Were British Guys Impressed by Magic Johnson (FIRST TIME REACTION)
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- čas přidán 8. 06. 2024
- Basketball / NBA Reaction video, with British Guys reacting to NBA Legend, Magic Johnson! Where did Brits rank Magic in this Magic Johnson Reaction Video. This shocked us so much, and includes one of, if not, the most insane shot I’ve EVER seen on the court!
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Y’all should react to LeBron James best passes, he doesn’t do the no look as often but his IQ is unmatched, he even knows the other teams plays before the opponent even does. Great reaction though guys, Magic is one of a kind, a shame he retired early
Magic being HIV positive in the early 90s in the US was probably one of the first "big stars" anyone knew that had it. Back then, getting HIV was basically a death sentence, but luckily for the world, Magic is still with us and is actually still very heavily involved in sports! He's a part owner of the Dodgers, the LA Sparks, LAFC, and recently the Washington Commanders. He's an amazing person, and a fantastic basketball icon.
It’s because he’s rich enough to buy a cure for aids that’s why
@@israymervalentin-arias6313we've basically already cured it with PrEP, mate. Also about 10% of people who are HIV positive just never develop AIDS.
@@israymervalentin-arias6313Dude, that man did more for victims of HIV and AIDS than you can ever imagine. Before him lots just thought it was a gay thing. Many learned from him. Yes he was rich and got healthy, but he took a stigma away and help so many in need.
@@israymervalentin-arias6313 Stop trolling and get a life.
@@israymervalentin-arias6313 He's never even had AIDS. It literally takes like 1 minute to google the difference between HIV and AIDS.
To clarify, Magic only played Center in the 1980 finals, he was a PG his entire career.
Righto ..He came to the rescue in one huge game.
Actually, which i know this is crazy. He was drafted as a SG and played his first 4 seasons as such.
@@isaaclipkins4847 It seemed like he was a point but you might be right. They had Norm Nixon and he wasn't big. Maybe Magic switched to being a 6'9" point guard after Byron Scott came over .
@@markdraine3571 precisely
@@markdraine3571 I’m sure magic still ran the offense even at the SG position though & i think that’s where the misconception comes in.
Magic is widely considered the greatest point guard of all time and is in a lot of people's top 5 all time
I hope you guys do a video on Magic and Bird's rivalry as it's a very important part of basketball history
And also he had aids that’s also a reason he’s top 5 maybe even the best of all time
@@israymervalentin-arias6313He ain’t the best of all time bro. I still got him top 5 though.
This idiot @@israymervalentin-arias6313 is just trolling all the comments. Get a life.
Appreciate the comment, thanks for the suggestion too, will make sure we’ve got this one noted down 🙏
Can’t get a response without talking about Bird. But when you go to the Bird videos you guys aren’t bringing up Magic’s name.
Magic retired relatively early. He's unquestionably top 10 and many have him top 5
Totally agree. Also, IMO, the goat conversations are/should be more era based its to many guys who were the man in their era for it to only be one for the entire history of the NBA.
He retired early because he got aids let’s give them the truth. He survived aids because he’s rich and went on to make hundreds of millions of dollars outside of basketball.
Saying he retired early really doesn't tell the story. He was essentially forced out of basketball in his prime because he contracted HIV and other players flat out stated they wouldn't play against him. The league made a decision and magic "retired." This was back when HIV was still largely unknown and it was considered a death sentence.
@@eva11883 yes, all of those factors made him retire. That still means he retired relatively early.
Thanks for the info in this comments thread. Hadn’t realised that the League had forced him out due to the unknowns at the time. Appreciate the context all 🙏
Magic's career was cut short, after only 11 seasons. He was diagnosed with HIV in 1991. He was forced to retire immediately. He did attempt a comeback, that was rather short-lived.
Bird and Magic played against each other in the 1979 NCAA National Championship Game. They both entered the draft the next season. Magic only played 2 seasons of college ball.
One of my favorite details about Magic's career: In a span of four years he won a high school state championship, a college national championship and an NBA league championship. Pretty sure nobody's ever done that.
