1 00:00:07,551 --> 00:00:09,052 Ready? 2 00:00:12,722 --> 00:00:14,933 Are you glad your name's Magic Johnson? 3 00:00:16,183 --> 00:00:18,061 I would think that puts pressure on you right there. 4 00:00:18,144 --> 00:00:18,979 Yeah. 5 00:00:20,230 --> 00:00:22,482 Ladies and gentleman, you know him, you love him. 6 00:00:22,566 --> 00:00:26,069 Please say hello to Number 32, Earvin ''Magic'' Johnson! 7 00:00:26,152 --> 00:00:27,237 Here we go! 8 00:00:28,738 --> 00:00:30,365 -Magic. Magic. -Magic. 9 00:00:30,448 --> 00:00:33,201 Magic Johnson, that's who I wanna be like. 10 00:00:33,285 --> 00:00:36,329 Magic Johnson, the man, the myth, the legend. 11 00:00:36,913 --> 00:00:40,834 Magic Johnson was about passing the basketball. 12 00:00:40,917 --> 00:00:43,628 Doing so with flash, dash and sizzle. 13 00:00:45,297 --> 00:00:49,551 Magic did it with a smile. He did it with joy. 14 00:00:49,634 --> 00:00:51,094 People became special around him. 15 00:00:51,177 --> 00:00:54,639 They got their own kind of mythology around themselves, 16 00:00:54,723 --> 00:00:57,893 because they were on the team with this mythological cat. 17 00:00:59,019 --> 00:01:00,979 The way he played the game. 18 00:01:01,062 --> 00:01:05,065 Magic's no-look passes made it seem like he was clairvoyant, you know? 19 00:01:05,984 --> 00:01:08,987 Everybody wants to credit Michael Jordan for changing the NBA. 20 00:01:09,905 --> 00:01:13,325 When Magic Johnson came in, that's when the game changed. 21 00:01:14,034 --> 00:01:18,079 I was a Chicago Bulls fan, but I gotta say, 22 00:01:18,163 --> 00:01:19,748 Magic Johnson was pretty good. 23 00:01:21,124 --> 00:01:23,335 Here he is! Magic Man. 24 00:01:23,418 --> 00:01:26,379 And you know that we're number one! 25 00:01:27,464 --> 00:01:32,510 He was the brightest star in the galaxy of stars. 26 00:01:33,053 --> 00:01:34,888 That's saying quite a bit here in Los Angeles. 27 00:01:34,971 --> 00:01:37,933 He's still the most popular athlete in Los Angeles. 28 00:01:38,016 --> 00:01:42,896 He is beloved by everyone in this town. Nobody doesn't like Magic. 29 00:01:44,147 --> 00:01:47,692 It wasn't "Magic." It was Earvin Johnson Jr. 30 00:01:48,818 --> 00:01:51,321 And if you notice, I went Earvin and Magic. 31 00:01:51,988 --> 00:01:54,282 Those are two different personalities. 32 00:01:54,366 --> 00:01:56,117 Magic loves the crowd, 33 00:01:56,201 --> 00:02:00,705 loves the atmosphere of being a basketball player. 34 00:02:00,789 --> 00:02:03,833 Earvin likes to get away from that. 35 00:02:03,917 --> 00:02:06,753 Earvin and Magic are very different people. 36 00:02:06,836 --> 00:02:09,506 Magic is just, like, in front of the camera, the big smile, 37 00:02:09,588 --> 00:02:11,675 laughing, loving the attention. 38 00:02:11,758 --> 00:02:13,677 Earvin's quite impatient and, you know, 39 00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:15,929 he's the one who's, like, very controlling. 40 00:02:16,012 --> 00:02:18,139 He put you through hell though, didn't he? 41 00:02:18,723 --> 00:02:22,477 None of us call him Magic. He is Earvin and sometimes something else. 42 00:02:25,105 --> 00:02:27,315 Earvin don't like to lose. He don't like to lose nothin'. 43 00:02:27,399 --> 00:02:28,858 I don't care if it's checkers… 44 00:02:28,942 --> 00:02:33,655 The thing about Earvin "Magic" Johnson, he never wanted it easy. 45 00:02:33,738 --> 00:02:37,033 And I'm sure in his life, very few things came easy. 46 00:02:38,118 --> 00:02:40,620 Everything came fast and good to you, 47 00:02:40,704 --> 00:02:43,498 but it could easily be taken away, just as fast. 48 00:02:44,082 --> 00:02:45,417 He's Earvin. 49 00:02:45,500 --> 00:02:47,085 I don't call him Magic, 50 00:02:47,168 --> 00:02:50,630 'cause Magic is a character that played basketball. 51 00:02:50,714 --> 00:02:52,007 He's like a superhero. 52 00:02:58,138 --> 00:03:00,056 If that's Magic, I guess that's what I am. 53 00:03:52,525 --> 00:03:54,236 Earvin Johnson passes long! 54 00:03:54,319 --> 00:03:57,447 Johnson drives to the net. One of the best, perhaps the best, 55 00:03:57,530 --> 00:03:59,824 all-around college basketball player today. 56 00:04:06,289 --> 00:04:09,167 The rumors say that you've played your last college game 57 00:04:09,251 --> 00:04:11,711 and that you're heading away from Michigan State. 58 00:04:27,644 --> 00:04:28,687 Yeah. 59 00:04:30,855 --> 00:04:32,190 Scoot this up. 60 00:04:36,152 --> 00:04:40,657 Yeah, I'd like to say hello to all my teammates. 61 00:04:42,701 --> 00:04:44,869 And what's happening? 62 00:04:45,495 --> 00:04:47,831 I'd like to say good morning. It's a hot morning. 63 00:04:49,833 --> 00:04:51,918 And I'd like to say… 64 00:04:52,794 --> 00:04:54,421 it's been rough, you know. 65 00:04:54,504 --> 00:04:55,672 It's… 66 00:04:56,756 --> 00:04:58,758 I've been going through a lot, you know. 67 00:04:59,676 --> 00:05:02,512 Students, you know, the community, 68 00:05:02,596 --> 00:05:04,681 everybody wanna know what I'm gonna do, but-- 69 00:05:05,807 --> 00:05:08,393 Could Michigan State fans lose their star player, 70 00:05:08,476 --> 00:05:09,853 Earvin "Magic" Johnson? 71 00:05:09,936 --> 00:05:12,731 With shouts of triumph or tears of disappointment, 72 00:05:12,814 --> 00:05:15,108 many believe Johnson is likely to be the first pick 73 00:05:15,191 --> 00:05:16,610 in this year's NBA draft. 74 00:05:16,693 --> 00:05:20,280 The team's best positioned to get him would be the Lakers or the Bulls. 75 00:05:21,031 --> 00:05:26,077 I'll never forget how excited everybody was about that draft. 76 00:05:26,161 --> 00:05:29,497 Because we had a chance to draft Earvin ''Magic'' Johnson. 77 00:05:30,540 --> 00:05:34,377 You know, at the end of the '78, '79 season, 78 00:05:34,461 --> 00:05:38,048 two franchises flipped a coin to see who got first pick. 79 00:05:38,131 --> 00:05:42,052 So, the Lakers and the Bulls were headed for a coin flip. 80 00:05:42,135 --> 00:05:44,304 Magic's style on the court would breathe new life 81 00:05:44,387 --> 00:05:47,515 into Chicago, if he chooses to leave college early to go pro. 82 00:05:48,099 --> 00:05:51,269 I haven't had a lot of time to think about it, 83 00:05:51,353 --> 00:05:53,897 but I guess this is the deadline so I had to… 84 00:05:54,731 --> 00:05:56,399 give the answer up today. 85 00:05:57,567 --> 00:05:59,986 Bill Sharman and I had a conversation. 86 00:06:00,070 --> 00:06:03,323 Bill was GM of the Lakers, and I said to Bill, 87 00:06:03,406 --> 00:06:05,784 "Do you mind if we call the flip?" 88 00:06:05,867 --> 00:06:09,829 Because we're having our fans decide for us 89 00:06:09,913 --> 00:06:11,581 whether we're gonna call heads or tails. 90 00:06:11,665 --> 00:06:14,709 With NBA Commissioner Larry O'Brien ready to toss the coin 91 00:06:14,793 --> 00:06:19,089 and both teams waiting on the phone, Bulls GM Rod Thorn made his call. 92 00:06:19,714 --> 00:06:21,925 I had always been a tails guy. 93 00:06:23,134 --> 00:06:26,179 Our fans told us, "Call heads." 94 00:06:26,263 --> 00:06:28,181 Let's have Chicago's call. 95 00:06:28,265 --> 00:06:31,309 -Chicago calls heads. -Chicago calls heads. 96 00:06:31,893 --> 00:06:35,397 In New York, the commissioner flipped the coin. 97 00:06:36,439 --> 00:06:38,942 For the Lakers, this was that one guy 98 00:06:39,526 --> 00:06:42,237 that was going to change the destiny of this franchise. 99 00:06:42,320 --> 00:06:46,491 And when somebody gives you a nickname, "Magic", 100 00:06:47,993 --> 00:06:49,202 what do you expect? 101 00:06:52,247 --> 00:06:54,040 We'll now make the flip. 102 00:07:01,131 --> 00:07:02,132 Tails it is! 103 00:07:05,468 --> 00:07:07,846 In the off-season, some Laker prayers are answered. 104 00:07:07,929 --> 00:07:09,931 Los Angeles has first rights to Magic now. 105 00:07:12,017 --> 00:07:15,645 Okay, so next season… 106 00:07:17,272 --> 00:07:21,067 I'll be-- Well, today, I'll be applying for hardship. 107 00:07:21,151 --> 00:07:22,569 I'll be turning pro. 108 00:07:29,242 --> 00:07:31,411 It is now exactly 12:00 noon. 109 00:07:31,494 --> 00:07:35,123 The draft is officially open. I want to welcome all the fans 110 00:07:35,206 --> 00:07:38,084 that are gonna join in and help make this draft a success. 111 00:07:44,174 --> 00:07:47,761 The first pick is the Los Angeles Lakers. 112 00:07:49,554 --> 00:07:53,433 The Los Angeles Lakers select Earvin "Magic" Johnson, 113 00:07:53,516 --> 00:07:56,478 Michigan State, 6'8'', 200 pounds. 114 00:07:56,561 --> 00:07:59,481 Earvin "Magic" Johnson of Michigan State, 115 00:07:59,564 --> 00:08:01,816 was chosen by the Los Angeles Lakers today, 116 00:08:01,900 --> 00:08:05,987 as the number one pick in the National Basketball Association draft. 117 00:08:15,330 --> 00:08:19,751 I am Earvin "Magic" Johnson, and-- 118 00:08:19,834 --> 00:08:24,464 But I was born Earvin Johnson Jr. 119 00:08:27,676 --> 00:08:32,681 When I got drafted by the Lakers and I got off the plane in LA, 120 00:08:32,764 --> 00:08:34,765 oh, my goodness! 121 00:08:34,849 --> 00:08:38,520 I had to come in and prove I could play in the NBA 122 00:08:38,602 --> 00:08:40,813 and lead the Lakers. 123 00:08:41,523 --> 00:08:45,151 I really, really didn't want him to go. 124 00:08:45,235 --> 00:08:47,028 He was 19 years old. 125 00:08:47,988 --> 00:08:52,200 Going away from home, this would be the first time away from the family. 126 00:08:52,284 --> 00:08:56,329 And I just didn't know what was gonna happen to my baby. 127 00:08:56,413 --> 00:08:59,749 The LA Lakers had the number-one pick. They took Earvin "Magic" Johnson. 128 00:08:59,833 --> 00:09:02,252 And a young man who is so exciting. 129 00:09:02,335 --> 00:09:04,045 He is a delightful personality. 130 00:09:04,129 --> 00:09:06,590 He is lighting up all of Southern California. 131 00:09:09,384 --> 00:09:11,761 See this shit here? I bleed this shit. 132 00:09:12,554 --> 00:09:15,557 If I was Superman, this would be my "S" on my chest. 133 00:09:15,640 --> 00:09:17,726 But I ain't Superman. I'm Snooperman, 134 00:09:18,685 --> 00:09:19,978 and that's my symbol. 135 00:09:20,061 --> 00:09:21,271 Laker gang. 136 00:09:23,356 --> 00:09:26,026 I first heard about Magic in 1978. 