Magic Johnson (1959- ) was born in Lansing, Michigan, and acquired the nickname Magic after a high school game in which he scored 36 points, grabbed 18 rebounds, and made 16 assists. He helped the Los Angeles Lakers become one of the dominating professional basketball teams of the 1980s.
Earvin Johnson helped lead Michigan State to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament finals in 1979. The team then defeated Indiana State University and its star player, Larry Bird, for the NCAA title. Bird, who later played for the Boston Celtics in the NBA, was considered Johnson's chief on-court rival during the 1980s.
Johnson helped lead the Lakers to five NBA championships (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988). In 1980 Johnson became the first rookie to be named most valuable player (MVP) of the NBA championship finals. He was named NBA championship finals MVP again in 1982 and 1987 and was the NBA's season MVP three times (1987, 1989, 1990). He played in many All-Star games and, at the time of his retirement, held the NBA record for assists, with 9921. (John Stockton broke the record in 1995.) Both Johnson and Bird helped their teams become the dominating teams in the NBA during the 1980s, and both are credited with helping revitalize fan interest in the NBA.
In the fall of 1991 Johnson announced that he had tested positive for the virus that causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), and he retired from basketball.