Also, I believe that buzzer-beater against the Nuggets -- not a winner, only at the end of a quarter -- was at the time the longest made shot in NBA history. Could be wrong about that but I'm almost positive I read that somewhere.
He also played 13 seasons, 1 season he was injured and didn't play a lot, his last season he retired (again), but he went to the NBA Finals 9 of the 11 full seasons he played winning 5 titles. The only rookie to ever win NBA Finals MVP (even though it should have gone to Kareem).
Can definitely tell that you guys enjoyed this video. I lived in LA during Magic's career and I am actually just a two years younger than Magic. So I was playing basketball everyday in recreation leagues across the city. Everybody was trying to emulate Magic and his game. Back then you would see Laker players at the market, or cinema and at the airport since NBA player flew on commercial flights.
The popularity of the NBA exploded during this period of the "ShowTime" Lakers and their rivalry with the Larry Bird led Boston Celtics. (Again, this period coincided with the emergence of the first cable TV stations in America ~1980-81.) Laker games were full of Hollywood stars, famous musicians, politicians, NFL and MLB stars, all there to see Magic, Kareem and the Lakers. Magic was a showman, an entertainer there not simply to win a basketball game, but to put on a show. (cheapest Laker tickets were $17 and were impossible to get) I used to listen to the game on the radio, and the Showtime Lakers would often have teams blown out in the 2nd quarter and certainly by halftime. We got so used to winning by huge margins against all but the best teams. As evidenced by Magic playing in the NBA finals 9 times in his 13 year career. (Wining 5 championships.) Games against teams like Denver, Utah, Phoenix, Sacramento, Golden State, Atlanta, New Jersey, New York, etc.. were just automatic wins. lol... Sorry, but those teams stood no chance against the Lakers. They owned the western conference of the NBA. They were the most dominate team before Michael Jordan and the Bull came and completely took over the NBA.
The only reason Magic isn't in the GOAT conversation today is because he played before many of today's fans were born. And of course, before the advent of social media. However, that notwithstanding, his places among NBA greats, or even more broadly, among great American athletes is secure. 🏀
Great comment Rich, loved reading this! Sets the whole scene perfectly 🙏
Two things: 1) Magic only stood in for Kareem - it was brief - it wasn't a position change so those hi-lights at the beginning of the vid are from his career overall. 2) Magic isn't normally included in GOAT convos because those convos usually only focus on the TOP SCORERS of their day. Had Magic been on a lesser team or had he been supremely selfish, he could have EASILY been up there with the likes of Jordan, Chamberlain, Kareem, Bird, etc. It's my litmus test for who is a basketball "normie" and a who is a real basketball fan. The real ones always mention him in the GOAT convo.
But this is kind of a "normie" comment tbh. Magic is one of the most recognized NBA stars ever, still to this day. He's unanimously top 10 all time, and oftentimes in people's top 5.
So if u don’t mention him in the GOAT conversation you aren’t a real basketball fan? Lmfao gtfo
Magic was also considered a neutral to slightly negative defender his entire career. All of the players included in those GOAT discussions could absolutely lock down a player when they really focused, and their off the charts basketball IQ translated better to defense relative to magic.
5:55 he may not crack a lot of top 3's but he is unarguably top 10, and is regarded as the greatest point guard of all time (altough steph is starting to come up in this convo)
Now that you've seen Magic and Larry, you owe it to yourself to track down Courtship of Rivals, a tremendous documentary HBO did about 10 years ago. Goes deep into their respective careers and friendship. I doubt my sister has ever watched a full basketball game in her life and she absolutely loved it.
Hey, guys, the move to center was in the championship against Philadelphia his rookie year when Kareem got hurt the previous game and couldn't play. He was a point guard with great and versatile skills.
Hey, thank you so much for the comment and context around this. Got it 🙏
Magic Johnson all time greats of the NBA 3 MVP'S 3 Finals MVP'S 5 NBA Championships 12 all Stars selections and won the National Championship in 1979 with Michigan State Spartans beating Larry Bird and Indiana State!
Magic is definitely in my Top 5. Amazing. I know how lucky I am to be in the generation that was able to watch him play even in college. The Celtics/Lakers rivalry is unsurpassed in entertainment and intensity.