137 00:09:26,109 --> 00:09:28,862 When he was getting it in, in college. 138 00:09:30,447 --> 00:09:32,574 And then the next year '79. 139 00:09:34,242 --> 00:09:38,872 When the Lakers got Magic Johnson, excitement ain't even the word. 140 00:09:49,049 --> 00:09:50,133 Here we are. 141 00:09:57,974 --> 00:10:00,101 I remember when he showed up, 142 00:10:00,810 --> 00:10:03,396 there was a rumor Earvin "Magic" Johnson was gonna come 143 00:10:03,480 --> 00:10:04,731 to the Summer League game. 144 00:10:05,649 --> 00:10:09,152 I'm on my way to the game, and I said to our trainer-- I said, 145 00:10:09,236 --> 00:10:10,904 "Well, how many people do they get?" 146 00:10:10,987 --> 00:10:14,032 And he said, "Well, they only get like a 100, 200 people at the game." 147 00:10:14,950 --> 00:10:18,703 Place is full, 2,500 to 3,000 people, standing room only, 148 00:10:18,787 --> 00:10:21,289 LA crowd, and he's walking. 149 00:10:22,249 --> 00:10:26,503 And there are just nothing but hundreds of kids following him. 150 00:10:26,586 --> 00:10:29,923 You could just feel that something different was going to happen. 151 00:10:30,006 --> 00:10:31,299 You could feel it in the air. 152 00:10:31,383 --> 00:10:32,592 I'll be definitely ready, 153 00:10:32,676 --> 00:10:35,470 especially if the fans be as beautiful as they were tonight. 154 00:10:35,554 --> 00:10:36,680 Fans, gonna be here? 155 00:10:38,431 --> 00:10:40,642 Cooper interview. Take one. 156 00:10:41,560 --> 00:10:42,644 I'm sorry. 157 00:10:43,228 --> 00:10:46,773 Michael Cooper. Los Angeles Lakers. AKA Dark Gable. 158 00:10:46,856 --> 00:10:50,652 AKA Lockdown Motherfucker. AKA Buck Naked. 159 00:10:53,863 --> 00:10:56,866 We're sitting in the locker room, and he hadn't gotten there yet. 160 00:10:56,950 --> 00:10:58,493 So, we're sitting there. 161 00:10:58,577 --> 00:11:01,204 This was gonna be my second year with the Lakers. 162 00:11:01,955 --> 00:11:03,748 And I knew something was up. 163 00:11:06,751 --> 00:11:10,046 We knew that Magic was in the parking lot 164 00:11:10,130 --> 00:11:12,465 because we could hear his boom box. 165 00:11:13,508 --> 00:11:17,304 I had this big boom box that I brought from Lansing, Michigan. 166 00:11:17,387 --> 00:11:21,641 And I was playing Parliament-Funkadelics at that time. 167 00:11:21,725 --> 00:11:25,562 His favorite group was, Parliament-Funkadelic. 168 00:11:25,645 --> 00:11:29,316 But Kareem, he liked the quiet music, you know? 169 00:11:44,414 --> 00:11:47,125 You hear that music, and all of a sudden, he walks in. 170 00:11:47,208 --> 00:11:48,418 Flashlight 171 00:11:57,844 --> 00:12:01,389 Kareem's a quiet man, so-- A man of few words. 172 00:12:01,473 --> 00:12:07,020 So, he just looked at me and said, "Rookie, cut that damn box off!" 173 00:12:08,063 --> 00:12:10,398 He went around and introduced himself to everybody, 174 00:12:10,482 --> 00:12:14,152 and he goes, "Hey, I'm Magic." He didn't say Earvin Magic. "I'm Magic." 175 00:12:14,236 --> 00:12:16,696 I said, "Magic, I'm Coop. How you doing?" 176 00:12:16,780 --> 00:12:19,699 And I said, "Welcome to the NBA, motherfucker." 177 00:12:27,082 --> 00:12:29,417 But when Magic got drafted by the Lakers, 178 00:12:29,501 --> 00:12:34,214 NBA was not considered a very glamorous league at that time. 179 00:12:34,297 --> 00:12:36,716 The league was like a mom-and-pop league. 180 00:12:36,800 --> 00:12:39,553 There wasn't a lot of money flowing around in those days. 181 00:12:40,053 --> 00:12:43,431 The National Basketball Association in its 33rd season is troubled 182 00:12:43,515 --> 00:12:46,476 by diminishing crowds and declining television ratings. 183 00:12:46,560 --> 00:12:49,271 Signs that fan interest may be waning. 184 00:12:51,022 --> 00:12:54,693 That October of 1979, the NBA was a mess. 185 00:12:55,235 --> 00:12:58,029 The NBA was considered too drug-infested, too Black, 186 00:12:58,989 --> 00:13:00,824 and the games were on tape delay. 187 00:13:00,907 --> 00:13:04,244 I remember watching games late night, and they were repeats. 188 00:13:04,327 --> 00:13:06,371 You had to tell your family, "Don't tell me who won. 189 00:13:06,454 --> 00:13:08,123 Don't tell me nothing about the game." 190 00:13:08,206 --> 00:13:11,167 It just wasn't popular enough to be in prime time. 191 00:13:11,251 --> 00:13:14,296 Dare to talk with the commissioner of the NBA, Larry O'Brien. 192 00:13:14,379 --> 00:13:15,881 What about the future of the NBA? 193 00:13:15,964 --> 00:13:18,592 When we talked last year, there were a lot of problems. 194 00:13:18,675 --> 00:13:22,262 Frankly, I get a little bit frustrated when I hear and read about it so often. 195 00:13:22,345 --> 00:13:25,807 The league not only was losing money, it was losing interest. 196 00:13:25,891 --> 00:13:28,810 This was not a good week for the National Basketball Association. 197 00:13:30,020 --> 00:13:33,231 I mean, it was known as a thuggish league. 198 00:13:33,315 --> 00:13:36,192 Violence in the National Basketball Association 199 00:13:36,276 --> 00:13:38,278 appears to be on the rise. 200 00:13:38,361 --> 00:13:41,948 They let people in the NBA fight then. You know? 201 00:13:44,451 --> 00:13:46,786 When things happened, people fought. 202 00:13:48,121 --> 00:13:52,417 The National Basketball Association today suspended Los Angeles Lakers forward, 203 00:13:52,500 --> 00:13:53,710 Kermit Washington. 204 00:13:54,419 --> 00:13:58,381 I remember when Kermit Washington hit Rudy Tomjanovich at the Forum. 205 00:13:58,465 --> 00:14:01,593 Broke his jaw. That was really one of the low points. 206 00:14:01,676 --> 00:14:05,972 It's turning off a lot of white customers that are coming to the game, you know? 207 00:14:06,056 --> 00:14:07,057 Why? 208 00:14:07,641 --> 00:14:11,394 I think there's a conflict between the white and the Black, and 209 00:14:11,478 --> 00:14:14,773 I don't enjoy going to the basketball and seeing all Black players. 210 00:14:14,856 --> 00:14:17,651 America was over 65, 70% white. 211 00:14:17,734 --> 00:14:21,947 People were not willing to embrace the product into their living rooms. 212 00:14:22,697 --> 00:14:27,369 And there was talk of certain teams even folding. 213 00:14:27,452 --> 00:14:29,287 It was "survive." 214 00:14:29,371 --> 00:14:33,917 Can we survive a, you know, another year? Can we survive another week? 215 00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:37,420 And now, starting for your Los Angeles Lakers… 216 00:14:37,504 --> 00:14:40,048 The Lakers at that time weren't thought of as champions. 217 00:14:40,131 --> 00:14:41,716 They were thought of as contenders. 218 00:14:41,800 --> 00:14:44,594 West. West all alone. Look at Russell come down. 219 00:14:44,678 --> 00:14:46,137 And what a play by Russell! 220 00:14:47,264 --> 00:14:49,849 I remember my first year in Los Angeles. 221 00:14:49,933 --> 00:14:53,895 The Lakers were on the last page of the newspaper. The last page. 222 00:14:54,646 --> 00:14:56,898 We would get in the back of trucks 223 00:14:56,982 --> 00:15:00,235 and go in the neighborhoods with microphones. 224 00:15:00,318 --> 00:15:04,155 "Come out and see the Lakers play. Come out and see the Lakers play." 225 00:15:04,239 --> 00:15:08,535 Since 1960, I mean, the Lakers got beat six times in a row 226 00:15:08,618 --> 00:15:10,412 by Bill Russell and the Celtics. 227 00:15:11,496 --> 00:15:15,375 We lost so many times in the Finals. I played nine Finals. 228 00:15:15,458 --> 00:15:17,794 We won one time in nine Finals, 229 00:15:17,878 --> 00:15:20,589 and it was probably the most horrid feeling in my life. 230 00:15:20,672 --> 00:15:24,217 I actually-- I wanted to quit basketball. 231 00:15:25,886 --> 00:15:28,138 We just didn't have the team that could win. 232 00:15:28,221 --> 00:15:30,640 You know, we had a good team. I played very well. 233 00:15:30,724 --> 00:15:34,644 I won an MVP, but we couldn't really contend 234 00:15:34,728 --> 00:15:37,480 for the championship without the right players on the court. 235 00:15:43,403 --> 00:15:46,156 Is Magic Johnson your favorite basketball player? 236 00:15:48,199 --> 00:15:49,910 Not seeing no magic. 237 00:15:51,578 --> 00:15:52,662 No. 238 00:15:52,746 --> 00:15:54,414 That was one of the many questions heard 239 00:15:54,497 --> 00:15:56,958 at the Forum as the Lakers held their annual picture day 240 00:15:57,042 --> 00:15:59,294 before leaving for Palm Springs and training camp. 241 00:15:59,377 --> 00:16:01,504 And their hopes are high for the '79-'80 season. 242 00:16:09,387 --> 00:16:13,141 When I got to training camp as a rookie, 243 00:16:13,225 --> 00:16:16,144 I went in there-- At first I was so nervous. 244 00:16:17,312 --> 00:16:19,272 Magic, you talk about getting to know things 245 00:16:19,356 --> 00:16:20,649 and making these adjustments. 246 00:16:20,732 --> 00:16:22,567 What are the big adjustments that you're making? 247 00:16:22,651 --> 00:16:25,445 I think-- You know, you got so many different… 248 00:16:25,528 --> 00:16:28,531 plays and so many different combinations you can go on offense. 249 00:16:28,615 --> 00:16:31,451 And then on defense, just trying to stay with your man 250 00:16:31,534 --> 00:16:34,204 and then trying to learn some of them hold moves. I'm-- 251 00:16:35,372 --> 00:16:38,291 When he first got there, there was some friction 252 00:16:38,375 --> 00:16:40,293 with this Magic Johnson. 253 00:16:40,377 --> 00:16:43,046 Who's gonna be the leader? Is it gonna be Kareem? 254 00:16:43,129 --> 00:16:44,631 Is it gonna be Magic? 255 00:16:44,714 --> 00:16:49,177 There's a tradition of harassing the rookies in the NBA. 256 00:16:49,261 --> 00:16:55,183 The older players get to be cruel and unusual with the rookies. 257 00:16:55,267 --> 00:16:59,521 Kareem said, "Hey, I want Earvin Johnson to be my rookie." 258 00:16:59,604 --> 00:17:03,108 I said, "Oh, okay." You know, I'm like, 259 00:17:03,191 --> 00:17:08,905 "I'll do anything for you. You a legend. You the best player in the NBA." 260 00:17:08,988 --> 00:17:14,077 I had to have his newspaper at his door at, like, 7:00, 7:30 in the morning. 261 00:17:14,160 --> 00:17:17,455 Every time it was a time-out in practice, 262 00:17:17,539 --> 00:17:22,544 he wants two waters and two Gatorades, and it better be cold. 263 00:17:22,627 --> 00:17:23,628 I said, "No problem." 