1 00:00:07,551 --> 00:00:09,052 [interviewer] Ready? 2 00:00:10,095 --> 00:00:11,054 Um. 3 00:00:12,722 --> 00:00:14,933 You-- Are you glad your name's Magic Johnson? 4 00:00:15,016 --> 00:00:16,268 [laughing] 5 00:00:16,351 --> 00:00:18,061 I would think that puts pressure on you right there. 6 00:00:18,144 --> 00:00:18,979 Yeah. 7 00:00:20,230 --> 00:00:22,482 [commentator] Ladies and gentleman, you know him, you love him. 8 00:00:22,566 --> 00:00:26,069 Please say hello to Number 32, Earvin ''Magic'' Johnson! 9 00:00:26,152 --> 00:00:27,237 Here we go! 10 00:00:27,320 --> 00:00:28,655 [people cheering] 11 00:00:28,738 --> 00:00:30,365 -Magic. Magic. -Magic. 12 00:00:30,448 --> 00:00:33,201 Magic Johnson, that's who I wanna be like. 13 00:00:33,285 --> 00:00:36,329 Magic Johnson, the man, the myth, the legend. 14 00:00:36,913 --> 00:00:40,834 Magic Johnson was about passing the basketball. 15 00:00:40,917 --> 00:00:43,628 Doing so with flash, dash and sizzle. 16 00:00:45,297 --> 00:00:49,551 Magic did it with a smile. He did it with joy. 17 00:00:49,634 --> 00:00:51,094 People became special around him. 18 00:00:51,177 --> 00:00:54,639 They got their own kind of mythology around themselves, 19 00:00:54,723 --> 00:00:57,893 because they were on the team with this mythological cat. 20 00:00:59,019 --> 00:01:00,979 [Abdul-Jabbar] The way he played the game. 21 00:01:01,062 --> 00:01:05,065 Magic's no-look passes made it seem like he was clairvoyant, you know? 22 00:01:05,984 --> 00:01:08,987 Everybody wants to credit Michael Jordan for changing the NBA. 23 00:01:09,905 --> 00:01:13,325 When Magic Johnson came in, that's when the game changed. 24 00:01:14,034 --> 00:01:18,079 I was a Chicago Bulls fan, but I gotta say, 25 00:01:18,163 --> 00:01:19,748 Magic Johnson was pretty good. 26 00:01:21,124 --> 00:01:23,335 [announcer] Here he is! Magic Man. 27 00:01:23,418 --> 00:01:26,379 And you know that we're number one! 28 00:01:27,464 --> 00:01:32,510 [Hill] He was the brightest star in the galaxy of stars. 29 00:01:33,053 --> 00:01:34,888 That's saying quite a bit here in Los Angeles. 30 00:01:34,971 --> 00:01:37,933 [Kimmel] He's still the most popular athlete in Los Angeles. 31 00:01:38,016 --> 00:01:42,896 He is beloved by everyone in this town. Nobody doesn't like Magic. 32 00:01:44,147 --> 00:01:47,692 It wasn't "Magic." It was Earvin Johnson Jr. 33 00:01:47,776 --> 00:01:48,860 [people chattering] 34 00:01:48,944 --> 00:01:51,321 [Thomas] And if you notice, I went Earvin and Magic. 35 00:01:51,988 --> 00:01:54,282 Those are two different personalities. 36 00:01:54,366 --> 00:01:56,117 [Magic] Magic loves the crowd, 37 00:01:56,201 --> 00:02:00,705 loves the-- the atmosphere of, uh-- of being a basketball player. 38 00:02:00,789 --> 00:02:03,833 Earvin likes to get away from that. 39 00:02:03,917 --> 00:02:06,753 Earvin and Magic are very different people. 40 00:02:06,836 --> 00:02:09,506 Magic is just, like, in front of the camera, the big smile, 41 00:02:09,588 --> 00:02:11,675 laughing, loving the attention. 42 00:02:11,758 --> 00:02:13,677 Earvin's quite impatient and, you know, 43 00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:15,929 he's the one who's, like, very controlling. 44 00:02:16,012 --> 00:02:18,139 He put you through hell though, didn't he? 45 00:02:18,723 --> 00:02:23,812 None of us call him Magic. He is Earvin and sometimes something else. [laughs] 46 00:02:25,105 --> 00:02:27,315 Earvin don't like to lose. He don't like to lose nothin'. 