The move to center was temporary. Just a few games, I think. While he was a very good scorer, he was known more for being a great playmaker and passer.
Correct. I think it was just for game 7 of the Finals.
Thanks Kent, appreciate the info 🙏
@@HarveyWallbangers2
game 6 only. the lakers won it in 6 games in Philly. THAT'S when he was 20, his rookie year.
For people of my generation, Magic’s HIV announcement was one of those moments where you remember where you were when you heard the news. It was that huge.
There’s a 30 for 30 on the Magic-Bird rivalry that was quite excellent, starting with when they faced off with each other in college for the national championship. I recommend it for your Patreon series.
This is facts. I was in high school and the principal got on the PA and _stopped classes_ so everybody could watch the announcement. Suffice it to say, many wells dried up that day, LOL
While he’s never been called The Goat, he is easily considered Top 10, and many list him in the Top 5.
magic was my favorite when i was a little kid. He is maybe the greatest true PG the game has ever seen. You can look at all of his stats, and even though many are impressive. To me the most impressive thing he ever did was after he was diagnosed with HIV he was forced to take 4 years off till the world actually understood what it was. So at 36 he came back, played half a season none at his natural position. Played a different style of ball and avg 14.5,6,7 at age 36 playing out of position. He isn't mentioned in the GOAT category because he and Bird Shared the game at the time. Both are mentioned around the 4 or 5 range. Magic was known to not be a great shooter. But shot just well enough you had to respect it. Also at 6'9" he was always out of position. He was just different. Changed the game, the documentary with bird vs magic is great.
Magic is consistently ranked top 5
Usually btwn 3 and 5
If the HIV diagnosis didnt come through he probably could have played a few more years and gotten even more considerations as the GOAT
A great reaction shortly after White Chocolate. So many of those streetball moves after this era were trying to emulate the Showtime Lakers and Magic! And trying to stop a guy his size with someone giving up 5 inches and 50 pounds was borderline impossible.
Thank you so much, we really appreciate the comment 🙏
You guys should check out Clayton Crowleys “making the case” videos! It will give you a better understanding on all time great nba players🔥
great video series, watched them all, many times.
A guy built like a power forward playing point guard and was one of the all-time greats at the position
Magic is in the GOAT conversation. Not as as often as others because his career was much shorter, but Larry Bird and he were considered neck and neck in terms of talent. He also may not have been as committed to defense as the other candidates, which could explain why he isn't as popular a pick as he used to be. But he's definitely one of the most impactful players of all time as far as the offense goes.
The 1st time I ever saw my brother cry was when Magic announced his retirement. My brother was and still is the biggest Magic fan. It's not until I got a little older that I recognized the fear that was mixed in those tears, as our next door neighbor didn't die of the flu. Our neighborhood lost 3 people to AIDS by the time Magic announced he was HIV positive. You were scared that Magic would be gone in 6-12 months. Magic playing in the All-Star game is such a historical achievement.
Magic was a POINT guard which is like a football quarterback in that they run the offense and distribute the ball to the scorers, usually the SHOOTING guard (Michael Jordan, etc), the SMALL forward (Larry Bird, etc) or the Center (Shaquille O'Neil, etc). When the Center got hurt (Kareem), Magic TEMPORARILY played Center to fill the void. He could play all 5 positions if he wanted to: center, power & small forward, shooting & point guard.
Unrelated to basketball, but one of my earliest memories of Magic Johnson was in a live action Mario Bros show, where Magic showed Mario and Luigi how to do magic and led to shenigans.
Magic and Bird were SO much fun to watch. Because they were such TEAM players. Lebron has captured some of that, Jordan not so much, Kobe not so much. Magic helped bring HIV to the minds of people who didn't consider it anything related to their own lives. He was the first famous person to survive AIDS, too, I believe. A great inspiration to many.
The AIDS story was media hoopla.
Finally watching Magic Johnson!! It's hard to put into words how big of an icon Magic Johnson is in LA. He even had his own talk show in the 90s called The Magic Hour 😂😂
I went to Everett High School with Magic (although we called him Earvin) and Michigan State University. I played pickup ball with him, some of the best times of my life. Every game he played in had moments like these, and he was always doing something you had never seen before. It all just flowed from him naturally. He thought that fast, saw the court that much, and had that much flair.
