish , and then missed two free throws that could have won the game . the celtics won game 4 in overtime , and the teams split the next two games . in the decisive game 7 in boston , as the lakers trailed by three points in the final minute , opposing point guard dennis johnson stole the ball from johnson , a play that effectively ended the series . friends isiah thomas and mark aguirre consoled him that night , talking until the morning in his boston hotel room amidst fan celebrations on the street . during the finals , johnson averaged 18 . 0 points on .560 shooting , 13 . 6 assists , and 7 . 7 rebounds per game . johnson later described the series as " the one championship we should have had but didn 't get " . in the 1984 – 85 regular season , johnson averaged 18 . 3 points , 12 . 6 assists , and 6 . 2 rebounds per game and led the lakers into the 1985 nba finals , where they faced the celtics again . the series started poorly for the lakers when they allowed an nba finals record 148 points to the celtics in a 34 - point loss in game 1 . however , abdul - jabbar , who was now 38 years old , scored 30 points and grabbed 17 rebounds in game 2 , and his 36 points in a game 5 win were instrumental in establishing a 3 – 2 lead for los angeles . after the lakers defeated the celtics in six games , abdul - jabbar and johnson , who averaged 18 . 3 points on shooting , 14 . 0 assists , and 6 . 8 rebounds per game in the championship series , said the finals win was the highlight of their careers . johnson again averaged a double - double in the 1985 – 86 nba season , with 18 . 8 points , 12 . 6 assists , and 5 . 9 rebounds per game . the lakers advanced to the western conference finals , but were unable to defeat the houston rockets , who advanced to the finals in five games . in the next season , johnson averaged a career - high of 23 . 9 points , as well as 12 . 2 assists and 6 . 3 rebounds per game , and earned his first regular season mvp award . the lakers met the celtics for the third time in the nba finals , and in game 4 johnson hit a last - second hook shot over celtics big men parish and kevin mchale to win the game 107 – 106 . the game - winning shot , which johnson dubbed his " junior , junior , junior sky - hook " , helped los angeles defeat boston in six games . johnson was awarded his third finals mvp title after averaging 26 . 2 points on shooting , 13 . 0 assists , 8 . 0 rebounds , and 2 . 33 steals per game . repeat and falling short ( 1987 – 91 ) before the 1987 – 88 nba season , lakers coach pat riley publicly promised that they would defend the nba title , even though no team had won consecutive titles since the celtics did so in the 1969 nba finals . johnson had another productive season with averages of 19 . 6 points , 11 . 9 assists , and 6 . 2 rebounds per game . in the 1988 playoffs , the lakers survived two 4 – 3 series against the utah jazz and the dallas mavericks to reach the finals and face thomas and the detroit pistons , known as the " bad boys " for their physical style of play . johnson and thomas greeted each other with a kiss on the cheek before the opening tip of game 1 , which they called a display of brotherly love . after the teams split the first six games , lakers forward and finals mvp james worthy had his first career triple - double of 36 points , 16 rebounds , and 10 assists , and led his team to a 108 – 105 win . despite not being named mvp , johnson had a strong championship series , averaging 21 . 1 points on .550 shooting , 13 . 0 assists , and 5 . 7 rebounds per game . it was the fifth and final nba championship of his career . in the 1988 – 89 nba season , johnson 's 22 . 5 points , 12 . 8 assists , and 7 . 9 rebounds per game earned him his second mvp award , and the lakers reached the 1989 nba finals , in which they again faced the pistons . however , after johnson went down with a hamstring injury in game 2 , the lakers were no match for the pistons , who swept them 4 – 0 . playing without abdul - jabbar for the first time , johnson won his third mvp award after a strong 1989 – 90 nba season in which he averaged 22 . 3 points , 11 . 5 assists , and 6 . 6 rebounds per game . however , the lakers bowed out to the phoenix suns in the western conference semifinals , which was the lakers ' earliest playoffs elimination in nine years . mike dunleavy became the lakers ' head coach in 1990 – 91 , when johnson had grown to be the league 's third - oldest point guard . he had become more powerful and stronger than in his earlier years , but was also slower and less nimble . under dunleavy , the offense used more half - court sets , and the team had a renewed emphasis on defense . johnson performed well during the season , with averages of 19 . 4 points , 12 . 