Johnson, Magic

Johnson, Magic
orig. Earvin Johnson, Jr.

born Aug. 14, 1959, Lansing, Mich., U.S.

U.S. basketball player.

He led Michigan State University to the collegiate championship in 1979 and led the NBA Los Angeles Lakers to five championships in the 1980s. Standing 6 ft 9 in. (2.06 m) tall, he was exceptionally tall for a point guard and was able to use his size to rebound and score inside. However, he was best known for his creative passing and expert floor leadership. He was named Most Valuable Player three times (1987, 1989, 1990). He retired after being diagnosed with HIV in 1991, though he returned to the Lakers for brief stints as a player and as a coach.

* * *

▪ American basketball player
byname of  Earvin Johnson, Jr.  
born Aug. 14, 1959, Lansing, Mich., U.S.
 
 American basketball player who led the National Basketball Association (NBA) Los Angeles Lakers to five championships.

      The son of an auto worker, Johnson earned his nickname “Magic” for his creative and entertaining ball handling. He was an intense competitor. He led his high school team to a state championship in 1977, Michigan State University to the National Collegiate Athletic Association championship in 1979—handing Larry Bird (Bird, Larry) and Indiana State its only defeat of that season—and the U.S. team to a basketball gold medal at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.

 Johnson achieved his greatest success in the professional ranks, where he guided the Lakers to NBA championships in 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1988. He was named the NBA's Most Valuable Player in 1987, 1989, and 1990. He played point guard and brought new versatility to that position. At 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m), he was a dangerous scorer from anywhere on the court and a capable rebounder, averaging 19.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per game over his 13-year career. However, he was best-known for innovative no-look and bounce passes and a knack of making big plays in the clutch.

      The battles for league supremacy between Johnson's Lakers and Bird's Boston Celtics spurred a new era of fan interest and NBA prosperity. At the time of his initial retirement due to HIV infection in 1991, Johnson was the NBA's all-time leader in assists (9,921; broken in 1995 by John Stockton). Later he served briefly as head coach of the Lakers (1994), and he returned as a player for a portion of the 1995–96 season. After his retirement from basketball, Johnson became an extremely successful entrepreneur—with estimated holdings of approximately $800 million as of 2008—and an HIV/AIDS activist. In 1996 the NBA named him one of the 50 greatest players of all time. He was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • JOHNSON (MAGIC) — JOHNSON EARVIN dit MAGIC (1959 ) Le basketteur américain «Magic» Johnson remporte cinq titres de la National Basketball Association (N.B.A.), avec les Los Angeles Lakers, équipe au sein de laquelle il forme un duo redoutable avec Kareem Abdul… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Johnson, Magic — orig. Earvin Johnson, Jr. (n. 14 ago. 1959, Lansing, Mich., EE.UU.). Basquetbolista estadounidense. En 1979 condujo al quinteto de la Universidad del estado de Michigan al título nacional universitario, y en la década de 1980 condujo a Los… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Johnson, Magic —  (1959–) Basketball player; his real name is Earvin Johnson Jr …   Bryson’s dictionary for writers and editors

  • Johnson — Johnson, Andrew Johnson, Eyvind Johnson, Lyndon Baines Johnson, Philip Johnson, Samuel * * * (as used in expressions) . Marguerite Johnson Bunche, Ralph (Johnson) Field, Stephen J(ohnson) Heade, Martin Johnson Johnson …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Magic Johnson — Earvin Johnson redirects here. For the NBA center, see Ervin Johnson. Earvin Magic Johnson No. 32 …   Wikipedia

  • Magic Johnson — Spielerinformationen Voller Name Earvin Johnson Jr …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Magic Johnson — Earvin Johnson Datos personales …   Wikipedia Español

  • Magic Johnson — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Johnson. Magic Johnson …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Johnson — /jon seuhn/; for 3 also Sw. /yoon sawn/, n. 1. Andrew, 1808 75, seventeenth president of the U.S. 1865 69. 2. Charles Spurgeon /sperr jeuhn/, 1893 1956, U.S. educator and sociologist. 3. Eyvind /ay vin/, 1900 76, Swedish writer: Nobel prize 1974 …   Universalium

  • Magic Johnson Theatres — are a chain of movie theaters, originally developed in 1994 by Johnson Development Corporation, the business holding of basketball player turned entrepreneur Magic Johnson, and Sony Pictures Entertainment through a partnership with Sony Loews… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”