He was that genuine and that joyful. I was working in a restaurant after his first season in the pros and he stopped by at about 2:00 in the afternoon. There was no one else in the place and I sat down and talked with him for a half hour. He was truly amazed that this all had happened to him, especially him winning the MVP of the championship series. He just kept shaking his head and laughing, and saying how incredible it was. He was truly humble in the best sense, which is one of the reasons everyone liked him.
You don't hear about him in the GOAT conversations because:
He was never a scoring champion, he always led the league in assists. Beyond that, he did things that you don't keep statistics of. What statistic is there for rebounding; then dribbling the length of the court spinning around defenders, leaving them swatting at thin air and faked out of their shoes; then scoring with incredible moves or assisting with amazing passes, all decided in a split second?
He retired at 32 in 1992 with 5 NBA championships, an NCAA College championship, and a High School state championship. Think what it would be like if he played with Kobe and Shaq from 1996 on. He would have 3 more championships at least. His career was over way too soon because of HIV. As he said, "I truly lived the bachelor life and it caught up with me." You can see with his fame and his personality how women would swoon over him. I saw that in High School. He had slept with dozens of girls by the time he left college. He finally said he was tired of the bachelor life and wanted a family and finally settled down. He married his college sweetheart about a half year before he was diagnosed with HIV.
Finally, he is and was a genuinely nice guy and never bragged about being the GOAT. He knew that you can't compare different players from different eras and that Greatest Of All Time is meaningless.
Larry and Magic will eternally be intertwined with each other. They had the greatest rivalry of all time. You really need to check out the documentary on both of them. One of the greatest documentaries of all time.
To anyone that hasn't hopped on the Patreon of DN, it's the first one I've ever subscribed to and it's worth it. Just a shout out as the in-depth stuff like movies and series I hadn't even watched yet (like Quarterback) have been taking up my time for the last week. I feel like I'm watching all this stuff with my friends, and I can't say that about any other YT/Patreon I've ever subbed to. Anyway, Magic could score if he wanted but almost always chose not to in order to make the most preposterously awesome passes in NBA history to his teammates. Cheers fellas!
Those were random highlights before the part where they said he was twenty years old.
Magic was mainly an assist man. He didn’t even have a jump shot. He developed a three point shot. It was more of a shot put, but effective. A joy to watch. And to have him on the Lakers was the perfect match. He made everyone better.
It was so shocking when he announced he had HIV and was retiring. He played the all star game and returned the next season.
I think I was in the 7th grade when Magic revealed he had HIV. I cried for hours because back in those days, we were used to people dying weeks after revealing their diagnosis.
Magic, Larry Bird and Jordan are the 3 most people talk about. Making basketball as popular as it became. 80s basketball was a great era
I've always heard how great he was my whole life, but I never actually watched a highlight video like this. Better late than never
1980 NBA Finals performance was legendary and was against the Philadelphia 76ers and thier Superstar Julius Ewing Dr.J the ABA and NBA Legend!
If I were to have any players from any era on my team, my first pick would always be Erving Magic Johnson. Dude was a 6'9" point guard who played all 5 positions & played the positions like an all-star.
Ok so to answer the center vs PG question y'all had. In the 1980 NBA finals (his rookie year), Kareem got hurt when they were one victory away from winning it all.
The uniqueness of magic is that the league had never seen a PG that big before. It was actually a little controversial to have a 6'9 guard at the time.
In the final game of the finals (IN HIS ROOKIE YEAR) magic started at Center and proceeded to play all 5 positions throughout the course of the game in-route to his first ring.
Magic is not typically a top 3 player, but he is just barely under that. He and Bird are usually in the middle of top 10 lists. He is also considered the greatest PG ever by most. The usual names that come up in that conversation are Isiah Thomas, Oscar Robertson, John Stockton, and now Stephen Curry.
What's remarkable about this is that all of his accomplishments (except the gold medal, I believe) were achieved by the age of 31 due to his HIV retirement. For comparison, Curry is currently 35. He did have a brief comeback season at 36 during 1996, but it wasn't particularly exceptional, aside from witnessing a legend's return. Also, if he had played another season in 1997, we would've seen probably the craziest trio on paper. Shaq, Magic, and Kobe.