264 00:17:23,712 --> 00:17:25,421 So, Norm Nixon called me aside. 265 00:17:25,505 --> 00:17:28,967 "Man, act like you been here before. Relax a little bit." 266 00:17:29,050 --> 00:17:33,263 He was a target, you know? And he just had to be careful. 267 00:17:34,681 --> 00:17:36,766 So, we're in practice. 268 00:17:36,850 --> 00:17:39,978 I was boxing out Ron Boone. 269 00:17:40,061 --> 00:17:43,273 All of a sudden, I look up at the rim and the ball, 270 00:17:43,356 --> 00:17:48,778 and he had hit me right behind my head really hard. 271 00:17:48,862 --> 00:17:50,322 And he was just smiling. 272 00:17:50,405 --> 00:17:52,282 Ronnie Boone, he's a warhorse. 273 00:17:52,365 --> 00:17:54,284 I don't think he's ever missed a game in his life. 274 00:17:54,367 --> 00:17:55,535 Ron was old-school. 275 00:17:55,619 --> 00:17:59,456 As tough as they come. He'd look at you and you'd say, "What did I do?" 276 00:17:59,539 --> 00:18:01,041 Love him as a human being. 277 00:18:01,124 --> 00:18:03,126 As a basketball player? Nasty fucker, man. 278 00:18:03,209 --> 00:18:05,337 Ron would not back down to anybody. 279 00:18:05,420 --> 00:18:08,673 And he probably wanted to let the rookie know that the-- 280 00:18:08,757 --> 00:18:11,676 You know, "I've been here for 12 years, so don't mess with me." 281 00:18:13,386 --> 00:18:15,972 The next time, he's boxing me out. 282 00:18:16,598 --> 00:18:17,891 Ron Boone? 283 00:18:17,974 --> 00:18:19,351 Let's see what you got. 284 00:18:19,434 --> 00:18:22,354 You think, first of all, you drafted the wrong dude? 285 00:18:22,437 --> 00:18:24,231 Okay. I got something for you. 286 00:18:25,357 --> 00:18:30,737 So I ran in as fast as I could, and I hit him as hard as I could. 287 00:18:31,821 --> 00:18:34,199 He shouldn't have woke that quiet bear up, see? 288 00:18:34,282 --> 00:18:35,283 He woke me up. 289 00:18:35,867 --> 00:18:37,661 So, Jerry West came over. 290 00:18:37,744 --> 00:18:42,207 He pulled me aside and he said, "Magic, I like that." 291 00:18:42,290 --> 00:18:46,253 And I said, "Do you want Earvin Johnson to play basketball, 292 00:18:46,336 --> 00:18:49,256 or do you want Magic Johnson to play basketball?" 293 00:18:49,339 --> 00:18:53,134 I said, "I'd rather see Magic Johnson play basketball." 294 00:19:02,769 --> 00:19:07,274 You know, growing up in a small town like Lansing, Michigan-- 295 00:19:08,233 --> 00:19:09,568 Let me tell you something. 296 00:19:10,402 --> 00:19:13,154 Nobody really heard about Earvin Johnson. 297 00:19:14,281 --> 00:19:16,658 I mean, who's Earvin Johnson? 298 00:19:18,910 --> 00:19:21,621 A person coming from Lansing-- You had to prove yourself. 299 00:19:21,705 --> 00:19:25,000 If you were really good, you had to go out and prove a point 300 00:19:25,083 --> 00:19:28,253 that this little boy from Lansing, Michigan had game. 301 00:19:28,336 --> 00:19:29,671 You know? 302 00:19:32,799 --> 00:19:35,886 Lansing is a hardworking town. 303 00:19:37,137 --> 00:19:39,431 You either worked in the car industry, 304 00:19:40,056 --> 00:19:43,393 or you worked, really, for the state. There's only two jobs. 305 00:19:45,562 --> 00:19:48,607 My father worked for General Motors for 30 years. 306 00:19:48,690 --> 00:19:50,692 He was never late. Never missed a day. 307 00:19:52,152 --> 00:19:54,946 And he worked on the line with the welding. 308 00:19:55,030 --> 00:19:58,450 So, his shirt would have holes in 'em from all the sparks flying. 309 00:20:00,327 --> 00:20:02,662 My mother worked for the school cafeteria. 310 00:20:03,455 --> 00:20:06,625 They were both hardworking people, blue-collar people. 311 00:20:08,251 --> 00:20:10,212 My father was in the service. 312 00:20:10,295 --> 00:20:14,007 And every time he came home, he made a baby. 313 00:20:16,468 --> 00:20:18,720 That's why we're all in a row. 314 00:20:19,721 --> 00:20:20,931 Michael Johnson. 315 00:20:21,014 --> 00:20:22,098 Larry Johnson. 316 00:20:22,182 --> 00:20:24,309 -Pearl Johnson. -Kim Johnson-Ray. 317 00:20:24,392 --> 00:20:26,144 Evelyn Johnson. 318 00:20:26,228 --> 00:20:30,523 I have six sisters, three brothers. I'm the baby boy. 319 00:20:30,607 --> 00:20:33,026 We used to call him Junebug. 320 00:20:33,109 --> 00:20:36,279 I don't even know where that came from. 321 00:20:36,363 --> 00:20:38,573 All I know, we-- They called him Junebug. 322 00:20:38,657 --> 00:20:41,576 Junebug. That was when he was little. 323 00:20:41,660 --> 00:20:44,746 He was so joyful all the time. 324 00:20:44,829 --> 00:20:48,291 I think that was a fitting nickname for him. 325 00:20:48,959 --> 00:20:51,169 -I don't think he liked it. -Oh, no. 326 00:20:51,253 --> 00:20:53,797 That stuck with him for a long time. Every now and then, 327 00:20:53,880 --> 00:20:56,633 somebody that-- When he's home. "Hey, Junebug!" 328 00:20:56,716 --> 00:21:00,053 Then, as he grew up, we started calling him Earvin. 329 00:21:01,471 --> 00:21:03,181 We used to have some games, man. 330 00:21:03,265 --> 00:21:07,060 I tell you those one-on-one games were just… hard. 331 00:21:07,143 --> 00:21:08,144 We fought. 332 00:21:08,728 --> 00:21:11,189 We both roughed each other up, you know, 333 00:21:11,273 --> 00:21:14,317 'cause then neither one of us wanna lose, you know. 334 00:21:14,401 --> 00:21:17,153 And at a young age he wouldn't let nothing get by, you know. 335 00:21:17,237 --> 00:21:20,240 So we had our time where we had to scrap and stuff 336 00:21:20,323 --> 00:21:22,409 on the ground, and stuff during a game. 337 00:21:22,492 --> 00:21:24,953 Arguing about who won and who-- you know. 338 00:21:25,036 --> 00:21:30,000 But Earv was that go-getter, you know. 339 00:21:30,083 --> 00:21:32,335 Whatever he wanted to do, he was gonna do it. 340 00:21:35,672 --> 00:21:38,925 Main Street School was the mecca of Lansing, Michigan. 341 00:21:39,009 --> 00:21:41,636 If you were the best player in Lansing, 342 00:21:41,720 --> 00:21:44,097 you had to come to Main Street School. 343 00:21:44,180 --> 00:21:48,435 That's where you gonna get the action at, because guys were coming from all over. 344 00:21:48,518 --> 00:21:51,938 If you lose a game, you might not play again for another two hours. 345 00:21:52,022 --> 00:21:55,650 'Cause guys is lined up, and they always had their teams ready to go. 346 00:21:55,734 --> 00:21:57,819 Whether you had to cheat to win, or whatever, 347 00:21:57,903 --> 00:21:59,404 you wanted to stay on that court. 348 00:21:59,487 --> 00:22:01,907 I'ma pick the dudes that gonna play their role, 349 00:22:01,990 --> 00:22:05,035 so that we can win and stay out on that court all day. 350 00:22:05,118 --> 00:22:08,121 I played in the rain. I played in the snow. 351 00:22:08,204 --> 00:22:09,205 It didn't matter. 352 00:22:09,289 --> 00:22:11,374 Sunup to sundown. 353 00:22:11,458 --> 00:22:14,169 And then I started playing against older boys, 354 00:22:14,252 --> 00:22:16,379 and then I started playing against men. 355 00:22:16,463 --> 00:22:18,715 Even my father and my uncle. 356 00:22:19,591 --> 00:22:23,762 My father, my uncle fouled me, but they said there was no foul, 357 00:22:23,845 --> 00:22:25,972 so I had to play through that. 358 00:22:26,056 --> 00:22:30,477 I didn't want him to be out there, crybaby each time somebody hit him, 359 00:22:30,560 --> 00:22:32,562 or bump him into the jaw, he'd cry. 360 00:22:33,188 --> 00:22:37,025 They said, "Okay, he can hold his own, and he's strong enough 361 00:22:37,108 --> 00:22:39,027 and physical enough to--" 362 00:22:39,110 --> 00:22:41,404 to handle the beating that they were gonna give me. 363 00:22:42,072 --> 00:22:44,282 And nobody outworked me in the neighborhood. 364 00:22:44,366 --> 00:22:49,246 I was on the court more than any kid. I mean, it wasn't even close. 365 00:22:49,329 --> 00:22:51,414 And I wanted it more. 366 00:23:01,550 --> 00:23:03,134 One of my very best friends 367 00:23:03,218 --> 00:23:06,596 wrote high school sports for the Lansing State Journal. 368 00:23:06,680 --> 00:23:11,434 And one December Friday night, he called me and he said, 369 00:23:11,518 --> 00:23:13,687 "Have you heard of this kid Earvin Johnson?" 370 00:23:13,770 --> 00:23:16,314 I was assigned to cover Earvin's first game. 371 00:23:16,398 --> 00:23:20,860 50 to 49. Earvin had 12 points, ten rebounds and fouled out. 372 00:23:23,697 --> 00:23:25,115 And so I get back to the office 373 00:23:25,198 --> 00:23:28,618 and everybody wants to know how this Earvin Johnson kid is. 374 00:23:28,702 --> 00:23:32,789 I said, "Well, he's 6'5'' type kid. He's gonna be a good player one day, 375 00:23:32,872 --> 00:23:34,583 but he wasn't anything special in that game.'' 376 00:23:34,666 --> 00:23:38,295 We beat 'em by one point, on a rebound at the buzzer. 377 00:23:40,171 --> 00:23:42,424 And my brother came into the locker room. 378 00:23:42,507 --> 00:23:47,596 He says, "George, he might be an all-city and maybe an all-stater. 379 00:23:47,679 --> 00:23:49,347 He's no all-American." 380 00:23:50,265 --> 00:23:51,474 But I thought, "Wait." 381 00:23:53,351 --> 00:23:56,646 Somehow, fate had me be assigned to the second game. 382 00:23:56,730 --> 00:23:59,357 We went to play one of the schools that's supposedly good 383 00:23:59,441 --> 00:24:00,817 in the state of Michigan. 384 00:24:00,901 --> 00:24:03,153 And we blew them out on their home court. 385 00:24:03,236 --> 00:24:08,033 I always tell people, he had 36 points, 20 rebounds, 15 assists and 10 steals. 386 00:24:08,116 --> 00:24:10,744 As a 15-year-old, that was my first triple-double. 387 00:24:10,827 --> 00:24:12,579 And my brother came up to me 388 00:24:12,662 --> 00:24:14,998 and he says, "George, he'll make you forget 389 00:24:15,081 --> 00:24:17,959 about every other basketball player we've had in this area." 390 00:24:18,585 --> 00:24:22,088 It was the most amazing performance I'd ever seen 391 00:24:22,172 --> 00:24:25,634 by anybody, and he was his second game of his high school career. 392 00:24:25,717 --> 00:24:29,596 So the sportswriter came in and he said, "Listen, man, I'm-- 393 00:24:29,679 --> 00:24:32,766 I haven't seen a performance like that ever in my life." 394 00:24:32,849 --> 00:24:36,102 -He says, "I wanna give you a nickname." -"Earvin, we gotta call you something." 