When all the Christmas tales are written, when the supply of television and newspaper words is exhausted, when the prose ends and the soundtracks get hoarse, the descendants will still sit around the fire of the sports chronicle and tell each other stories about the hero of this article. About an athlete who always played with self-forgetfulness and youthful fervor. It's about Johnson Magic. This article will present his brief biography.
Childhood
Johnson Magic has been lighting the basketball court with his immediate and wide smile since childhood. It looked as if he himself had invented this expressive movement of the muscles of the face. The boy played selflessly, and it seemed that this was the only thing he wanted to do in life.
Magic intentionally got up early and ran to the basketball court to practice. Neighbors considered him a little crazy and nicknamed the boy a May bug. And all because, when they were going to work at half past seven in the morning, he was already "jumping" at the site.
First victories
Such zeal soon bore fruit. Thanks to Magic, his school team won the state championship. It was in the season 1976-1977. “Spartans” - that was the name of the university team of Michigan, which led to the victory of Magic Johnson. The basketball player dominated throughout the match. Prior to this, the “Spartans” could not win the championship in the “Big Ten” for almost twenty years. Then Johnson led them to the final of the NCAA. Perhaps this was not a battle between Michigan and Indiana, but two basketball players - Byrd and Magic. The first scored 19 points, and the second - 24, leading his team to victory.
Play style
By the way, Johnson Magic developed his style precisely in the university years. He clearly assessed the prospects of all his partners during the game. Passes were distributed to them, like dishes by a waiter. And Magic always did this in different ways, so that the enemy could not predict his actions. Moreover, the ball always turned out to be a teammate, miraculously bypassing the opponent’s hands. Michigan coach Jad Hitcote encouraged Magic in such a game. It doesn’t matter how the ball was passed - over the head or from behind. The main thing is the result.
From center to defense
Magic Johnson seemed to reinvent himself in the Michigan team. Initially, he was the center - the largest player (208 centimeters). But then the athlete began to do things unusual for the quarterback - to go on the defensive and give a pass. And he did this not on his own whim. So the team needed to win. And the coach fully supported him.
Going to the Lakers
In 1979, the Los Angeles Lakers team got the first choice in the NBA draft through an exchange with Utah Jazz. And she took to her a former Michigan player with a “high-octane engine” and great talent. The Lakers leadership was confident that Johnson Magic would lead them to the championship.
Agitated deer
At the training camp, teammates looked at the newcomer with curiosity. He ran around the site like a worried deer. It was this nickname that he was given - Buck. Johnson simply electrified the whole team, passing out passes, throwing balls and endowing the audience with a smile worthy of a movie star. And it worked! Magic Johnson led the Lakers to victory in the 1979/1980 NBA Championship.
Charisma Carrier
In addition to skill, the athlete brought something else important to basketball. Achievements of numerous NBA stars and so impressed. The league lacked charisma. Undoubtedly, the players were professionals, but their faces resembled the stone statues of the presidents on Mount Rushmore. And then Johnson appeared, enjoying the attention of the press and illuminating everyone around him with his unique smile. Journalists loved him very much.
Disease
In 1991, Magic Johnson, whose biography was presented above, participated in a press conference convened by the Lakers. Hundreds of journalists came to her, and the basketball player told them shocking news. An athlete was found to have HIV in his blood. At the same time, Magic did not become discouraged. He stated that, despite the ailment, he intends to live happily. And as if in confirmation of his words, Johnson flashed a signature broad smile.
The disease deprived him of the opportunity to play in the NBA. But Johnson Magic periodically took part in exhibition games. Three months after the press conference, the basketball player was invited to the "Match of the Stars." There Johnson scored the winning goal. And then there was Barcelona, where the athlete was released as a member of the Dream Team.