Magic filled in for the great Kareem at center, as a rookie, in the NBA FINALS. Legendary player. Him and Larry Bird saved the NBA from collapse. Showtime baby 💛💜
The whole "collapse" thing was a media exaggeration.
@@areguapirinot really. The NBA was in a really bad place in the 70s. NBA Finals games were on tape delay (couldn't even watch them live) because they weren't getting enough viewers. The league was not popular, teams were struggling financially, players salaries were low, gameplay was bland (not much flashy play, slow paced, almost every team played through the post), and the league had an image problem with so many players getting into trouble with drugs, especially cocaine. Magic and Bird were the exact type of stars the NBA needed: flashy, perimeter oriented players who were humble, hard working, and likeable. They cleaned up the NBA's image, sped up the pace of the game, weren't afraid to be flashy, and led the two most iconic franchises in the league back to prominence, forming the greatest rivalry the NBA has ever seen. Interest in the NBA skyrocketed during the 80s and its largely thanks to Magic and Bird (MJ coming 4 years later was also massively important)
Magic is regarded by most people as the greatest point guard and greatest passer to ever play the game
im so happy you guys chose this video to watch its one of the best intros to magic johnson ive seen!
What we've learned is the NBA in the 80s and 90s was FUN!
Magic is one of the most universally beloved athletes in the country. Was a great player and definitely a class act.
He’s a genuinely good human being
Thanks, definitely got these vibes
You should watch the ESPN 30 for 30 series "Celtics vs Lakers", one of my favorite films/movie series ever. It's the way sports is supposed to be. Two parties who love to win and hate to lose and have a fierce rivalry, but with ultimate respect. Magic is top 5 all time for me without question
His 100% mentioned in the GOAT conversation. His the greatest point guard ever, coming from a Steph fan. Magic is one of the all time greats
Magic was my first favorite player. He was in everyone’s top 3 for a couple decades. In the 80’s it was Kareem, Magic, and Larry. Then in the 90’s the big 3 were Magic, Larry, and Michael. Kareem is always up there but it’s hard to compare big centers with guards because their roles and skill sets are so different. Centers should be their own category. Magic and Larry only recently got pushed out of the top 3 non centers, to make room for LeBron and Kobe. But I think they’re still top 5. Magic doesn’t necessarily get the credit he deserves simply because he didn’t focus on scoring like Jordan and Kobe did. He was all about using the whole team as a weapon and his job was to create for his teammates. But you saw what he could do, when he decided to score himself. Scoring probably gets too much glory, but if Magic focused on scoring himself a little more, and was a little more selfish, he’d probably be considered the GOAT by a lot more people. But I personally, think it takes a better player to score through setting up his teammates. On a good, well balanced team, it’s more unstoppable than one guy taking all the shots and ultimately puts more points on the board. He’s pretty much unanimously considered the greatest PG of all time, and greatest passer, by a wide margin. Magic certainly had GOAT game. And now that you’ve seen how Magic and Michael play, you can better understand how LeBron is like a combination of those two.
Kobe is way behind Magic.
Grew up a Laker fan because I grew up in SoCal. I went to the Forum to see the Lakers and Magic play. Those were fun days for us fans.
If you want to see passing, watch Larry Bird’s passing highlights!! Even Magic tipped his hat to Larry at Larry’s retirement! They both loved the game and gave it all!!
It was very exciting to live in SoCal during the Showtime Era. And it all hinged on Magic.
Magic and Larry played in their last college game for the NCAA championship which Magic won then played in 3 finals with Magic winning 2. Best rivalry in basketball history.
Magic is actually like my favorite 80s NBA player of all time, so I got excited when I got this notification. But in the future y’all have to do Allen Iverson, my favorite NBA player of all time, Ja Morant, and Zion Williamson.
Appreciate the suggestions, thank you 🙏
Thank, fellas. Sometimes us old heads forget just how good Magic was.