47 00:02:27,399 --> 00:02:28,858 I don't care if it's checkers… 48 00:02:28,942 --> 00:02:33,655 The thing about Earvin "Magic" Johnson, he never wanted it easy. 49 00:02:33,738 --> 00:02:37,033 And I'm sure in his life, very few things came easy. 50 00:02:38,118 --> 00:02:40,620 Everything came fast and good to you, 51 00:02:40,704 --> 00:02:43,498 but it could easily be taken away, just as fast. 52 00:02:44,082 --> 00:02:45,417 He's Earvin. 53 00:02:45,500 --> 00:02:47,085 I don't call him Magic, 54 00:02:47,168 --> 00:02:50,630 'cause Magic is a character that played basketball. 55 00:02:50,714 --> 00:02:52,007 He's like a superhero. 56 00:02:52,090 --> 00:02:53,592 [people cheering] 57 00:02:55,719 --> 00:02:57,512 [buzzer sounds] 58 00:02:58,138 --> 00:03:00,056 If that's Magic, I guess that's what I am. 59 00:03:51,024 --> 00:03:52,442 [people cheering] 60 00:03:52,525 --> 00:03:54,236 [commentator] Earvin Johnson passes long! 61 00:03:54,319 --> 00:03:57,447 Johnson drives to the net. One of the best, perhaps the best, 62 00:03:57,530 --> 00:03:59,824 all-around college basketball player today. 63 00:04:06,289 --> 00:04:09,167 The rumors say that you've played your last college game 64 00:04:09,251 --> 00:04:11,711 and that you're heading away from Michigan State. 65 00:04:13,296 --> 00:04:15,966 [people chattering] 66 00:04:21,429 --> 00:04:23,557 [applauding] 67 00:04:27,644 --> 00:04:28,687 Yeah. 68 00:04:30,855 --> 00:04:32,190 Scoot this up. 69 00:04:36,152 --> 00:04:40,657 Yeah, I'd like to say, uh, hello to all my teammates. 70 00:04:40,740 --> 00:04:41,866 [chuckles] 71 00:04:42,701 --> 00:04:44,869 And, uh, what's happening? 72 00:04:45,495 --> 00:04:47,831 I'd like to say good morning. It's a hot morning. 73 00:04:47,914 --> 00:04:48,915 [smacks lips] 74 00:04:49,833 --> 00:04:51,918 And I'd like to say, um... 75 00:04:52,002 --> 00:04:54,421 [clicks tongue] ...it's been rough, you know. 76 00:04:54,504 --> 00:04:55,672 It's, uh... 77 00:04:56,756 --> 00:04:58,758 I've been going through a lot, you know. 78 00:04:59,676 --> 00:05:02,512 Uh, uh, s-- students, you know, the community, 79 00:05:02,596 --> 00:05:04,681 everybody wanna know what I'm gonna do, but-- 80 00:05:05,807 --> 00:05:08,393 [reporter] Could Michigan State fans lose their star player, 81 00:05:08,476 --> 00:05:09,853 Earvin "Magic" Johnson? 82 00:05:09,936 --> 00:05:12,731 With shouts of triumph or tears of disappointment, 83 00:05:12,814 --> 00:05:15,108 many believe Johnson is likely to be the first pick 84 00:05:15,191 --> 00:05:16,610 in this year's NBA draft. 85 00:05:16,693 --> 00:05:20,280 The team's best positioned to get him would be the Lakers or the Bulls. 86 00:05:21,031 --> 00:05:26,077 I'll never forget how excited everybody was about that draft. 87 00:05:26,161 --> 00:05:29,497 Because we had a chance to draft Earvin ''Magic'' Johnson. 88 00:05:30,540 --> 00:05:34,377 [Thorn] You know, at the end of the, uh, '78, '79 season, 89 00:05:34,461 --> 00:05:38,048 two franchises flipped a coin to see who got first pick. 90 00:05:38,131 --> 00:05:42,052 So, the Lakers and the Bulls were headed for a coin flip. 91 00:05:42,135 --> 00:05:44,304 [announcer] Magic's style on the court would breathe new life 92 00:05:44,387 --> 00:05:47,515 into Chicago, if he chooses to leave college early to go pro. 93 00:05:48,099 --> 00:05:51,269 [Magic] I haven't had a lot of time to think about it, 94 00:05:51,353 --> 00:05:53,897 but I guess this is the deadline so I had to, uh... 95 00:05:53,980 --> 00:05:56,399 [chuckles] ...give the answer up today. 96 00:05:57,567 --> 00:05:59,986 [Thorn] Bill Sharman and I had a conversation. 