5 assists , and 7 . 0 rebounds per game , and the lakers reached the 1991 nba finals . there they faced the chicago bulls , led by shooting guard michael jordan , a five - time scoring champion regarded as the finest player of his era . although the series was portrayed as a matchup between johnson and jordan , bulls forward scottie pippen defended effectively against johnson . despite two triple - doubles from johnson during the series , finals mvp jordan led his team to a 4 – 1 win . in the last championship series of his career , johnson averaged 18 . 6 points on .431 shooting , 12 . 4 assists , and 8 . 0 rebounds per game . hiv announcement and olympics ( 1991 – 92 ) after a physical before the 1991 – 92 nba season , johnson discovered that he had tested positive for hiv . in a press conference held on november 7 , 1991 , johnson made a public announcement that he would retire immediately . he stated that his wife cookie and their unborn child did not have hiv , and that he would dedicate his life to " battle this deadly disease " . johnson initially said that he did not know how he contracted the disease , but later acknowledged that it was through having multiple sexual partners during his playing career . at the time , only a small percentage of hiv - positive american men had contracted it from heterosexual sex , and it was initially rumored that johnson was gay or bisexual , although he denied both . johnson later accused isiah thomas of spreading the rumors , a claim thomas denied . johnson 's hiv announcement became a major news story in the united states , and in 2004 was named as espn 's seventh - most memorable moment of the past 25 years . many articles praised johnson as a hero , and former u.s. president george h. w. bush said , " for me , magic is a hero , a hero for anyone who loves sports . " despite his retirement , johnson was voted by fans as a starter for the 1992 nba all - star game at orlando arena , although his former teammates byron scott and a. c. green said that johnson should not play , and several nba players , including utah jazz forward karl malone , argued that they would be at risk of contamination if johnson suffered an open wound while on court . johnson led the west to a 153 – 113 win and was crowned all - star mvp after recording 25 points , 9 assists , and 5 rebounds . the game ended after he made a last - minute three - pointer , and players from both teams ran onto the court to congratulate johnson . johnson was chosen to compete in the 1992 summer olympics for the us basketball team , dubbed the " dream team " because of the nba stars on the roster . the dream team , which along with johnson included fellow hall of famers such as michael jordan , charles barkley , and larry bird , was considered unbeatable . the dream team dominated the competition , winning the gold medal with an 8 – 0 record , beating their opponents by an average of 43 . 8 points per game . johnson averaged 8 . 0 points per game during the olympics , and his 5 . 5 assists per game was second on the team . johnson played infrequently because of knee problems , but he received standing ovations from the crowd , and used the opportunity to inspire hiv - positive people . post - olympics and later life before the 1992 – 93 nba season , johnson announced his intention to stage an nba comeback . after practicing and playing in several pre - season games , he returned to retirement before the start of the regular season , citing controversy over his return sparked by opposition from several active players . in an august , 2011 interview johnson said that in retrospect , he wished that he had never retired after being diagnosed with hiv , saying , " if i knew what i know now , i wouldn 't have retired . " johnson said that despite the physical , highly competitive practices and scrimmages leading up to the 1992 olympics , some of those same teammates still expressed concerns about his return to the nba . he said that he retired because he " didn 't want to hurt the game . " during his retirement , johnson has written a book on safe sex , run several businesses , worked for nbc as a commentator , and toured asia , australia and new zealand with a basketball team of former college and nba players . in 1985 , johnson created " a midsummer night 's magic " , a yearly charity event which included a celebrity basketball game and a black tie dinner . the proceeds went to the united negro college fund , and johnson held this event for twenty years , ending in 2005 . " a midsummer night 's magic " eventually came under the umbrella of the magic johnson foundation , which he founded in 1991 . the 1992 event , which was the first one held after johnson 's appearance in the 1992 olympics , raised over $ 1 . 