I was one of the people that watched that ‘center’ game. For context, that was a rookie changing positions in the potential championship-deciding game, replacing one of the greatest centers in NBA history.
And to give you an idea of how the NBA has grown, that Finals game was shown on tape delay!
Love your channel mates!
I've been a Lakers fan since 1972 as a 10-year-old in Los Angeles. Magic never took the "me" attitude as Jordan, Dominique, or the other individual star players did. He relished helping the team be the best they could be by feeding them the ball as a point guard should do.
I remember back in the 80s going to The Forum in LA when you could score PLAYOFF tickets just prior to the game for under $50 at a time. We just waited until after tip-off time when the prices would just drop like the stock market. I remember scoring seats just behind the Lakers' goal in the first half. IT WAS AWESOME! Watching Magic leading the fast break toward the basket. You could feel the thunder coming down the floor as they approached the basket. I saw Magic's eyes surveying the court. Worthy on the right wing, and Byron Scott on the left...Magic fed the ball to B and I could see B's eyes just light up when he got the ball and then slammed it home for a score.
Amazing experience!
This is awesome, love this! Thanks for this comment 🙏
Magic was silky smooth, he made it look effortless
Had Magics career not been cut short by HIV, he would make a lot more top 3 lists. He had just started perfecting the baby hook (his take on Kareems sky hook), and still had good years left.
He only isnt on those lists because he didnt have to always be in the shoot first mode; he was the best passer in the game, and could get the ball to anyone anywhere at any time.
Magic’s career was cut short to the HIV virus. Was in the NBA for 12 yrs. Played 11 of them. Was in the Championship game for 9 of them & won 5 of them. Insane!!! Greatest point guard ever and can definitely be in the G.O.A.T. conversation.
The Lakers vs Celtics rivalry in the 80s was and still is the greatest rivalry in the nba history with Magic and Bird being at the center of it all. Magic himself stated that every year there were 80 normal games and 2 Lakers-Celtics games. It was perfect not only because they had previously met in the national championship in college but they perfectly represented the teams and cities that they played for. Magic can be comparable Ronaldinho in the sense that he always was smiling and had the personality that made him impossible not to like, unless you were a Boston Celtics player or fan. His flashy play style and dazzling passes truly represented the glitz and glamour of Los Angeles and Hollywood. He wanted to win but also have fun and excite the crowd while doing it. It's how his Lakers team got the nickname "Showtime." Bird, on the other hand, was the complete opposite of Magic. He had a hard-nosed personality and his game was all about grit and determination. He worked hard and never showed any emotions until he won. He didn't care about looking good on the court, only in winning. His personality and game perfectly embodied the gritty toughness and the blue collar vibe in Boston and defence-first play style of the Celtics. It was because of this difference in character and approach to the game between the Magic and Bird, their two teams, and LA and Boston that made the lead up to the meetings seem like there was nothing else going on in the country and especially in the two cities. The games themselves were very heated and often filled with hard fouls and fights but it also helped form the mutual respect between Magic and Bird and led to them becoming very close friends.
Likely this has been suggested before but if not you guys should watch "Magic & Bird: A Courtship of Rivals" documentary. Make sure you get an uncut version. You'll learn a lot about them and the NBA at that time.
Really enjoy your reactions. Cheers!
Thank you so much, we really appreciate that. Love that you’re enjoying the videos. Appreciate the suggestion too, will make sure it’s on the list if it isn’t already
In Magic’s rookie season Kareem got injured during the finals and Magic replaced him at center to go on and win the championship…as a rookie. Then he went back to playing point guard. Pretty much everyone has either Magic or Curry as their top point guard ever
6 foot 9 and the best point guard on the planet in his day, good luck guarding that. He was a straight up cheat code.
You guys need to check out a guy named Mason Plumlee, plays currently and has the exact style as Magic played with. incredible.
love this comment, there are similarities.
Lmao
lol no LOL
Ummm...what?🤣
HOW HAVE YOU NOT WATCHED THE MAGIC BIRD DOCUMENTARY!!!!? Greatest sports doc EVVVVVVVER!
Every year since my niece was born, I go on social media and wish Magic a Happy Birthday, then my niece. Seven years straight.