97 00:06:00,070 --> 00:06:03,323 Uh, Bill was, uh, GM of the Lakers, and I said to Bill, 98 00:06:03,406 --> 00:06:05,784 "Do you mind if we call the flip?" 99 00:06:05,867 --> 00:06:09,829 Because we're having our fans decide for us 100 00:06:09,913 --> 00:06:11,581 whether we're gonna call heads or tails. 101 00:06:11,665 --> 00:06:14,709 [commentator] With NBA Commissioner Larry O'Brien ready to toss the coin 102 00:06:14,793 --> 00:06:19,089 and both teams waiting on the phone, Bulls GM Rod Thorn made his call. 103 00:06:19,714 --> 00:06:21,925 I had always been a tails guy. 104 00:06:23,134 --> 00:06:26,179 Our fans told us, "Call heads." 105 00:06:26,263 --> 00:06:28,181 [O'Brien] Let's have Chicago's call. 106 00:06:28,265 --> 00:06:31,309 -Uh, Chicago calls heads. -[O'Brien] Chicago calls heads. 107 00:06:31,893 --> 00:06:35,397 [Thorn] In New York, the commissioner flipped the coin. 108 00:06:36,439 --> 00:06:38,942 [West] For the Lakers, this was that one guy 109 00:06:39,526 --> 00:06:42,237 that was going to change the destiny of this franchise. 110 00:06:42,320 --> 00:06:46,491 And when somebody gives you a nickname, "Magic", 111 00:06:47,993 --> 00:06:49,202 what do you expect? 112 00:06:52,247 --> 00:06:54,040 [O'Brien] We'll now make the flip. 113 00:07:01,131 --> 00:07:02,132 Tails it is! 114 00:07:02,215 --> 00:07:05,385 [shouting and cheering] 115 00:07:05,468 --> 00:07:07,846 [commentator 1] In the off-season, some Laker prayers are answered. 116 00:07:07,929 --> 00:07:09,931 [commentator 2] Los Angeles has first rights to Magic now. 117 00:07:12,017 --> 00:07:15,645 Okay, so, um, next season... 118 00:07:15,729 --> 00:07:16,730 [sighs] 119 00:07:17,272 --> 00:07:21,067 I'll be, uh-- Well, today, I'll be applying for hardship. 120 00:07:21,151 --> 00:07:22,569 I'll be turning pro. 121 00:07:22,652 --> 00:07:24,571 [applause] 122 00:07:29,242 --> 00:07:31,411 [O'Brien] It is now exactly 12:00 noon. 123 00:07:31,494 --> 00:07:35,123 The draft is officially open. I want to welcome all the fans 124 00:07:35,206 --> 00:07:38,084 that are gonna join in and help make this draft a success. 125 00:07:38,168 --> 00:07:40,128 [people cheering, whistling] 126 00:07:44,174 --> 00:07:47,761 [O'Brien] The first pick is the Los Angeles Lakers. 127 00:07:49,554 --> 00:07:53,433 The Los Angeles Lakers select Earvin "Magic" Johnson, 128 00:07:53,516 --> 00:07:56,478 Michigan State, 6'8'', 200 pounds. 129 00:07:56,561 --> 00:07:59,481 [Cronkite] Earvin "Magic" Johnson of Michigan State, 130 00:07:59,564 --> 00:08:01,816 was chosen by the Los Angeles Lakers today, 131 00:08:01,900 --> 00:08:05,987 as the number one pick in the National Basketball Association draft. 132 00:08:15,330 --> 00:08:18,792 I am Earvin "Magic" Johnson, 133 00:08:18,875 --> 00:08:24,464 and, uh-- But I was born Earvin Johnson Jr. [laughs] 134 00:08:24,548 --> 00:08:27,092 ["Good Times" playing] 135 00:08:27,676 --> 00:08:32,681 When I got drafted by the Lakers and I got off the plane in LA, 136 00:08:32,764 --> 00:08:34,765 oh, my goodness! 137 00:08:34,849 --> 00:08:38,520 I had to come in and prove I could play in the NBA 138 00:08:38,602 --> 00:08:40,813 and lead the Lakers. 139 00:08:41,523 --> 00:08:45,151 I really, really didn't want him to go. 140 00:08:45,235 --> 00:08:47,028 He was 19 years old. 141 00:08:47,988 --> 00:08:52,200 Going away from home, this would be the first time away from the family. 142 00:08:52,284 --> 00:08:56,329 And I just didn't know what was gonna happen to my baby. 143 00:08:56,413 --> 00:08:58,373 [reporter 1] The LA Lakers had the number-one pick. 144 00:08:58,456 --> 00:08:59,749 They took Earvin "Magic" Johnson. 145 00:08:59,833 --> 00:09:02,252 [reporter 2] And a young man who is so exciting. 