395 00:24:36,186 --> 00:24:39,648 Somebody's called Biggie. Somebody's called Dr. J. 396 00:24:39,731 --> 00:24:41,066 How about Magic? 397 00:24:41,149 --> 00:24:43,443 You know, you're like, "Yeah, right." 398 00:24:43,526 --> 00:24:46,529 You know, you start laughing like, "Yeah, yeah, okay that--" 399 00:24:46,613 --> 00:24:49,783 My boys not gonna call me "Magic." You know? 400 00:24:54,329 --> 00:24:58,333 And within two months, everybody in Michigan knew who Magic was. 401 00:24:59,876 --> 00:25:02,837 When I first started playing basketball in high school, 402 00:25:02,921 --> 00:25:05,549 everybody started talking about this guy from East Lansing. 403 00:25:06,132 --> 00:25:09,302 Magic Johnson. Magic, Magic, Magic. 404 00:25:09,970 --> 00:25:14,099 And I was like, "Magic? Man, I need to watch this." 405 00:25:15,308 --> 00:25:18,311 And I had heard about this kid, you know, Earvin ''Magic'' Johnson. 406 00:25:18,395 --> 00:25:20,230 I was like, "Who's this dude? Earvin 'Magic' Johnson." 407 00:25:20,313 --> 00:25:24,859 Never saw him, but just kept hearing how great he was as a basketball player. 408 00:25:24,943 --> 00:25:26,695 There he goes. Watch it for three… 409 00:25:26,778 --> 00:25:29,239 "Have you seen this kid in Lansing?" 410 00:25:29,864 --> 00:25:32,951 "This 15-year-old Black kid from the Midwest. 411 00:25:33,660 --> 00:25:35,745 They call him Magic. Have you seen him?" 412 00:25:35,829 --> 00:25:38,540 Earvin Johnson, you're a very sought-after player. 413 00:25:38,623 --> 00:25:41,918 You shoot well, you pass well, you dribble, score, assist. 414 00:25:42,002 --> 00:25:43,753 We're trying to figure out what you do best. 415 00:25:43,837 --> 00:25:45,589 Do you know? We can't figure it out. 416 00:25:45,672 --> 00:25:48,174 When the newspapers really started getting involved, 417 00:25:48,258 --> 00:25:50,760 and then he started getting the big headlines-- 418 00:25:50,844 --> 00:25:54,222 You know, that's when he basically became the pied piper. 419 00:25:54,306 --> 00:25:57,309 Whatever game he was playing, everybody wanted to go see it. 420 00:26:11,865 --> 00:26:15,702 Everywhere we would go, you could not find a seat any place. 421 00:26:15,785 --> 00:26:17,495 You just could not find a seat. 422 00:26:18,330 --> 00:26:22,459 I still remember the ticket scalping, the extra police there for security. 423 00:26:27,756 --> 00:26:30,842 It wasn't any kind of ordinary stuff that he did. 424 00:26:30,926 --> 00:26:34,804 He did stuff that I'd never seen on a basketball floor before. 425 00:26:34,888 --> 00:26:38,016 He's up and down the court. Just behind his back, 426 00:26:38,099 --> 00:26:40,936 throwing no-look passes. Just doing everything. 427 00:26:42,187 --> 00:26:45,440 Earvin was a fierce competitor. 428 00:26:45,523 --> 00:26:47,484 God, he was competitive. 429 00:26:48,902 --> 00:26:51,863 A lot of the other kids-- white kids, they wanted to beat him. 430 00:26:52,530 --> 00:26:55,075 And I'll never forget that they were playing Benton Harbor, 431 00:26:55,158 --> 00:26:57,661 a tradition-rich basketball school in Michigan history. 432 00:26:57,744 --> 00:27:02,415 They practiced first, and as they exit the floor 433 00:27:02,499 --> 00:27:05,335 and it was our turn to go onto the floor, a dude said, 434 00:27:05,919 --> 00:27:08,338 "Which one of you dudes Earvin Johnson? 435 00:27:08,421 --> 00:27:11,466 I just want you to know, tomorrow you in trouble." 436 00:27:12,509 --> 00:27:16,179 All my teammates were like, "Man. He talking trash." 437 00:27:16,263 --> 00:27:18,640 I said, "You just wait till tomorrow night." 438 00:27:22,185 --> 00:27:25,397 It was 9,000 people, sold out I think. 439 00:27:25,897 --> 00:27:29,901 I remember one play in the game and a guy stepped on the back of my foot, 440 00:27:29,985 --> 00:27:31,945 so my shoe came off. 441 00:27:32,028 --> 00:27:34,948 For the next two or three minutes, I'm playing with one shoe on. 442 00:27:36,408 --> 00:27:39,953 In that three minutes, I made, like, five plays. 443 00:27:40,787 --> 00:27:42,956 He still went down the court with one shoe on 444 00:27:43,039 --> 00:27:45,667 and did a dazzling move and scored. 445 00:27:45,750 --> 00:27:48,920 Laid it in, and the people were just going crazy. 446 00:27:49,004 --> 00:27:50,630 It was just building. 447 00:27:50,714 --> 00:27:54,301 And by the time Benton Harbor coach called the time-out, 448 00:27:54,384 --> 00:27:56,386 the place just erupted. 449 00:27:58,763 --> 00:28:00,891 I said, "Look at the scoreboard." 450 00:28:00,974 --> 00:28:03,727 That's all. I don't have to talk trash. Just look up. 451 00:28:08,607 --> 00:28:11,401 I never saw somebody's reputation 452 00:28:11,484 --> 00:28:16,615 as a high school player grow as fast, in all my years, in any sport. 453 00:28:19,159 --> 00:28:22,871 I just knew he was not gonna go away. 454 00:28:25,373 --> 00:28:28,752 I do know one thing, that his mother was not real fond 455 00:28:28,835 --> 00:28:30,962 of the nickname "Magic" when he was given it. 456 00:28:31,046 --> 00:28:34,341 How about the nickname "Magic?" How'd you take to that? 457 00:28:34,424 --> 00:28:40,805 Well, I really never liked that, you know, because it had such a-- 458 00:28:40,889 --> 00:28:44,267 such an impact on him, you know. 459 00:28:44,351 --> 00:28:49,689 People expect so much from him because of that name. 460 00:28:57,113 --> 00:28:59,282 We had a big press conference at Everett High School. 461 00:28:59,366 --> 00:29:00,951 It was the big news. 462 00:29:02,869 --> 00:29:05,622 Every TV station within 50 miles was here. 463 00:29:05,705 --> 00:29:06,831 All right. 464 00:29:08,917 --> 00:29:11,169 Is there any questions before I get started? 465 00:29:13,421 --> 00:29:18,051 No, next year I will be attending Michigan State University. 466 00:29:21,054 --> 00:29:22,722 Michigan State University. 467 00:29:22,806 --> 00:29:26,893 Earvin ''Magic'' Johnson directing the Spartan Ballet Company 468 00:29:26,977 --> 00:29:28,687 from East Lansing, Michigan. 469 00:29:28,770 --> 00:29:31,314 Magic Johnson comes from the Lansing area, 470 00:29:31,398 --> 00:29:33,650 which is something we're all very proud of here. 471 00:29:36,903 --> 00:29:41,157 The whole city recruited Earvin Johnson. It wasn't just Michigan State. 472 00:29:42,075 --> 00:29:43,952 That enthusiasm that he showed. 473 00:29:44,035 --> 00:29:47,163 That electricity permeated through the building. 474 00:29:48,373 --> 00:29:49,457 It was-- 475 00:29:50,709 --> 00:29:52,002 It was mesmerizing. 476 00:29:53,211 --> 00:29:55,422 Magic Johnson, he's a coach on the floor. 477 00:29:55,505 --> 00:29:57,757 His play's under control. He's got great hands. 478 00:29:57,841 --> 00:30:01,011 A great passer. The way he goes, so goes the Spartans. 479 00:30:01,094 --> 00:30:05,932 They had a bad season the year before, but most of the players were coming back. 480 00:30:06,016 --> 00:30:10,770 Greg Kelser was there, and I put Jay Vincent in that lineup, 481 00:30:10,854 --> 00:30:12,689 and I put myself in the lineup. I said, 482 00:30:12,772 --> 00:30:16,484 "Man, I think we can win the Big Ten." 483 00:30:16,568 --> 00:30:19,571 I could not wait for the season to begin. 484 00:30:19,654 --> 00:30:23,158 So we can enjoy this chemistry and camaraderie. 485 00:30:23,241 --> 00:30:24,743 And it clicked right away. 486 00:30:24,826 --> 00:30:27,329 We were just having a good time. 487 00:30:29,497 --> 00:30:33,376 We had a nice boom box and record player in the locker room. 488 00:30:34,753 --> 00:30:36,463 When he joined, that was his thing. 489 00:30:36,546 --> 00:30:38,715 He took that over so we just left it alone. 490 00:30:39,466 --> 00:30:43,136 The one that we adopted, the song by the Jimmy Castor Bunch, 491 00:30:44,137 --> 00:30:45,347 is called "Potential." 492 00:30:46,097 --> 00:30:50,101 Potential, spelled P-O-T-E-N-T-I-A-L. And we used to spell that out. 493 00:30:50,185 --> 00:30:52,729 Because our thought was that we were a young club, 494 00:30:52,812 --> 00:30:54,773 trying to reestablish ourselves. 495 00:30:54,856 --> 00:30:57,776 So play to your potential and see how many teams can beat you. 496 00:31:00,237 --> 00:31:02,530 Earvin fashioned himself as a disc jockey. 497 00:31:02,614 --> 00:31:05,283 You know, his moniker was EJ the DJ. 498 00:31:07,327 --> 00:31:09,537 EJ the DJ. 499 00:31:09,621 --> 00:31:12,249 EJ the DJ. Yeah, yeah. 500 00:31:12,332 --> 00:31:15,293 You know, he would deejay on his off days, 501 00:31:15,377 --> 00:31:18,004 and before every game he had to get into a groove. 502 00:31:18,755 --> 00:31:21,466 And boy did-- I don't know what music did to him, 503 00:31:21,550 --> 00:31:26,054 but he'd go out and get a triple-double like it wasn't nothing. You know, so… 504 00:31:26,137 --> 00:31:30,475 And so then I started deejaying at all the local clubs, 505 00:31:30,559 --> 00:31:33,687 and I was getting paid to be there to deejay. 506 00:31:33,770 --> 00:31:37,315 And then it was the last day before we left 507 00:31:37,399 --> 00:31:39,109 to go home for Christmas break. 508 00:31:40,777 --> 00:31:44,030 We go to this famous nightspot called Dooley's. 509 00:31:44,114 --> 00:31:48,159 -It was a party place. -Everybody on campus went to Dooley's. 510 00:31:48,243 --> 00:31:51,288 But it was just the place to be, to go. 511 00:31:51,371 --> 00:31:54,749 But we were sheltered. We didn't hang out. We didn't do those things. 512 00:31:54,833 --> 00:31:56,710 This was our first time being grown-ups. 513 00:31:56,793 --> 00:32:00,714 You know, away from home. Hanging out, drinking, having a good time. 514 00:32:02,007 --> 00:32:04,926 A young lady came in and said hi to us. 515 00:32:06,011 --> 00:32:09,431 But right behind her was this beautiful, 516 00:32:10,140 --> 00:32:14,728 beautiful young lady named Cookie she introduced us to. 517 00:32:15,729 --> 00:32:21,651 We said hello, I ran into my other friends and, you know, danced and had a good time. 518 00:32:21,735 --> 00:32:23,069 She walked away... 519 00:32:23,987 --> 00:32:25,113 and I said... 520 00:32:28,241 --> 00:32:30,201 "I got to get to know her." 521 00:32:30,869 --> 00:32:36,750 Man, that's when "Jamaica Funk" and "Ring My Bell" just had hit. 522 00:32:44,090 --> 00:32:46,843 And I watched her on the dance floor. 