Wow. I'm literally wearing a Majic Johnson T-shirt right now. Legend. And i'm not even a Laker fan. Pure greatness.
This is awesome!
My favorite athlete of all time. For me he's only behind MJ. played 12 full seasons. Made the playoffs every time. Made the finals 9 times. Won 5 championships. He definitely is in the conversation
Magic is in almost everyone's top 5 and is widely considered the greatest PG to ever play. He was a true general on the court and could have easily scored in the 30 ppg range but was his best at getting others involved. He was perfect at managing the egos of those Showtime Lakers. He was also really good at stealing the ball and was able to guard any position. He wasn't a defensive stalwart but he was very capable on that side. If Kobe looked up to Jordan then Magic is who Jordan looked up to and used as a barometer of greatness. Magic was probably the biggest positional mismatch of all time, as PG's tend to be 6'3 or shorter (there are exceptions of course).
I grew up watching the SHOWTIME-era Los Angeles Lakers with my Dad, so to me, Magic is the best. And by default, the legendary Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics was the perpetual villain of the story. To learn how these two players literally saved the NBA from it's demise, I recommend watching the documentary "Magic & Bird: A Courtship of Rivals".
Magic is generally regarded as the Point Guard GOAT and a top 5-7 player ever.
A few more Johnsons worth checking out:
-Calvin Johnson (NFL Wide Receiver)
-Gus Johnson (broadcaster)
-Jimmie Johnson (NASCAR)
-Keyshaun Johnson (NFL WR)
If you haven’t stopped for a moment and let this sink in….you should.
As a 20 year old rookie Point Guard he started Game 6 of the Finals at Center, (replacing the most dominating player the game had seen to that point arguably). Played every position on the way to scoring 42, grabbed 15rebounds, 7 assists….to win the Title
Magic retired at age 32 and only played 12 seasons and went to 9 finals. His last season he was 2nd in MVP voting and led his team to the finals. He had a lot of basketball left in him. With his game he could've easily played until 40.
5× NBA champion (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987-1988)
3× NBA Finals MVP (1980, 1982, 1987)
3× NBA Most Valuable Player (1987, 1989-1990)
12x NBA All-Star (1980, 1982-1992)
2× NBA All-Star Game MVP (1990, 1992)
9× All-NBA First Team (1983-1991)
AIl-NBA Second Team (1982)
NBA All-Rookie First Team (1980)
4× NBA assists leader (1983-1984, 1986-1987)
2× NBA steals leader (1981-1982)
All time NBA assist per game leader
Retired as all time assist and steals leader
🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐
Congrats on 29k! 30k here we go boys!!!
Thank you Mike!! Not long now 😀
Magic was less a scoring star than some others, but he was real point guard that really *ran* the team, colorfully, spectacularly, entertaininly, and as effectively as anyone ever. Most of the other top players are scoring players.
He's one of the reasons the '92 Dream Team really doesn't compare to any others - they had Magic, AND a pack of hall of fame scorers. Magic + Bird would have been a team for the ages. But they also had Jordan (another GOAT contender).
Lastly, Magic loved the game in a way that really showed all the time, and that was apparent to everyone, and it was infectious.
He’s the greatest point guard of all time. He holds the highest career assists per game average of any player. His assists went up! In the playoffs when the Lakers played the best teams.
That’s how good he was.
Love the channel…you guys should react to the series “Winning Time” , it’s a dramatized version of the Lakers dynasty and it’ll give you a different look into the whole process. It’s an AWESOME SHOW ! HBO
Thank you so much, we really appreciate it! 🙏 Appreciate the suggestion too, thank you!
Has a statue where he went to college, Michigan State University. He won the 1979 college championship against the Larry Bird lead Indiana State and they they had an intense rivalry until they were teammates on the 1992 Olympic gold medal team.
Magic vs Bird a courtship of Rivals.. you have to watch this documentary. Break it up to 3 or 4 vids.. but it's a MUST WATCH THE ABSOLUTE LEGENDARY RIVALRY, that is UNMATCHED IN ALL OF SPORTS!
Point Guard is generally the smallest player on the floor. Center is the largest player on the floor. Magic dominated at Point Guard his entire career. He moved from point guard to center for the NBA Finals and dominated there too.
