Magic Johnson's Success Never Took His Heart Far Away

In the basketball world, there is but one "Magic" -- and it's not Harry Houdini. Houdini made magic his career. Earvin Johnson made it his brand.

EAST LANSING, MI—In the basketball world, there is but one "Magic" -- and it's not Harry Houdini. Houdini made magic his career. Earvin Johnson made it his brand.

Yesterday was the anniversary of his first NBA Finals appearance. Los Angeles and the NBA still envision Magic Johnson in the purple and gold. But back home in Lansing, Michigan, the folks remember Johnson wearing the green and white of Michigan State and the NCAA championship he won there.

Magic would go on to play in 50 NBA Finals games. An amazing accomplishment for a simple, humble man from Lansing. So being back in his hometown is refreshing for him. Magic can once again become Earvin. Spartan Nation asked him about what coming home. "It is the greatest," Johnson said, "because from elementary school, to Main Street School to Dwight Rich Junior High to Lansing Everett High School, I was with Dale, one of my best friends, we talk all the time, me from LA and he is from here in Lansing. I get to see my parents and my brothers and sisters. Nobody calls me Magic. The guys call me, "E," so it is nice to be E again."

Magic continued, "Everybody who knew me as Earvin, and of course Fred Stabley giving me the nickname, "Magic," I will always be Earvin here. Big Fella, Big E as they used to call me Everett and just being E is fantastic. We've been laughing at breakfast for like three hours this morning, and it has just been so much fun."

• Johnson won the 1976 Michigan High School Athletic Association state championship with Lansing Everett High School.
• Johnson won the 1979 NCAA Championship against Larry Bird in the highest-rated televised game in NCAA basketball history.
• Johnson played in the NBA Finals nine times.
• Johnson won five NBA Championships with the LA Lakers in 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1988.
• Johnson won three NBA MVP Awards.
• Johnson played in 11 NBA All-Star games.
• Johnson is the NBA all-time leader in average assists per game, at 11.2.
• Johnson won the gold medal for Team USA, the Dream Team, in the 1992 Olympics.

The Magic legend started long before that first NBA Finals appearance. There were no national television cameras or bright lights when he was getting up at four in the morning to shovel the snow in his driveway so he could shoot baskets before his father made him go pick up trash with him.

Earvin paid the price when no one was looking, so when they were looking, and he stepped on that Salt Lake City college court with Larry Bird, he would be ready.

"Going on that run allowed Michigan State basketball to be where it is today," Johnson said. "Going on that run allowed this little kid from Lansing, Michigan, who had dreamed of being on that stage one day in the green and white to accomplish his goals and dreams. I didn't care about nothing but winning. I always cared about winning—the "Magic," the this, the that it didn't matter. I just wanted to win.

"To be able to say that I accomplished that here, at the University I loved before I even decided to come here. I was always a Spartan as a little boy. Then the guy I love, who and helped me to fall in love with Michigan State passed away. If it had not been for Gus (Ganakas), I do not know if I would be here. Gus, when I was coming up through those basketball camps here at Michigan State, embraced me, and we fell in love with each other."

"Even when I was eleven or twelve coming to a Michigan State game with Mr. and Mrs. Dart, he treated me like I was already at Michigan State. He would stop his interviews, 'Come on over here, Earvin, say hello to me.' He just had a way about him. It hurt a lot when I heard he passed.

"I would say that Jud (Heathcote) helped me understand how to be a perfectionist. And work on my craft and be great at something. My life changed, just like Larry Bird's life changed in that game. It still is the highest-rated game in NCAA history. It is amazing for that game to be forty years and still be number one.

"I think the world fell in love with Magic on our run, just like they did Michigan State and the way we played. Before Showtime with the Lakers, we were Showtime. Man, the way we played the game was just awesome. We had everything, and it is hard to find a team that had everything."

Tell us what you some of your greatest Earvin Magic Johnson memories are in the comment section below.

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