146 00:09:02,335 --> 00:09:04,045 [reporter 3] He is a delightful personality. 147 00:09:04,129 --> 00:09:06,590 He is lighting up all of Southern California. 148 00:09:09,384 --> 00:09:11,761 See this shit here? I bleed this shit. 149 00:09:12,554 --> 00:09:15,557 If I was Superman, this would be my "S" on my chest. 150 00:09:15,640 --> 00:09:17,726 But I ain't Superman. I'm Snooperman, 151 00:09:18,685 --> 00:09:19,978 and that's my symbol. 152 00:09:20,061 --> 00:09:21,271 Laker gang. 153 00:09:23,356 --> 00:09:26,026 I first heard about Magic in 1978. 154 00:09:26,109 --> 00:09:28,862 When, um, he was getting it in, in college. 155 00:09:30,447 --> 00:09:32,574 And then the next year '79. 156 00:09:32,657 --> 00:09:34,159 [people cheering] 157 00:09:34,242 --> 00:09:38,872 When the Lakers got Magic Johnson, excitement ain't even the word. 158 00:09:38,955 --> 00:09:41,374 [music continues] 159 00:09:49,049 --> 00:09:50,133 Here we are. 160 00:09:57,974 --> 00:10:00,101 [Riley] I remember when he showed up, 161 00:10:00,810 --> 00:10:03,396 there was a rumor Earvin "Magic" Johnson was gonna come 162 00:10:03,480 --> 00:10:04,731 to the Summer League game. 163 00:10:05,649 --> 00:10:09,152 [Magic] I'm on my way to the game, and I said to our trainer-- I said, 164 00:10:09,236 --> 00:10:10,904 "Well, how many people do they get?" 165 00:10:10,987 --> 00:10:14,032 And he said, "Well, they only get like a 100, 200 people at the game." 166 00:10:14,950 --> 00:10:18,703 [Riley] Place is full, 2,500 to 3,000 people, standing room only, 167 00:10:18,787 --> 00:10:21,289 LA crowd, and he's walking. 168 00:10:22,249 --> 00:10:26,503 And there are just nothing but hundreds of kids following him. 169 00:10:26,586 --> 00:10:29,923 You could just feel that something different was going to happen. 170 00:10:30,006 --> 00:10:31,299 You could feel it in the air. 171 00:10:31,383 --> 00:10:32,592 I'll be definitely ready, 172 00:10:32,676 --> 00:10:35,470 especially if the fans be as beautiful as they were tonight. 173 00:10:35,554 --> 00:10:38,348 -[interviewer] Fans, gonna be here? -[people cheering] 174 00:10:38,431 --> 00:10:40,642 [interviewer] Cooper interview. Take one. 175 00:10:40,725 --> 00:10:43,144 [yelps] I'm sorry. [laughs] 176 00:10:43,228 --> 00:10:46,773 Michael Cooper. Los Angeles Lakers. AKA Dark Gable. 177 00:10:46,856 --> 00:10:50,652 AKA Lockdown Motherfucker. AKA Buck Naked. 178 00:10:50,735 --> 00:10:52,404 [people chattering] 179 00:10:53,863 --> 00:10:56,866 We're sitting in the locker room, and he hadn't gotten there yet. 180 00:10:56,950 --> 00:10:58,493 So, we're sitting there. 181 00:10:58,577 --> 00:11:01,204 This was gonna be my second year with the Lakers. 182 00:11:01,955 --> 00:11:03,748 And I knew something was up. 183 00:11:03,832 --> 00:11:06,668 ["Flashlight" playing] 184 00:11:06,751 --> 00:11:10,046 We knew that Magic was in the, uh, parking lot 185 00:11:10,130 --> 00:11:12,465 because we could hear his boom box. 186 00:11:13,508 --> 00:11:17,304 I had this big boom box that I brought from Lansing, Michigan. 187 00:11:17,387 --> 00:11:21,641 And I was playing Parliament-Funkadelics at that time. 188 00:11:21,725 --> 00:11:25,562 His favorite, uh, group was, uh, Parliament-Funkadelic. 189 00:11:25,645 --> 00:11:29,316 But Kareem, he liked the quiet music, you know? 190 00:11:29,399 --> 00:11:31,526 [relaxed jazz plays] 191 00:11:36,281 --> 00:11:38,491 ["Flashlight" resumes, stops] 192 00:11:38,575 --> 00:11:40,243 [jazz resumes, stops] 193 00:11:40,327 --> 00:11:42,037 ["Flashlight" resumes] 194 00:11:44,414 --> 00:11:47,125 You hear that music, and all of a sudden, he walks in. 195 00:11:47,208 --> 00:11:48,418 ♪ Flashlight ♪ 196 00:11:48,501 --> 00:11:51,213 [mimicking tune] 197 00:11:57,844 --> 00:12:01,389 Kareem's a quiet man, so-- A man of few words. 