523 00:32:47,469 --> 00:32:50,263 And Cookie could dance. 524 00:32:50,347 --> 00:32:52,015 So, Jay kept elbowing me, 525 00:32:52,098 --> 00:32:54,809 saying, "Man, if you don't get her phone number." 526 00:32:54,893 --> 00:32:56,019 The lights came up. 527 00:32:56,102 --> 00:32:57,520 Everybody was leaving. 528 00:32:57,604 --> 00:32:58,772 And I started walking out. 529 00:32:58,855 --> 00:33:02,567 And I stood right by the door 'cause I couldn't miss my opportunity. 530 00:33:02,651 --> 00:33:04,402 And as I walked past him, he said, 531 00:33:04,486 --> 00:33:06,071 "Hey, lemme get that phone number." 532 00:33:06,154 --> 00:33:10,283 "I would like to get your phone number so when we come back from Christmas break, 533 00:33:10,367 --> 00:33:12,285 maybe we could go out or something." 534 00:33:12,369 --> 00:33:14,496 I laughed at him and I said, 535 00:33:14,579 --> 00:33:18,124 "You'll never remember my name and remember to call me." 536 00:33:18,208 --> 00:33:21,378 -I said, "I'm gonna call you." -I gave him the number, and I said, 537 00:33:21,461 --> 00:33:23,463 "Okay, but you'll never remember who I am." 538 00:33:24,339 --> 00:33:26,675 Indiana working the ball. Forecourt. Bounce pass. 539 00:33:26,758 --> 00:33:28,927 Michigan State played a Christmas tournament. 540 00:33:29,010 --> 00:33:31,638 I was sitting with my mother watching the game, and I was like, 541 00:33:31,721 --> 00:33:34,891 "Mom, that guy right there, he asked me for my number when I left." 542 00:33:34,975 --> 00:33:37,227 And I was like, "He'll never remember me." 543 00:33:37,310 --> 00:33:39,229 And we laughed. We had a good laugh about it. 544 00:33:41,690 --> 00:33:46,236 I went back early because I had to finish registering for some classes, 545 00:33:46,319 --> 00:33:49,573 and I remember the day that I walked into the room, 546 00:33:49,656 --> 00:33:50,865 the phone started ringing. 547 00:33:50,949 --> 00:33:53,159 Like, literally we were walking in with our bags, 548 00:33:53,243 --> 00:33:56,037 and the phone started ringing. I picked it up, and it was him. 549 00:33:56,121 --> 00:33:58,415 She said, "I never thought you were gonna call me." 550 00:33:58,498 --> 00:34:02,961 And I'm thinking, "How did he even know that I just walked into my room?" 551 00:34:03,044 --> 00:34:05,213 That we even came back 'cause we came back early. 552 00:34:05,297 --> 00:34:06,381 I just played it off-- 553 00:34:06,464 --> 00:34:09,259 "Yeah, you know a brother know these type of things." 554 00:34:10,427 --> 00:34:12,262 She didn't know I was calling every day 555 00:34:12,345 --> 00:34:14,681 about five times a day trying to reach her. 556 00:34:18,768 --> 00:34:21,688 And he found out my birthday was January 20th. 557 00:34:21,771 --> 00:34:24,524 And so then he asked me, 558 00:34:24,608 --> 00:34:26,735 "Can I take you out for your birthday?" 559 00:34:26,818 --> 00:34:29,070 You know, and I thought, "Oh, wow, okay." 560 00:34:29,153 --> 00:34:33,365 I was really shocked, you know, and excited about it. 561 00:34:33,450 --> 00:34:35,535 I went home and told my father, 562 00:34:35,619 --> 00:34:39,623 "I want to put on a suit to take her out on my first date." 563 00:34:40,999 --> 00:34:44,586 And he said, "Wow, you must really like this girl. 564 00:34:45,086 --> 00:34:48,173 How long you known her?" I said, "Dad, I don't know her yet." 565 00:34:49,257 --> 00:34:51,218 We had a great time at dinner, 566 00:34:51,300 --> 00:34:54,262 and it was like we were best friends instantly, you know. 567 00:34:54,346 --> 00:34:56,306 We just-- Easy talking to each other. 568 00:34:56,389 --> 00:34:58,391 We talked at the restaurant. 569 00:34:58,475 --> 00:35:00,518 Then we went over to my uncle's house. 570 00:35:00,602 --> 00:35:03,355 We sat there and listened to music, and we talked some more. 571 00:35:04,481 --> 00:35:05,815 Cookie was amazing. 572 00:35:06,691 --> 00:35:12,572 And Cookie was serious about graduating, so she was driven like I was. 573 00:35:13,406 --> 00:35:17,577 For me, I was most impressed with the fact of how down-to-earth he was. 574 00:35:17,661 --> 00:35:21,665 He was so cool and so funny and so normal, you know. 575 00:35:21,748 --> 00:35:23,750 That's what I fell in love with. 576 00:35:24,251 --> 00:35:26,670 The first few months was just incredible. 577 00:35:26,753 --> 00:35:29,172 Cookie and I had the best time. 578 00:35:29,256 --> 00:35:33,343 I stayed on the phone with Cookie on the road all night. 579 00:35:33,426 --> 00:35:35,887 Actually, we would fall asleep, 580 00:35:36,888 --> 00:35:39,599 and the phone's off the hook, you know. 581 00:35:39,683 --> 00:35:41,977 We would fall asleep talking to each other. 582 00:35:42,060 --> 00:35:43,645 It'd be 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning. 583 00:35:44,563 --> 00:35:48,900 I think for him, I was always just that place 584 00:35:48,984 --> 00:35:53,154 where he could relax and be supported. 585 00:35:53,238 --> 00:35:58,368 Whether he won, lost or, you know, was really tired or sick. 586 00:35:58,994 --> 00:36:01,371 Whatever I needed, even before I needed it, 587 00:36:01,454 --> 00:36:04,249 she would say, "Hey, I know-- You look tired. 588 00:36:04,332 --> 00:36:06,877 Come, just lay down on my bed. I'm gonna just study." 589 00:36:08,128 --> 00:36:10,964 I think that's what made me fall in love with her too. 590 00:36:12,716 --> 00:36:15,802 Because of those moments at Michigan State, 591 00:36:15,886 --> 00:36:17,679 we were building something together. 592 00:36:22,434 --> 00:36:24,519 Him being the focal point 593 00:36:24,603 --> 00:36:27,230 of Michigan State's basketball team, 594 00:36:27,314 --> 00:36:28,648 it wasn't easy. 595 00:36:30,150 --> 00:36:33,528 And the pressure he was under once the season started. 596 00:36:33,862 --> 00:36:37,490 You know, he was very strict about his regimen before a game. 597 00:36:37,574 --> 00:36:41,119 What he ate, and how he needed quiet-- 598 00:36:41,828 --> 00:36:43,455 Dark room, just his music. 599 00:36:47,167 --> 00:36:50,128 And I would go to the basketball games and 600 00:36:50,212 --> 00:36:52,672 sometimes I would wait for him after the game. 601 00:36:52,756 --> 00:36:55,091 But he always told me, "Just go back to the dorms, 602 00:36:55,175 --> 00:36:56,927 and I'll meet you there after the game." 603 00:36:57,010 --> 00:37:00,388 There was no just hanging around talking or going home. 604 00:37:00,472 --> 00:37:03,058 Right then and there, "I'll call you when I get home. Bye." 605 00:37:03,808 --> 00:37:05,435 She said, "Well, why can't I wait 606 00:37:05,518 --> 00:37:08,313 because all the other players' girlfriends are waiting?" 607 00:37:08,396 --> 00:37:10,941 I said, "Just go to the dorm, and I'll see you afterward." 608 00:37:11,024 --> 00:37:12,525 That was our first big argument. 609 00:37:12,609 --> 00:37:14,986 Everybody was trying to talk to Earvin. 610 00:37:15,570 --> 00:37:17,906 All the girls, "Earvin. I want Ear--" 611 00:37:17,989 --> 00:37:20,992 No, not Earvin. "I want Magic. I want Magic." 612 00:37:21,076 --> 00:37:23,578 You know, there were girls everywhere. 613 00:37:24,079 --> 00:37:28,708 I get in his car one day and I see pictures on the floor 614 00:37:28,792 --> 00:37:34,631 of him, you know, taking somebody to their dance. 615 00:37:34,714 --> 00:37:37,384 And I'm thinking, "What is this?" 616 00:37:37,467 --> 00:37:39,844 And he says, "Oh, no. It's just a friend of mine. 617 00:37:39,928 --> 00:37:42,055 I just took her. She broke up with her boyfriend." 618 00:37:42,138 --> 00:37:46,017 And I thought, "No. I don't think that that's what's going on." 619 00:37:46,101 --> 00:37:47,352 -She was very hurt. -Yeah. 620 00:37:47,435 --> 00:37:49,271 -Very hurt. -Hurt bad. 621 00:37:49,854 --> 00:37:51,022 Because we knew how-- 622 00:37:51,106 --> 00:37:53,108 -We knew how she felt. -We knew how she felt. 623 00:37:53,191 --> 00:37:56,152 -We knew she loved. -Right. 624 00:37:56,236 --> 00:37:58,738 You know, they just really-- It really devastated her. 625 00:38:00,323 --> 00:38:02,576 You know, she saw that I was dating other people 626 00:38:02,659 --> 00:38:06,246 so it wasn't a good look for me. 627 00:38:06,329 --> 00:38:08,039 'Cause she said, "You moved on. 628 00:38:08,123 --> 00:38:09,666 Okay, then I'ma start dating other people." 629 00:38:09,749 --> 00:38:10,792 And I didn't like that. 630 00:38:10,875 --> 00:38:12,961 We got into an argument, and then I said, 631 00:38:13,044 --> 00:38:16,965 "Listen. It can't be both of us. You know, you can't date her and then me." 632 00:38:17,048 --> 00:38:18,842 He's like, "I'm not dating her, but--" 633 00:38:18,925 --> 00:38:21,219 And I said, "No, you gotta choose one or the other." 634 00:38:21,303 --> 00:38:22,637 And he said, "I'm not choosing." 635 00:38:22,721 --> 00:38:24,723 So I said, "Well, I will. I'm out." 636 00:38:32,188 --> 00:38:35,108 I remember back in those days when I used to see him a lot. 637 00:38:35,191 --> 00:38:38,320 And we were just standing there talking. I says, "Earvin, do you know, 638 00:38:38,403 --> 00:38:43,241 there's a 6'8" or 9" kid somewhere in a gym in this country, 639 00:38:44,659 --> 00:38:48,538 and he's got all your skills. 640 00:38:49,497 --> 00:38:51,374 Is he gonna outwork you?" 641 00:38:52,584 --> 00:38:55,587 A year later, I'm talking to him somewhere, 642 00:38:55,670 --> 00:38:57,255 and he says, "Hey, Coach. 643 00:38:57,339 --> 00:39:00,967 Remember that story you told me about somebody outworking me?" 644 00:39:01,468 --> 00:39:03,053 He says, "I found him." 645 00:39:06,890 --> 00:39:09,142 At the end of my freshman season, 646 00:39:09,226 --> 00:39:12,687 they decide to invite the best college basketball players 647 00:39:12,771 --> 00:39:14,689 to represent the United States. 648 00:39:16,608 --> 00:39:19,402 The first day of practice, I'm watching him shoot, 649 00:39:19,486 --> 00:39:22,906 and it's nothing but net, like 30 times in a row. 650 00:39:23,907 --> 00:39:26,576 I'm like, "Whoo. Man, this dude can shoot." 