He's ALWAYS mentioned in the GOAT conversation 😃 You've gotta just listen in I suppose. (Coming from a biased L.A. native that worked for the Lakers when he played. Fun job.).
You know I just assumed that everyone knew about Magic. You need to watch the Magic and Bird series....they are literally the saviors of the sport and to me it was the golden age of the game. Sure we got some massively amazing players since then, but the game was a bit more physical and I think that it was a bit more even and the rivalries are unmatched.
So glad you guys are reacting to Magic Johnson! Magic and the Showtime Lakers are why I became a Lakers fan after we moved to the U.S. even though I grew up in the Bay Area/Northern California (definitely a rivalry between Northern and Southern California). I still remember reading the newspaper about his HIV diagnosis... devastating, though he's still doing well today.
Great video gents! I do appreciate you both, and your reaction. In my opinion, Magic is one of nine players currently in the Goat debate, and he is in my personal top 10. I do not know if youtube will delete my comment if I post links, but 2 videos that will give you more insight to Magic's game are: 1986-87 GOAT season by Maxamillian 711, and Magic Johnson's Greatest Peak video by Thinking Basketball. I have seen other comments on it, but HBO's A Courtship of Rivals is phenomenal as well.
Thank you so much, we really appreciate that. Thanks for the suggestions too 🙏
Bird and Magic: A Courtship of Rivals is a great one to react to.
My favorite player ever!!! You guys need to watch Bird vs magic "a courtship of rivals" best sports doc ever!!!
Many people don’t consider him the GOAT because Jordan dethroned he and Larry bird but Magic and Bird literally saved the NBA in the 90s at that time almost every team was losing money
Magic v Larry.
Greatest
Rivalry
Ever
Started in college. The 1979 national championship is still the most watched college basketball game of all time.
The 80s "Showtime" Lakers played an exciting style of ball that doesn't exist anymore ... fast break basketball. After they got a defensive rebound, everybody would take off in full sprint down the court. Magic would lead the fast break making a perfectly timed, or no look pass. He could do this blindfolded, knowing where everyone was on the court. Magic's greatness was that he made his teammates better. He got them the ball leading to easy buckets. Like a great quarterback he saw openings on the court that no one else could see.
Him and Larry bird are the reason the nba is still on today. Back in the 80s there were a lot of drugs and just not so great characters in the nba so viewership was declining. But bird and magics rivalry which started in college captivated so many, then battling each other in the final’s multiple times as the two best nba franchises. Adding to the history or the already legendary rivalry (Boston vs LA)
Magic was the 1st hybrid. A 6'9" point guard. At the time 6'1"or 2 was the norm.
He's one of the greatest. Him x Larry saved the NBA.
The Showtime Lakers were unbelievably good, with 3 of the top 50 greatest players ever - Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and James Worthy. 80's were when I started getting into basketball, so of course I instantly became a Lakers fan. Love Magic, but Worthy is my all time favorite player, with the quickest first step ever, his highlights are well worth a look, too.
Straight up amazing
Great fun. Magic Johnson. There are fine comments here that rightly reflect the high regard in which Magic is held. One thing I’ll add is about the Olympics “Dream Team”. Magic and (especially) Bird weren’t at the top of their games at that point in their careers , while Jordan was, well, Jordan. Thing was: Jordan was disinclined to play at the Olympics. Magic and Bird were instrumental in Jordan’s change of heart and willingness to play. In turn, the Dream Team (Charles Barkley was a hoot) did much to promote basketball internationally. Magic Johnson and Larry Bird have done much for basketball that doesn’t show up on personal stat sheets. Yet neither seems to care much about “who’s The GOAT”; each respects players and the game across many decades and into today. Thanks for posting your enjoyable reaction.
Thank you so much, really appreciate that. Love the comment and context, thanks 🙏
The year Magic went from guard to center was his rookie year. It was only for that game to cover for the injured Kareem.
9:03 Magic and Bird used their passing ability to move defenders around the court to create an advantage, similar to how a chess master forces his opponent to make bad moves.
Best nba mixtape on youtube
My favorite player of all-time.
You going to love this video.