3 million for . magic johnson joined shaquille o 'neal and celebrity coach spike lee to lead the blue team to a 147 – 132 victory over the white team , which was coached by arsenio hall . return to the lakers as coach and player ( 1994 , 1996 ) johnson returned to the nba as coach of the lakers near the end of the 1993 – 94 nba season , replacing randy pfund , and bill , who served as an interim coach for two games . johnson , who took the job at the urging of owner jerry buss , admitted " i 've always had the desire ( to coach ) in the back of my mind . " he insisted that his health was not an issue , while downplaying questions about returning as a player , saying , " i 'm retired . let 's leave it at that . " amid speculation from general manager jerry west that he may only coach until the end of the season , johnson took over a team that had a 28 – 38 record , and won his first game as head coach , a 110 – 101 victory over the milwaukee bucks . he was coaching a team that had five of his former teammates on the roster : vlade divac , elden campbell , tony smith , kurt rambis , james worthy , who would retire after the season , and michael cooper , who was brought in as an assistant . johnson , who still had a guaranteed player contract that would pay him $ 14 . 6 million during the 1994 – 95 nba season , signed a separate contract to coach the team that had no compensation . the lakers played well initially , winning five of their first six games under johnson , but after losing the next five games , johnson announced that he was resigning as coach after the season . the lakers finished the season on a ten - game losing streak , and johnson 's final record as a head coach was 5 – 11 . stating that it was never his dream to coach , he chose instead to purchase a 5 % share of the team in june 1994 . at the age of 36 , johnson attempted another comeback as a player when he re - joined the lakers during the 1995 – 96 nba season . during his retirement , johnson began intense workouts to help his fight against hiv , raising his bench press from 135 to 300 pounds , and increasing his weight to 255 pounds . he officially returned to the team on january 29 , 1996 , and played his first game the following day against the golden state warriors . coming off the bench , johnson had 19 points , 8 rebounds , and 10 assists to help the lakers to a 128 – 118 victory . on february 14 , johnson recorded the final triple - double of his career , when he scored 15 points , along with 10 rebounds and 13 assists in a victory against the atlanta hawks . playing power forward , he averaged 14 . 6 points , 6 . 9 assists , and 5 . 7 rebounds per game in 32 games , and finished tied for 12th place with charles barkley in voting for the mvp award . the lakers had a record of 22 – 10 in the games johnson played , and he considered his final comeback " a success . " while johnson played well in 1996 , there were struggles both on and off the court . cedric ceballos , upset over a reduction in his playing time after johnson 's arrival , left the team for several days . he missed two games and was stripped of his title as team captain . nick van exel received a seven - game suspension for bumping referee ron garretson during a game on april 9 . johnson was publicly critical of van exel , saying his actions were " inexcusable . " ironically johnson was himself suspended five days later , when he bumped referee scott foster , missing three games . he also missed several games due to a calf injury . despite these difficulties , the lakers finished with a record of 53 – 29 and fourth seed in the nba playoffs . although they were facing the defending nba champion houston rockets , the lakers had home court advantage in the five - game series . the lakers played poorly in a game 1 loss , prompting johnson to express frustration with his role in coach del harris ' offense . johnson led the way to a game 2 victory with 26 points , but averaged only 7 . 5 points per game for the remainder of the series , which the rockets won three games to one . after the lakers lost to the houston rockets in the first round of the playoffs , johnson initially expressed a desire to return to the team for the 1996 – 97 nba season , but he also talked about joining another team as a free agent , hoping to see more playing time at point guard instead of power forward . a few days later johnson changed his mind and retired permanently , saying , " i am going out on my terms , something i couldn 't say when i aborted a comeback in 1992 . " magic johnson all - stars determined to play competitive basketball despite being out of the nba , johnson formed the magic johnson all - stars , a barnstorming team composed of former nba and college players . in 1994 