651 00:39:27,285 --> 00:39:29,621 I'm going into that game, didn't know much about him. 652 00:39:29,704 --> 00:39:31,706 Just knew he's a talented basketball player. 653 00:39:31,790 --> 00:39:32,707 And he was walking around 654 00:39:32,791 --> 00:39:36,044 with a big music box on his shoulder, everywhere he went. 655 00:39:36,127 --> 00:39:39,339 That's when I saw Larry Bird up close. 656 00:39:43,301 --> 00:39:46,805 We would get in the game and start throwing no-look passes, 657 00:39:46,888 --> 00:39:49,391 and he'd start hittin' 'em long jump shots. 658 00:39:50,016 --> 00:39:51,810 Earvin Johnson, look at that-- 659 00:39:51,893 --> 00:39:54,813 One time, I came down, threw a no-look to Larry, 660 00:39:54,896 --> 00:39:57,148 he got it, threw a no-look back to me, 661 00:39:57,232 --> 00:39:59,734 and I laid it up. And the people went nuts. 662 00:40:01,069 --> 00:40:03,488 And, man, after that I went back and told everybody, 663 00:40:03,572 --> 00:40:06,366 "Larry Bird, he's for real." 664 00:40:07,367 --> 00:40:08,785 The next season, 665 00:40:08,868 --> 00:40:12,330 he would lead his team to a 33 and 0 season. 666 00:40:12,414 --> 00:40:13,665 33 and 0. 667 00:40:15,000 --> 00:40:17,919 Now, we had to face a ton of good guys in the Big Ten, 668 00:40:18,003 --> 00:40:21,298 but we had never faced one individual talent like Larry Bird. 669 00:40:23,174 --> 00:40:24,551 Bird was an assassin. 670 00:40:24,634 --> 00:40:26,803 He was a one-man wrecking crew at Indiana State, 671 00:40:26,887 --> 00:40:28,847 and Magic may-- 672 00:40:28,930 --> 00:40:31,600 They may have resented each other early on 'cause they were competitors. 673 00:40:31,683 --> 00:40:35,645 He was on the cover of Sports Illustrated, Basketball Weekly. 674 00:40:35,729 --> 00:40:38,273 All the basketball magazines. 675 00:40:38,356 --> 00:40:40,317 He was named College Basketball Player of the Year. 676 00:40:40,400 --> 00:40:43,653 I still said, "Hey, probably should've been me, but that's okay." 677 00:40:43,737 --> 00:40:45,280 I'm sure he was. 678 00:40:46,197 --> 00:40:47,908 As much as we could of each other. 679 00:40:47,991 --> 00:40:51,202 The numbers that he was putting up the first year was incredible. 680 00:40:52,078 --> 00:40:57,459 It's hard when you can look in the mirror and see a guy that played just like you. 681 00:40:57,542 --> 00:41:01,087 His drive to win was just as high as mine. 682 00:41:01,755 --> 00:41:05,300 He was a competitor like I was a competitor. 683 00:41:06,051 --> 00:41:08,261 At that time, I don't think either of us thought 684 00:41:08,345 --> 00:41:10,430 about what was gonna happen in the future. 685 00:41:10,513 --> 00:41:12,766 It was just the start of something I knew that-- 686 00:41:12,849 --> 00:41:14,517 that I was gonna be seeing him a lot. 687 00:41:14,601 --> 00:41:16,895 Arkansas is on a 14-game winning streak 688 00:41:16,978 --> 00:41:18,772 with 25 and 4 this season. 689 00:41:18,855 --> 00:41:20,440 Indiana State 31 and 0. 690 00:41:20,523 --> 00:41:23,526 In 1979, I was governor of Arkansas. 691 00:41:23,610 --> 00:41:25,111 It was my first year. 692 00:41:25,195 --> 00:41:28,949 And Arkansas made the tournament, and they were playing Indiana State. 693 00:41:30,408 --> 00:41:33,703 Nobody wanted to see Arkansas beat Indiana 694 00:41:33,787 --> 00:41:35,705 except the people from Arkansas. 695 00:41:35,789 --> 00:41:37,958 They wanted Bird and Magic in the final. 696 00:41:38,917 --> 00:41:42,504 The point guard for Indiana State, who was a senior and very good, 697 00:41:42,587 --> 00:41:45,799 with time running out, he throws the ball into his left hand, 698 00:41:45,882 --> 00:41:49,094 heaves it up. It bounces off the backboard and goes in, and they win. 699 00:41:49,177 --> 00:41:50,762 It was an unbelievable game. I-- 700 00:41:50,845 --> 00:41:53,473 And I looked at the guy sittin' with me, and I said, 701 00:41:53,557 --> 00:41:58,478 "God now wants Magic and Larry Bird to play in the final, 702 00:41:59,062 --> 00:42:01,314 and who are we to defy God's will?" 703 00:42:05,777 --> 00:42:07,862 It is Indiana State against Michigan State. 704 00:42:07,946 --> 00:42:11,408 I'm Bryant Gumbel, and the fans here are going bananas. 705 00:42:12,659 --> 00:42:17,872 The NCAA finals between Michigan State and Indiana State 706 00:42:17,956 --> 00:42:19,791 was basketball heaven. 707 00:42:20,625 --> 00:42:23,753 Because you had two transcendent talents. 708 00:42:23,837 --> 00:42:25,380 The Magic Man, Earvin Johnson, 709 00:42:25,463 --> 00:42:27,424 against The Bird, Larry Bird, of Indiana State. 710 00:42:27,507 --> 00:42:30,218 You didn't turn on the TV unless they was talking about Magic, Bird. 711 00:42:30,302 --> 00:42:31,303 It was everywhere. 712 00:42:31,970 --> 00:42:33,930 You had this Magic Man 713 00:42:34,014 --> 00:42:38,351 against the hillbilly from French Lick, Indiana, Larry Bird. 714 00:42:38,435 --> 00:42:42,188 And both of 'em had a completely different kind of appeal. 715 00:42:43,398 --> 00:42:46,776 The country was divided about who they were gonna cheer for. 716 00:42:47,819 --> 00:42:51,197 And let's not kid ourselves, the racial contrasts were there too. 717 00:42:51,823 --> 00:42:54,659 White kid from Indiana in the country. 718 00:42:55,535 --> 00:42:57,954 City, urban Black kid. 719 00:42:58,038 --> 00:43:00,415 Hooking up for all the gold, all the marbles. 720 00:43:00,498 --> 00:43:02,250 Everything was about them 721 00:43:02,334 --> 00:43:05,587 because there's a story about opposites that attract, right? 722 00:43:05,670 --> 00:43:08,798 You got a Black guy, and you got a white guy. Opposites. 723 00:43:08,882 --> 00:43:11,426 You got Michigan State, and you got Indiana State. 724 00:43:11,509 --> 00:43:13,345 Their style of play, opposites. 725 00:43:14,930 --> 00:43:17,557 They were the two best players in the country. 726 00:43:18,433 --> 00:43:21,353 Only one can win, and only one can walk away with the crown. 727 00:43:21,436 --> 00:43:24,564 How many times do you get that matchup for the championship? 728 00:43:27,234 --> 00:43:30,403 Tonight the Spartan season concludes with a tense matchup 729 00:43:30,487 --> 00:43:32,364 against undefeated Indiana State. 730 00:43:32,447 --> 00:43:35,242 This will mark Larry Bird's final college appearance 731 00:43:35,325 --> 00:43:37,994 and likely the same for Earvin "Magic" Johnson. 732 00:43:40,205 --> 00:43:43,250 Even as we broke up, I continued to watch the games 733 00:43:43,333 --> 00:43:45,043 and, you know, was a part of all of that 734 00:43:45,126 --> 00:43:47,504 'cause I-- you know, I was still in love with him. 735 00:43:48,004 --> 00:43:51,758 And he wasn't really acknowledging that he's dating the other girl, 736 00:43:51,841 --> 00:43:54,427 so I kept thinking maybe we'll get back together. 737 00:43:55,804 --> 00:43:58,348 But by the time they went to the NCAA, 738 00:43:58,431 --> 00:44:01,560 and I'm watching it on TV and I look in the audience, 739 00:44:01,643 --> 00:44:03,562 and I see his mom in the stands. 740 00:44:03,645 --> 00:44:07,941 And she's right next to her. And that just really crushed me. 741 00:44:09,276 --> 00:44:12,195 Watching that game and then seeing that girl 742 00:44:12,279 --> 00:44:14,531 in the seat that I should've been in. 743 00:44:16,866 --> 00:44:19,369 You know, just-- It was tough watching that. 744 00:44:19,452 --> 00:44:21,871 It was really tough watching that. 745 00:44:21,955 --> 00:44:25,375 Michigan State wins the tip-off with Donnelly in the backcourt. 746 00:44:25,458 --> 00:44:28,920 Taking control early, many think, will be crucial to win this game. 747 00:44:29,004 --> 00:44:30,630 We knew it was gonna be tough 748 00:44:30,714 --> 00:44:33,633 but we had confidence that we was gonna compete that night. 749 00:44:34,509 --> 00:44:37,345 The game plan was for us to double-team him 750 00:44:37,429 --> 00:44:38,430 wherever he went. 751 00:44:38,513 --> 00:44:41,433 Don't give him no room to maneuver. 752 00:44:41,516 --> 00:44:45,145 Look, they have him sandwiched in. Completely in, can't get him the ball. 753 00:44:45,228 --> 00:44:47,522 He was such an incredible shooter, 754 00:44:47,606 --> 00:44:50,442 we wanted to just get right up in his chest 755 00:44:50,525 --> 00:44:52,277 and not give him any airspace. 756 00:44:52,360 --> 00:44:53,445 Surrounded me 757 00:44:53,528 --> 00:44:57,324 and made me take tougher shots than I usually did. 758 00:44:57,407 --> 00:44:59,743 Johnson, three on one. 759 00:44:59,826 --> 00:45:02,621 Here it comes. The alley-oop. That's Greg Kelser. 760 00:45:02,704 --> 00:45:05,832 Going into the second half, we went up 16 points. 761 00:45:07,500 --> 00:45:09,544 And then everything changed. 762 00:45:09,628 --> 00:45:12,380 Earvin Johnson pushing for Michigan State, 763 00:45:12,464 --> 00:45:15,592 and Magic Johnson has his third foul. 764 00:45:15,675 --> 00:45:16,968 We had to fight through adversity 765 00:45:17,052 --> 00:45:18,887 because Earvin got three fouls in the first half. 766 00:45:18,970 --> 00:45:21,890 A big guard in there, along with a good-sized-- 767 00:45:21,973 --> 00:45:24,809 Foul is on Kelser, number four. 768 00:45:24,893 --> 00:45:26,603 We were about to blow the game open. 769 00:45:26,686 --> 00:45:30,106 Greg Kelser got his fourth foul and they came storming back. 770 00:45:31,441 --> 00:45:32,692 Bird. 771 00:45:33,318 --> 00:45:35,612 52 to 46. 772 00:45:35,695 --> 00:45:38,823 So, I knew I had to make plays for us to win. 773 00:45:38,907 --> 00:45:41,993 Johnson. Magic Johnson with the ball. 774 00:45:43,411 --> 00:45:46,456 Last play of the game, Earvin ends up with the ball. 775 00:45:46,539 --> 00:45:51,211 He throws it over his head about three-quarters court down the floor… 776 00:45:51,294 --> 00:45:52,671 There's the pass! 777 00:45:52,754 --> 00:45:55,090 …to Kelser, who flushes it to end the game. 778 00:45:58,552 --> 00:46:00,220 It's all over. 779 00:46:00,303 --> 00:46:06,101 Michigan State University, National Champions, 1979. 780 00:46:06,184 --> 00:46:08,937 We were able to play to our potential, 781 00:46:09,020 --> 00:46:10,814 and it was a gratifying moment. 782 00:46:10,897 --> 00:46:12,732 But only one can make… 783 00:46:12,816 --> 00:46:16,069 It was one of the toughest losses I've ever taken, and it still is today. 