Magic Johnson Biography

The American professional basketball player Earvin “Magic” Johnson Jr. was born in 1959 in Lansing, Michigan. Johnson grew up in a family big on a strong work ethic – his father worked in the automotive industry and his mother as a custodian in one of the local schools. As a child, Earvin became enamored with basketball, and by the time he was in high school, he’d earned the nickname “Magic” for his talents on the court.

Magic Johnson left high school as one of the best high school basketball players in the state. He then attended Michigan State, but while he played basketball for the university, he at the time had his professional sights on a future in sports commentary. But after majoring in Communication Studies, Johnson ultimately accepted an offer to play for the Los Angeles Lakers in 1979. Johnson went on to play point guard for the Lakers for thirteen seasons. But it was a shocking revelation in the early 1990’s which ended his career as a basketball player and launched a different kind of career for him.

Magic Johnson’s revelation that he was HIV positive in 1991 came at a time when the disease was little understood and much feared. Although he would go on to play in the 1992 United States men’s Olympic basketball team, earning a gold medal, and playing a number of exhibition games, from the mid 1990’s onward Magic stayed largely off the court.

Instead, Magic Johnson became one of the era’s most respected and recognizable advocates for HIV/AIDS prevention and education. Today Johnson is considered by many to be among the world’s most influential black entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and speakers. Since the late 1990’s, Johnson has hosted his own late night talk show, launched his own record label, and alongside other investors purchased the Los Angeles Sparks and the Los Angeles Dodgers. He has also authored three books, one of whish is his autobiography, titled simply: Magic Johnson: My Life.