johnson joined with former pros reggie , john long , earl cureton , and lester conner , as his team played games in australia , israel , south america , europe , new zealand , and japan . they also toured the united states , playing five games against teams from the cba . in the final game of the cba series , magic johnson had 30 points , 17 rebounds , and 13 assists , leading the all - stars to a 126 – 121 victory over the oklahoma city cavalry . by the time he returned to the lakers in 1996 , the magic johnson all - stars had amassed a record of 55 – 0 , and johnson was earning as much as $ 365 , 000 per game . johnson played with the team frequently over the next several years , with possibly the most memorable game occurring in november , 2001 . magic , at the age of 42 , played with the all - stars against his alma mater , michigan state . although he played in a celebrity game to honor coach jud in 1995 , this was johnson 's first meaningful game played in his hometown of lansing in 22 years . playing in front of a sold out arena , johnson had a triple - double and played the entire game , but his all - star team lost to the spartans by two points . johnson 's half court shot at the buzzer would have won the game , but it fell short . on november 1 , 2002 johnson returned to play a second exhibition game against michigan state . playing with the canberra cannons of australia 's national basketball league instead of his usual group of players , johnson 's team defeated the spartans 104 – 85 , as he scored 12 points , with 10 assists and 10 rebounds . brief period in scandinavia in 1999 , johnson joined the swedish squad m7 borås ( now known as ' borås basket ' ) , and was undefeated in five games with the team . johnson also became a co - owner of the club ; however , the project failed after one season and the club was forced into reconstruction . he later joined the danish team the great danes . off the court personal life johnson first fathered a son in 1981 , when andre johnson was born to melissa mitchell . although andre was raised by his mother , he visited johnson each summer , and as of october 2005 was working for magic johnson enterprises as a marketing director . in 1991 , johnson married " cookie " kelly in a small wedding in lansing which included guests thomas , aguirre , and herb williams . johnson and cookie have one son , earvin iii ( ej ) , who is openly gay and a star on the reality show rich kids of beverly hills . the couple adopted a daughter , elisa , in 1995 . johnson resides in dana point , california . johnson is a christian and has said his faith is " the most important thing " in his life . in 2010 , magic johnson and current and former nba players such as lebron james , dwyane wade , and bill russell , as well as maya moore from the wnba , played a basketball game with president barack obama as an exhibition for a group of military troops who had been injured in action . the game was played at a gym inside fort mcnair , and reporters covering the president were not allowed to enter . the basketball game was part of festivities organized to celebrate obama 's 49th birthday . media figure and business interests in 1998 , johnson hosted a late night talk show on the fox network called the magic hour , but the show was canceled after two months because of low ratings . shortly after the cancellation of his talk show , magic johnson started a record label . the label , initially called magic 32 records , was renamed magic johnson music when johnson signed a joint venture with mca in 2000 . magic johnson music signed r & b artist avant as its first act . johnson also co - promoted janet jackson 's velvet rope tour through his company . he has also worked as a motivational speaker , and was an nba commentator for turner network television for seven years , before becoming a studio analyst for espn 's nba countdown in 2008 . johnson runs magic johnson enterprises , a conglomerate company that has a net worth of $ 700 million ; its subsidiaries include magic johnson productions , a promotional company ; magic johnson theaters , a nationwide chain of movie theaters ; and magic johnson entertainment , a film studio . in addition to these business ventures , johnson has also created the magic card , a pre - paid mastercard aimed at helping low - income people save money and participate in electronic commerce . in 2006 , johnson created a contract food service with sodexo usa called sodexo - magic . in 2004 , johnson and his partner ken lombard , sold magic johnson theaters to loews entertainment in 2004 . the first magic johnson theater located in the baldwin hills crenshaw plaza , closed in 2010 and re - opened in 2011 as rave cinema 15 . johnson began thinking of life after