784 00:46:18,989 --> 00:46:22,826 Still the most-watched game in college basketball history 785 00:46:22,909 --> 00:46:24,953 some 40-some years after it was played. 786 00:46:27,247 --> 00:46:30,750 The goal and dream that I had set came to fruition, 787 00:46:30,834 --> 00:46:35,171 and so on the plane ride going back to Michigan State 788 00:46:36,298 --> 00:46:37,591 I knew I was leaving. 789 00:46:37,674 --> 00:46:41,136 I was ready mentally, physically, to turn pro. 790 00:46:43,930 --> 00:46:48,518 We did a lot of things in college that I thought maybe would take four years, 791 00:46:48,602 --> 00:46:53,481 and it happened in two, so I guess I gotta go on to the next step. 792 00:46:54,190 --> 00:46:57,068 And let's see what I can do in the NBA. 793 00:46:58,862 --> 00:47:00,906 I'm giving up a lot, you know. 794 00:47:01,740 --> 00:47:04,743 College is-- You're giving up, you know, the students, 795 00:47:04,826 --> 00:47:10,081 you know, the chance to have a lot of fun. 796 00:47:11,666 --> 00:47:13,710 Just a lot of things, you know. 797 00:47:14,586 --> 00:47:19,382 He went on to win the NCAA and then, you know, the very next year 798 00:47:19,466 --> 00:47:21,885 he opted to go to California. 799 00:47:23,011 --> 00:47:24,846 So, I was determined to finish school 800 00:47:24,930 --> 00:47:27,933 and get outta here and start a new life. 801 00:47:35,398 --> 00:47:37,734 On the eve of his very first day, 802 00:47:37,817 --> 00:47:41,363 I want you to know that this man has a smile 803 00:47:41,446 --> 00:47:45,784 that lights up a television screen from here to Bangor, Maine. 804 00:47:45,867 --> 00:47:48,286 I got butterflies in my stomach. 805 00:47:48,370 --> 00:47:51,957 I'm just tryna make sure I can settle myself down. 806 00:47:53,083 --> 00:47:54,501 So you're watching the debut 807 00:47:54,584 --> 00:47:56,878 of Magic Johnson with the Los Angeles Lakers. 808 00:47:56,962 --> 00:47:59,256 And Magic Johnson missing one underneath. 809 00:48:00,465 --> 00:48:02,300 Loose ball, tangle of bodies. 810 00:48:02,384 --> 00:48:05,136 Johnson comes free and he travels. 811 00:48:05,220 --> 00:48:07,806 I can hear some basketball fans right now. 812 00:48:07,889 --> 00:48:09,057 They're saying, "See, 813 00:48:09,140 --> 00:48:11,893 Magic Johnson can't play defense in the NBA." 814 00:48:11,977 --> 00:48:14,813 About the second quarter or so I did settle down. 815 00:48:15,855 --> 00:48:18,900 Intercepted by Magic, and here he comes from behind. 816 00:48:18,984 --> 00:48:21,653 A fake. The pass. Here we go. 817 00:48:21,736 --> 00:48:23,321 Five. 818 00:48:23,405 --> 00:48:24,698 Johnson back to Kareem. 819 00:48:25,532 --> 00:48:29,119 So, it has come down to this. Ford sends it to Kareem. 820 00:48:29,202 --> 00:48:30,495 Skyhook up, 821 00:48:30,579 --> 00:48:33,498 and good! Lakers win! Score it! 822 00:48:33,582 --> 00:48:38,503 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has given the Los Angeles Lakers a victory! 823 00:48:38,587 --> 00:48:41,339 And Magic Johnson is out there celebrating 824 00:48:41,423 --> 00:48:44,134 like they just won the NCAA Championship. 825 00:48:44,217 --> 00:48:46,845 Magic starts running and jumping, and we're all happy and stuff 826 00:48:46,928 --> 00:48:50,974 but we're happy because we won the game. Magic is happy because he could see it. 827 00:48:51,057 --> 00:48:53,643 He saw the making of a championship team. 828 00:48:54,936 --> 00:48:57,272 I get in the locker room, Kareem say, 829 00:48:57,355 --> 00:49:00,150 "Rookie, don't ever do that again." 830 00:49:00,233 --> 00:49:01,860 We got 81 more games. 831 00:49:03,028 --> 00:49:06,698 You know, if we get up to this emotional level 832 00:49:06,781 --> 00:49:11,745 every time we win, you know, we'll be wasted by Christmas time. 833 00:49:11,828 --> 00:49:13,705 He pointed at me, so I pointed at him. 834 00:49:13,788 --> 00:49:16,625 "If you ever hit a shot like that 81 more times, 835 00:49:16,708 --> 00:49:19,628 I'ma jump in your arms 81 more times." 836 00:49:19,711 --> 00:49:22,214 And all of a sudden, we started to win. 837 00:49:22,297 --> 00:49:25,091 Someone that has captured the imagination of the country 838 00:49:25,175 --> 00:49:28,136 is this man, the Magic Man, Mr. Johnson. 839 00:49:28,220 --> 00:49:31,097 He made it possible for me to change my image 840 00:49:31,181 --> 00:49:34,267 in that we started winning. You know, I could start smiling. 841 00:49:36,895 --> 00:49:39,022 He was exactly the player that we needed. 842 00:49:39,689 --> 00:49:42,192 Cool is out. Enthusiasm is in. 843 00:49:42,275 --> 00:49:43,610 And isn't it refreshing? 844 00:49:44,152 --> 00:49:45,445 These guys care for each other. 845 00:49:45,528 --> 00:49:47,489 -We're sort of a live group of guys-- -Homeboy. 846 00:49:47,572 --> 00:49:50,742 He didn't have nothing but a T-shirt on. Now look at him. He's in silk shirts. 847 00:49:50,825 --> 00:49:51,952 Look at him. 848 00:49:52,702 --> 00:49:54,829 When them Lakers started winning, 849 00:49:54,913 --> 00:49:58,166 it united the city of Los Angeles. 850 00:49:58,250 --> 00:50:00,418 So, everybody felt like he was their hero. 851 00:50:00,919 --> 00:50:05,715 I fell in love with Magic Johnson and what he did on the court. 852 00:50:05,799 --> 00:50:09,928 And the charisma he had out with his media and public. 853 00:50:10,011 --> 00:50:13,515 Not only did Black America, not only the young Black kids, Black teenagers 854 00:50:13,974 --> 00:50:16,351 fall in love with Magic Johnson. 855 00:50:17,143 --> 00:50:20,689 But white America was falling in love with Magic Johnson. 856 00:50:21,982 --> 00:50:27,279 Falling in love and looking up to and feeling inspired by a Black male, 857 00:50:27,362 --> 00:50:28,905 you know, was almost unheard of. 858 00:50:30,657 --> 00:50:31,950 The Forum was in Inglewood. 859 00:50:32,033 --> 00:50:34,411 I grew up 14 blocks away and we got no tickets. 860 00:50:34,494 --> 00:50:37,914 We gotta figure out a way to sneak in. We were able to run down a tunnel. 861 00:50:37,998 --> 00:50:40,041 And run past the guards, get into the-- 862 00:50:40,125 --> 00:50:42,878 you know, get into the Forum and just kinda take seats. 863 00:50:42,961 --> 00:50:44,546 Here we go again. 864 00:50:45,589 --> 00:50:47,048 I've never seen nothing like that. 865 00:50:47,132 --> 00:50:50,093 I've never seen anybody 6'9", they were bringing the ball up the floor, 866 00:50:50,176 --> 00:50:53,388 there was control in the tempo, directing the offense. 867 00:50:53,471 --> 00:50:55,724 Nobody played the game like he played it. 868 00:50:55,807 --> 00:50:58,894 He was an oxymoron. He could play any position. 869 00:50:58,977 --> 00:51:00,729 He was a 6'9" point guard, 870 00:51:00,812 --> 00:51:02,772 and there wasn't one around at the time. 871 00:51:02,856 --> 00:51:04,649 Magic's hot and he knows it. 872 00:51:04,733 --> 00:51:06,735 What a pass to Cooper who scores! 873 00:51:06,818 --> 00:51:08,361 A no-look pass. But-- 874 00:51:08,445 --> 00:51:10,447 Earvin's gonna make a fantastic no-look pass. 875 00:51:10,530 --> 00:51:13,283 You know, look this way, ball goes that way, behind the back. 876 00:51:13,366 --> 00:51:15,327 Wraparound the world, score! 877 00:51:15,410 --> 00:51:18,288 I'm no-looking to everybody, right? 878 00:51:18,371 --> 00:51:20,749 Through the legs, behind the back. 879 00:51:20,832 --> 00:51:24,628 Oh, man, and that crowd would just go crazy. 880 00:51:24,711 --> 00:51:27,505 Magic had swagger. Magic was cool. 881 00:51:28,548 --> 00:51:33,637 You know, he played with such joy, enthusiasm. 882 00:51:33,720 --> 00:51:35,388 I mean, he was my favorite player. 883 00:51:35,472 --> 00:51:37,224 The Lakers became my favorite team. 884 00:51:38,350 --> 00:51:39,809 People looked up to him. 885 00:51:39,893 --> 00:51:42,812 People admired him from both sides. 886 00:51:42,896 --> 00:51:44,940 People wanted to be him. 887 00:51:53,406 --> 00:51:57,702 Everybody knows this Magic, the happy guy. The one who smiles. 888 00:51:58,495 --> 00:52:02,290 I think they might think that, you know, nothing ever goes wrong, 889 00:52:02,374 --> 00:52:04,376 or he has no problems. 890 00:52:04,459 --> 00:52:08,088 He just smiles every day and, and everything and-- 891 00:52:09,631 --> 00:52:13,385 But I do have low points, and… 892 00:52:14,052 --> 00:52:17,973 Earvin Johnson is another guy. You know. 893 00:52:18,056 --> 00:52:21,226 Here's Magic over here, and here's Earvin over here. 894 00:52:23,186 --> 00:52:25,397 During the first year I was definitely homesick, 895 00:52:26,356 --> 00:52:29,150 so my phone bill was extremely high. 896 00:52:29,234 --> 00:52:31,361 He would call us all the time, 897 00:52:31,945 --> 00:52:34,739 you know, just about every day or every other day. 898 00:52:37,033 --> 00:52:39,411 I've never been without my family. 899 00:52:39,494 --> 00:52:43,248 My father and my mother always been at my games. 900 00:52:43,331 --> 00:52:47,043 Always still only 15, 20 minutes away from the college 901 00:52:47,127 --> 00:52:49,713 so I could go home and get a home-cooked meal. 902 00:52:49,796 --> 00:52:51,006 I can't do that anymore. 903 00:52:51,089 --> 00:52:54,551 I can't go get a hug from my mother anymore 904 00:52:54,634 --> 00:52:58,638 or just advice from my father face-to-face anymore. 905 00:52:58,722 --> 00:53:02,392 Here is the rookie sensation, Earvin "Magic" Johnson. 906 00:53:02,475 --> 00:53:04,102 Tough when you play away from home. 907 00:53:04,185 --> 00:53:05,270 -Isn't it? -Definitely. 908 00:53:05,353 --> 00:53:07,439 Not hearing the home crowd screaming for you. 909 00:53:09,024 --> 00:53:10,734 The Forum was in Inglewood. 910 00:53:10,817 --> 00:53:13,987 Earvin lived close to Inglewood. He lived sort of an insulated life. 911 00:53:14,571 --> 00:53:17,449 He would go home and go to his little two-bedroom apartment. 912 00:53:17,949 --> 00:53:22,162 I stayed in my apartment all the time because I was scared. 913 00:53:22,245 --> 00:53:26,499 I was still scared of LA because LA was so big. 914 00:53:27,083 --> 00:53:28,627 How's the social life out here? 915 00:53:29,377 --> 00:53:30,962 I mean, I know you work hard, 916 00:53:31,046 --> 00:53:32,422 -Yeah. -but there's playtime too. 917 00:53:32,505 --> 00:53:34,090 Right, there's playtime. 