Earvin Johnson Junior, a basketball legend and well-known point guard, is most known by his moniker “Magic,” which he received from a sportswriter in high school who was obviously impressed by his skill. Johnson continued his basketball career by competing in college and entering the 1979 NBA Draft, when the Los Angeles Lakers selected him. With the Lakers, he took home three NBA MVP awards and five championships. The former Laker and US Men’s Basketball Olympian has retired from professional sports and has been living with HIV since his diagnosis about 33 years ago. US President George H.W.
At the time, US President George H.W. Bush declared, “For me, Magic is a hero, a hero for anyone who loves sports.”
In the inaugural installment of her Olympian-themed series Influential, novelist and special correspondent Katty Kay had a conversation and a little one-on-one game with Magic Johnson. The two talked about Johnson’s family, businesses, health, and bedtime, as well as some unforgettable Olympic events. Kay’s casual, unstructured approach revealed a variety of aspects of the professional athlete recognized for his brilliant smile.
When Johnson talks to Kay about being hand-picked by NBA commissioner David Stern for the 1992 US Olympic squad, he still beams.