basketball while still playing with the lakers . he wondered why so many athletes had failed at business , and sought advice . during his seventh season in the nba , he had a meeting with michael ovitz , ceo of creative artists agency . ovitz encouraged him to start reading business magazines and to use every connection available to him . johnson learned everything he could about business , often meeting with corporate executives during road trips . johnson 's first foray into business , a high - end sporting goods store named magic 32 , failed after only one year , costing him $ 200 , 000 . the experience taught him to listen to his customers and find out what products they wanted . johnson has become a leading voice on how to invest in urban communities , creating redevelopment opportunities in underserved areas , most notably through his movie theaters and his partnership with starbucks . he went to starbucks ceo howard schultz with the idea that he could successfully open the coffee shops in urban areas . after showing schultz the tremendous buying power of minorities , johnson was able to purchase 125 starbucks stores , which reported higher than average per capita sales . the partnership , called urban coffee opportunities , placed starbucks in locations such as detroit , washington , d.c. , harlem , and the crenshaw district of los angeles . johnson sold his remaining interest in the stores back to the company in 2010 , ending a successful twelve - year partnership . johnson has also invested in urban california real estate and financial service companies catering to america 's underserved markets via his canyon - johnson and yucaipa - johnson funds . another major project is with chicago - based aon corp. , an insurance services company is designed to promote minority businesses . in 1994 , johnson became a minority owner of the lakers , having reportedly paid more than $ 10 million for part ownership . he also held the title of team vice president . johnson sold his ownership stake in the lakers in october 2010 to patrick soon - shiong , a los angeles surgeon and professor at ucla , but continued as an unpaid vice president for the team . in the wake of the donald sterling controversy , limited media reports indicated that johnson had expressed an interest in purchasing the los angeles clippers franchise . in 2015 , johnson completed its planned acquisition for a " majority , controlling interest " in life insurance company , which manages $ 14 . 5 billion in annuities , life insurance and other financial products . los angeles dodgers in january 2012 , johnson joined with guggenheim partners and stan kasten in a bid for ownership of the los angeles dodgers baseball team . in march 2012 , johnson 's ownership group was announced as the winner of the proceedings to buy the dodgers . the johnson - led group , which also includes movie executive peter guber , paid $ 2 billion for the dodgers , the largest amount paid for a professional sports team . while magic johnson is considered the leader of the ownership group , the controlling owner is mark walter , chief executive officer for guggenheim partners . peter guber , who is co - owner of the golden state warriors , owns a small stake in the dodgers along with johnson . johnson and guber are also partners in the dayton dragons , a minor league baseball team that has sold out 844 consecutive games , a record for professional sports . los angeles sparks together with guggenheim , johnson was also involved in the february 2014 purchase of the los angeles sparks team in the wnba . as such , in 2014 johnson was named one of 's impact 25 . los angeles football club johnson announced his co - ownership of a future major league soccer expansion franchise based in los angeles on october 30 , 2014 . the temporary name is los angeles football club while the ownership group explores a permanent name . politics johnson is a supporter of the democratic party — in 2006 , he publicly endorsed phil for governor of california , in 2007 he supported hillary clinton in her presidential campaign , and in 2010 he endorsed barbara boxer in her race for re - election to the us senate . in 2012 , he endorsed barack obama for president . he endorsed and appeared in campaign ads for unsuccessful los angeles mayoral candidate wendy in 2013 . in 2015 , he once again endorsed hillary clinton in her second presidential campaign . hiv activism after announcing his infection in november 1991 , johnson created the magic johnson foundation to help combat hiv , although he later diversified the foundation to include other charitable goals . in 1992 , he joined the national commission on aids , a committee appointed by members of congress and the bush administration . johnson