918 00:53:35,342 --> 00:53:38,345 I was very much a guy who was guarded, 919 00:53:38,428 --> 00:53:41,556 and Norm Nixon told me to watch out for people. 920 00:53:42,182 --> 00:53:44,935 Everybody was trying to… 921 00:53:45,685 --> 00:53:49,522 get to know, you know, the athletes, and so I say, "Okay." 922 00:53:49,606 --> 00:53:51,858 You have to watch so much. 923 00:53:51,942 --> 00:53:53,443 Then you have to find out with-- 924 00:53:53,526 --> 00:53:56,613 Are the people real? Do they want you for you? 925 00:53:56,696 --> 00:53:59,491 Can you go out and just forget about ball, you know? 926 00:53:59,574 --> 00:54:01,451 It's really hard. It's really hard. 927 00:54:02,410 --> 00:54:04,162 Good luck to you and to the Los Angeles Lakers. 928 00:54:04,246 --> 00:54:05,497 -Nice being here. -Thanks for being with us. 929 00:54:05,580 --> 00:54:07,749 Mr. Earvin "Magic" Johnson. Thank you, sir. 930 00:54:08,458 --> 00:54:12,504 Here was this fresh young man from Michigan, 931 00:54:13,088 --> 00:54:15,298 and he couldn't trust people. 932 00:54:16,508 --> 00:54:19,135 But that first year in Los Angeles, 933 00:54:19,219 --> 00:54:20,804 Jerry Buss bought the team. 934 00:54:22,597 --> 00:54:25,475 In 1979, Dr. Jerry Buss's dreams 935 00:54:25,559 --> 00:54:30,647 of sports ownership became reality when he spent a record $67.5 million 936 00:54:30,730 --> 00:54:35,026 on the LA Lakers, the LA Kings and their lucrative venue, the LA Forum. 937 00:54:38,738 --> 00:54:43,368 He knew I was a long way from home, and he said, "Hey, young man. 938 00:54:43,451 --> 00:54:46,913 When we get back from training camp, 939 00:54:46,997 --> 00:54:51,418 one Saturday I want you to come, and we gonna stand on the sideline 940 00:54:51,501 --> 00:54:52,836 of a USC game. 941 00:54:58,383 --> 00:55:01,052 Once he-- we went to the first USC football game, 942 00:55:02,095 --> 00:55:04,306 that's when we started really hanging out. 943 00:55:05,181 --> 00:55:08,768 We started having lunch and dinners after the Laker games. 944 00:55:09,853 --> 00:55:11,771 He would say meet him at this restaurant. 945 00:55:11,855 --> 00:55:15,775 So I would go meet him there, and we would break bread together, talk. 946 00:55:15,859 --> 00:55:19,487 And then he just starts saying, "Hey, come on over to the house. 947 00:55:20,113 --> 00:55:24,451 You have the gate pad number. You can come anytime you want. 948 00:55:25,035 --> 00:55:27,829 And so I started going over there all the time. 949 00:55:28,788 --> 00:55:35,003 We played pool at his house for hours, and he sort of filled the void. 950 00:55:35,795 --> 00:55:40,091 I took him aside, and I talked with him. And I said, 951 00:55:40,175 --> 00:55:43,678 "Will you please look out after my baby for me?" 952 00:55:43,762 --> 00:55:47,432 Dr. Buss said, "Mrs. Johnson," he said, "I will take care of him." 953 00:55:47,515 --> 00:55:49,768 I felt more comfortable, you know, 954 00:55:49,851 --> 00:55:56,191 knowing that he had someone that he could talk to, someone that would, 955 00:55:57,067 --> 00:55:59,110 you know, take care of him. 956 00:56:00,695 --> 00:56:03,240 Well, it became extremely close. 957 00:56:03,323 --> 00:56:06,534 He was like Jerry's surrogate son. 958 00:56:07,410 --> 00:56:09,329 He was the apple of his eye, that's for sure. 959 00:56:09,412 --> 00:56:11,248 Johnson from outta nowhere. 960 00:56:11,331 --> 00:56:16,670 The Suns took it easy. They had the layup. And Magic Johnson just refused to give up, 961 00:56:16,753 --> 00:56:19,756 comes back inside, gives it to Kareem. That might do it. 962 00:56:19,839 --> 00:56:21,841 Charisma, that's what the young fella's got. 963 00:56:21,925 --> 00:56:23,718 He's had an excellent rookie season. 964 00:56:23,802 --> 00:56:26,805 The Los Angeles Lakers are the new champions 965 00:56:26,888 --> 00:56:32,727 of the Western Conference as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar pours in 38 points. 966 00:56:32,811 --> 00:56:34,813 Magic Johnson adds 20. 967 00:56:34,896 --> 00:56:36,106 I'm going crazy. 968 00:56:36,189 --> 00:56:39,442 Like, I just won the NCAA championship the year before, 969 00:56:39,526 --> 00:56:44,239 and now I'm actually going to the NBA Finals my rookie season. 970 00:56:45,282 --> 00:56:48,076 It's been eight seasons since the NBA championship has been a part 971 00:56:48,159 --> 00:56:49,703 of the LA sports scene. 972 00:56:49,786 --> 00:56:52,497 The style of the Lakers has always been to make the play-offs 973 00:56:52,581 --> 00:56:55,625 but somehow fold in or before the Finals. 974 00:56:56,877 --> 00:56:58,670 I remember we kept pumping each other up, 975 00:56:58,753 --> 00:57:00,881 "Okay. We gotta do this. We gotta do that." 976 00:57:00,964 --> 00:57:05,302 Well, earlier that week, the voting for the Rookie of the Year came out. 977 00:57:08,555 --> 00:57:11,308 I thought it would be close. It wasn't close. I was shocked. 978 00:57:13,143 --> 00:57:17,355 You know, when I learned that Larry Bird had won by a wide margin, 979 00:57:18,106 --> 00:57:19,107 I didn't like it. 980 00:57:21,234 --> 00:57:23,612 Everybody always said about me my first year, 981 00:57:23,695 --> 00:57:29,618 "He can pass. He can run a team, but Larry Bird is a much better scorer." 982 00:57:29,701 --> 00:57:34,205 I was sitting there saying to myself, "I can score, but that's not my role." 983 00:57:34,289 --> 00:57:36,458 I didn't like hearing that all the time. 984 00:57:38,168 --> 00:57:41,880 And so, you got me fired up going into the NBA Finals. 985 00:57:43,048 --> 00:57:45,717 Philadelphia beat the Boston Celtics four out of five. 986 00:57:45,800 --> 00:57:47,969 Julius Erving carried the load. He averaged 25 a game. 987 00:57:48,053 --> 00:57:50,347 The Doctor will be the man they'll have to go to. 988 00:57:50,430 --> 00:57:53,391 They had a real good team. Dr. J, when they had Chocolate Thunder, 989 00:57:53,475 --> 00:57:54,309 Darryl Dawkins. 990 00:57:54,392 --> 00:57:57,062 Now, I was a Philadelphia 76ers fan. 991 00:57:57,145 --> 00:57:59,356 I'd had a Dr. J poster on my wall. 992 00:57:59,439 --> 00:58:01,858 I was pulling for Philly. I was a Dr. J fan. 993 00:58:01,942 --> 00:58:05,528 We all wanted him to win a championship but not against us. 994 00:58:05,612 --> 00:58:09,908 …underway. Controlled by Dawkins who'll break free. 995 00:58:09,991 --> 00:58:12,744 It was a back-and-forth, up-and-down series. 996 00:58:13,453 --> 00:58:16,081 We knew we had our hands full with Philadelphia, 997 00:58:16,164 --> 00:58:19,167 but the one thing that was going in our favor was nobody 998 00:58:19,251 --> 00:58:20,919 in the league could stop Kareem. 999 00:58:21,002 --> 00:58:22,504 Kareem moving the other way, Dawkins can't-- 1000 00:58:22,587 --> 00:58:25,715 -He was just unstoppable. -I spoke to the team. I told 'em, 1001 00:58:26,383 --> 00:58:28,718 "Listen, I'm gonna be ready to do my job." 1002 00:58:28,802 --> 00:58:32,389 Goes to Magic, lob to Kareem… 1003 00:58:32,472 --> 00:58:36,226 And so, in game five at the Forum, it was nip and tuck. 1004 00:58:36,309 --> 00:58:41,022 A 2-2 series, this is a big game because we can go up 3-2. 1005 00:58:45,652 --> 00:58:46,695 Kareem's hurt. 1006 00:58:46,778 --> 00:58:50,115 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is injured. There's no question about it. 1007 00:58:50,198 --> 00:58:52,409 In the middle of the third quarter, 1008 00:58:52,492 --> 00:58:54,578 Kareem has a sprain in his ankle. 1009 00:58:54,661 --> 00:58:58,123 Boy, they would be in more than serious trouble without him. 1010 00:58:58,206 --> 00:59:01,293 We ended up closing out the game. We're up 3-2 now. 1011 00:59:01,376 --> 00:59:03,545 Please. Give him some room here, please. 1012 00:59:03,628 --> 00:59:05,422 It was catastrophic. 1013 00:59:05,505 --> 00:59:08,091 Kareem was our captain, and he was always there. 1014 00:59:08,174 --> 00:59:10,093 Consummate professional, whether it was, you know, 1015 00:59:10,176 --> 00:59:13,471 had a migraine or not. I think we were all hopeful. 1016 00:59:13,555 --> 00:59:16,474 If there was any way he could play, he would play. We knew that. 1017 00:59:17,392 --> 00:59:20,228 The next morning, we're flying to Philly. 1018 00:59:20,312 --> 00:59:24,149 We get to the airport, and they said, "Man, did you hear the news?" 1019 00:59:24,232 --> 00:59:25,233 I said, "What news?" 1020 00:59:25,317 --> 00:59:29,321 Our doctors let us know that he was injured enough 1021 00:59:29,404 --> 00:59:31,823 that he wasn't gonna play game six. 1022 00:59:32,365 --> 00:59:36,620 We don't have the greatest scorer in the history of the game with us. 1023 00:59:37,537 --> 00:59:40,332 How we gonna beat Philadelphia without Kareem? 1024 00:59:40,832 --> 00:59:44,836 Everybody's sitting there, and you could tell it was a lot of tension. 1025 00:59:44,920 --> 00:59:46,838 And everybody was, like, nervous. 1026 00:59:46,922 --> 00:59:49,132 Nobody was talking, which was strange. 1027 00:59:49,216 --> 00:59:50,759 How we gonna do this without our captain? 1028 00:59:50,842 --> 00:59:52,802 You know, he's not even gonna make the trip. 1029 00:59:52,886 --> 00:59:54,471 This must really be bad. 1030 00:59:55,055 --> 00:59:58,975 They was all frustrated and disappointed that he couldn't play. 1031 01:00:00,101 --> 01:00:02,187 So, I said, "I gotta do something." 1032 01:00:03,021 --> 01:00:04,773 Kareem used to get seat 1A. 1033 01:00:05,357 --> 01:00:07,984 There was only one person who ever sat in 1A. 1034 01:00:09,152 --> 01:00:11,321 Kareem would sit in the first row 1035 01:00:11,404 --> 01:00:14,282 but Magic and I would sit in the second row. 1036 01:00:14,366 --> 01:00:17,744 So, I'm in the second row, and Magic sits in Kareem's seat. 1037 01:00:17,827 --> 01:00:20,038 He just turned around and looked at everybody. 1038 01:00:20,121 --> 01:00:22,165 And goes, 1039 01:00:22,249 --> 01:00:25,001 "Have no fear, Earvin Magic Johnson is here." 1040 01:00:26,795 --> 01:00:28,630 I'm 'bout to show you 1041 01:00:28,713 --> 01:00:32,425 and everybody on this team what type of game I got.