
Earvin "Magic" Johnson - Los Angeles, CA
Posted by:
Gryffindor3
N 34° 02.618 W 118° 15.948
11S E 383162 N 3767716
Quick Description: Welcoming fans to the Staples Center, a bronze statue of Earvin "Magic" Johnson shows him in his Laker uniform.
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 3/11/2009 8:01:12 PM
Waymark Code: WM60GM
Views: 0
Long Description:According to Wikipedia "Earvin 'Magic' Johnson, Jr. (born August
14, 1959) is a retired American professional basketball point guard
who played for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball
Association (NBA). After winning a championship at both the high
school and college level, Johnson was selected first overall in the
1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers. He won a championship and an Bill
Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award (his first of three)
in his rookie season, and the Lakers won five championships during
the 1980s. Johnson retired abruptly in 1991 after announcing that
he had HIV, but returned to win the MVP of the 1992 All-Star Game.
After protests from his fellow players, he retired again for four
years, but returned in 1996 to play 32 games for the Lakers before
retiring for the third and final time.
Johnson's career achievements include three NBA MVP Awards, nine
NBA Finals appearances, 12 All-Star games, and 10 All-NBA First and
Second Teams nominations. He led the league in regular-season
assists four times, and is the NBA's all-time leader in assists per
game with an average of 11.2. Johnson was also a member of the
'Dream Team', the U.S. basketball team that won the Olympic gold
medal in 1992.
Johnson was honored as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA
History in 1996, and enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in
2002. He was also rated the greatest NBA point guard of all time by
ESPN in 2007. His friendship and rivalry with Boston Celtics star
Larry Bird, based on regular games at championship level between
the Lakers and Celtics, were well-documented. Since his retirement
he has been an advocate for HIV/AIDS prevention and safe sex, as
well as a philanthropist."