left after eight months , saying that the white house had " utterly ignored " the work of the panel , and had opposed the commission 's recommendations , which included universal healthcare and the expansion of medicaid to cover all low - income people with aids . he was also the main speaker for the united nations ( un ) world aids day conference in 1999 , and has served as a united nations messenger of peace . hiv had been associated with drug addicts and homosexuals , but johnson 's campaigns sought to show that the risk of infection was not limited to those groups . johnson stated that his aim was to " help educate all people about what [ hiv ] is about " and teach others not to " discriminate against people who have hiv and aids " . johnson was later criticized by the aids community for his decreased involvement in publicizing the spread of the disease . to prevent his hiv infection from progressing to aids , johnson takes a daily combination of drugs . he has advertised glaxosmithkline 's drugs , and partnered with abbott laboratories to publicize the fight against aids in african american communities . career achievements in 905 nba games , johnson tallied 17 , 707 points , 6 , 559 rebounds , and 10 , 141 assists , translating to career averages of 19 . 5 points , 7 . 2 rebounds , and 11 . 2 assists per game , the highest assists per game average in nba history . johnson shares the single - game playoff record for assists ( 24 ) , holds the finals record for assists in a game ( 21 ) , and has the most playoff assists ( 2 , 346 ) . he is the only player to average 12 assists in an nba finals series , achieving it six times . he holds the all - star game single - game record for assists ( 22 ) , and the all - star game record for career assists ( 127 ) . johnson introduced a fast - paced style of basketball called " showtime " , described as a mix of " no - look passes off the fastbreak , pin - point alley - oops from halfcourt , spinning feeds and overhand bullets under the basket through triple teams . " fellow lakers guard michael cooper said , " there have been times when [ johnson ] has thrown passes and i wasn 't sure where he was going . then one of our guys catches the ball and scores , and i run back up the floor convinced that he must 've thrown it through somebody . " johnson could dominate a game without scoring , running the offense and distributing the ball with flair . in the 1982 nba finals , he was named the finals mvp averaging just 16 . 2 points , the lowest average of any finals mvp award recipient in the three - point shot era . johnson was exceptional because he played point guard despite being 6 ft 9 in ( 2 . 06 m ) , a size reserved normally for frontcourt players . he combined the size of a power forward , the one - on - one skills of a swingman , and the ball handling talent of a guard , making him one of the most dangerous triple - double threats of all time ; his 138 triple - double games are second only to oscar robertson 's 181 . johnson is the only player in nba finals history to have triple - doubles in multiple series - clinching games . for his feats , johnson was voted as one of the 50 greatest players of all time by the nba in 1996 , and was inducted into the naismith memorial basketball hall of fame in 2002 . espn 's sportscentury ranked johnson # 17 in their " 50 greatest athletes of the 20th century " in 2006 , espn.com rated johnson the greatest point guard of all time , stating , " it could be argued that he 's the one player in nba history who was better than michael jordan . " several of his achievements in individual games have also been named among the top moments in the nba . rivalry with larry bird johnson and larry bird were first linked as rivals after johnson 's michigan state squad defeated bird 's indiana state team in the 1979 ncaa finals . the rivalry continued in the nba , and reached its climax when boston and los angeles met in three out of four nba finals from 1984 to 1987 . johnson asserted that for him , the 82 - game regular season was composed of 80 normal games , and two lakers – celtics games . similarly , bird admitted that johnson 's daily box score was the first thing he checked in the morning . several journalists hypothesized that the johnson – bird rivalry was so appealing because it represented many other contrasts , such as the clash between the lakers and celtics , between hollywood flashiness ( " showtime " ) and boston / indiana blue collar grit ( " celtic pride " ) , and between blacks and whites . the rivalry was also significant because it drew national attention to the faltering nba . prior to johnson and bird 's arrival , the nba had gone through a decade of declining interest and low tv ratings . with the two future hall of famers , the league won a whole generation of new fans , drawing both traditionalist adherents of bird 's dirt court indiana game and those appreciative of johnson 's public park flair . according to sports journalist larry schwartz of espn , johnson and bird saved the nba from bankruptcy . despite their on - court rivalry , johnson and bird became close friends during the filming of a 1984 converse shoe advertisement that depicted them as enemies . johnson appeared at bird 's retirement ceremony in 1992 , and described bird as a " friend forever " ; during johnson 's hall of fame ceremony , bird formally inducted his old rival . relationship with jerry buss magic johnson had an extremely close relationship with lakers owner jerry buss , whom he saw as a mentor and a father figure . calling buss his " second father " and " one of [ his ] best friends " , johnson spent five hours visiting buss at the hospital just a few months before his death from cancer . speaking to media just hours after buss had died , johnson was emotional , saying , " without dr. jerry buss , there is no magic . " buss acquired the team from jack kent cooke in 1979 , shortly before he drafted johnson with the # 1 pick in the 1979 nba draft . in addition to playing 13 seasons for the lakers and coaching the team briefly in 1994 , johnson also had an ownership stake in the team for nearly twenty years . buss took a special interest in johnson , introducing him to important los angeles business contacts and showing him how the lakers organization was run , before eventually selling johnson a stake in the team in 1994 . johnson credits buss with giving him the business knowledge that enabled him to become part owner of the los angeles dodgers . buss supported johnson as he revealed his diagnosis of hiv in 1991 , and he never hesitated to keep johnson close to the organization , bringing him in as part - owner , and even as a coach . johnson had never seriously considered coaching , but he agreed take the head coaching position with the lakers in 1994 at buss ' request . in 1992 , buss had given johnson a contract that paid him $ 14 million a year , as payback for all the years he was not the league 's highest paid player . although johnson 's retirement prior to the 1992 – 93 nba season voided this contract , buss insisted that he still be paid . it was this arrangement that allowed johnson to coach the team without receiving any additional salary . after johnson ended his coaching stint , buss sold him a 4 % stake in the lakers for $ 10 million , and johnson served as a team executive . nba career statistics regular season playoffs books biographies johnson 's autobiography is johnson , earvin ( 1992 ) . magic johnson : my life . random house . isbn 0 - 449 - - 3 . other biographies include : haskins , james ( 1981 ) . magic : a biography of earvin johnson . hillside , new jersey : publishers . isbn 0 - - 044 - 7 . gutman , bill ( 1991 ) . magic : more than a legend . new york : harper paperbacks . isbn 0 - 06 - - 8 . morgan , bill ( 1991 ) . the magic : earvin johnson . isbn 0 - 606 - - 6 . gutman , bill ( 1992 ) . magic johnson : hero on and off the court . brookfield , connecticut : millbrook press . isbn 1 - - 287 - 5 . johnson , rick l. ( 1992 ) . magic johnson : basketball 's smiling superstar . new york : dillon press . isbn 0 - - 553 - 3 . , laurie ( 1993 ) . magic johnson : basketball immortal . vero beach , florida : rourke enterprises . isbn 0 - - 025 - 7 . , martin ( 1993 ) . magic johnson ( junior world biographies ) . new york : chelsea juniors . isbn 0 - - 2038 - x. bork , günter ( 1994 ) . die basketball stars . - verl . isbn 3 - 7679 - - 5 . ( german ) frank , steven ( 1994 ) . magic johnson ( basketball legends ) . new york : chelsea house publishers . isbn 0 - - - x. bork , günter ( 1995 ) . basketball : . - verl . isbn 3 - 7679 - - x. ( german ) blatt , howard ( 1996 ) . magic ! against the odds . new york : pocket books . isbn 0 - 671 - - 1 . rosner , mark ( 1999 ) . michael maccambridge , ed . earvin " magic " johnson : the star of showtime . new york : hyperion espn books. pp. 251 – 52 . ( in espn sportscentury ) gottfried , ted ( 2001 ) . earvin magic johnson : champion and crusader . new york : f. watts . isbn 0 - 531 - - 1 . instructional johnson , earvin " magic " ( 1992 ) . magic 's touch : from fundamentals to fast break with one of basketball 's all - time greats . reading , massachusetts : addison - wesley pub . co . isbn 0 - 201 - - 5 . johnson , earvin " magic " ( 1996 ) . what you can do to avoid aids . new york : times books . isbn 0 - 8129 - - x. updated version of johnson , earvin " magic " ( 1992 ) . unsafe sex in the age of aids . new york : times books . isbn 0 - 8129 - 2063 - 5 .