198 00:12:01,473 --> 00:12:07,020 So, he just looked at me and said, "Rookie, cut that damn box off!" 199 00:12:08,063 --> 00:12:10,398 He went around and introduced himself to everybody, 200 00:12:10,482 --> 00:12:14,152 and he goes, "Hey, I'm Magic." He didn't say Earvin Magic. "I'm Magic." 201 00:12:14,236 --> 00:12:16,696 I said, "Magic, I'm Coop. How you doing?" 202 00:12:16,780 --> 00:12:19,699 And I said, "Welcome to the NBA, motherfucker." 203 00:12:27,082 --> 00:12:29,417 But when Magic got drafted by the Lakers, 204 00:12:29,501 --> 00:12:34,214 NBA was not considered a very glamorous league at that time. 205 00:12:34,297 --> 00:12:36,716 The league was like a mom-and-pop league. 206 00:12:36,800 --> 00:12:39,553 There wasn't a lot of money flowing around in those days. 207 00:12:40,053 --> 00:12:43,431 The National Basketball Association in its 33rd season is troubled 208 00:12:43,515 --> 00:12:46,476 by diminishing crowds and declining television ratings. 209 00:12:46,560 --> 00:12:49,271 Signs that fan interest may be waning. 210 00:12:51,022 --> 00:12:54,693 That October of 1979, the NBA was a mess. 211 00:12:55,235 --> 00:12:58,029 The NBA was considered too drug-infested, too Black, 212 00:12:58,989 --> 00:13:00,824 and the games were on tape delay. 213 00:13:00,907 --> 00:13:04,244 I remember watching games late night, and they were repeats. 214 00:13:04,327 --> 00:13:06,371 You had to tell your family, "Don't tell me who won. 215 00:13:06,454 --> 00:13:08,123 Don't tell me nothing about the game." 216 00:13:08,206 --> 00:13:11,167 It just wasn't popular enough to be in prime time. 217 00:13:11,251 --> 00:13:14,296 Dare to talk with the commissioner of the NBA, Larry O'Brien. 218 00:13:14,379 --> 00:13:15,881 What about the future of the NBA? 219 00:13:15,964 --> 00:13:18,592 When we talked last year, there were a lot of problems. 220 00:13:18,675 --> 00:13:22,262 Frankly, I get a little bit frustrated when I hear and read about it so often. 221 00:13:22,345 --> 00:13:25,807 The league not only was losing money, it was losing interest. 222 00:13:25,891 --> 00:13:28,810 This was not a good week for the National Basketball Association. 223 00:13:30,020 --> 00:13:33,231 I mean, it was known as a thuggish league. 224 00:13:33,315 --> 00:13:36,192 [newscaster] Violence in the National Basketball Association 225 00:13:36,276 --> 00:13:38,278 appears to be on the rise. 226 00:13:38,361 --> 00:13:41,948 They let people in the NBA fight then. You know? 227 00:13:44,451 --> 00:13:46,786 When things happened, people fought. 228 00:13:48,121 --> 00:13:52,417 The National Basketball Association today suspended Los Angeles Lakers forward, 229 00:13:52,500 --> 00:13:53,710 Kermit Washington. 230 00:13:54,419 --> 00:13:58,381 I remember when Kermit Washington hit Rudy Tomjanovich at the Forum. 231 00:13:58,465 --> 00:14:01,593 Broke his jaw. That was really one of the low points. 232 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? 233 00:14:06,056 --> 00:14:07,057 [reporter] Why? 234 00:14:07,641 --> 00:14:11,394 I think there's a conflict between the white and the Black, and, uh, 235 00:14:11,478 --> 00:14:14,773 I don't enjoy going to the basketball and seeing all Black players. 236 00:14:14,856 --> 00:14:17,651 America was over 65, 70% white. 237 00:14:17,734 --> 00:14:21,947 People were not willing to embrace the product into their living rooms. 238 00:14:22,697 --> 00:14:27,369 [Hill] And there was talk of certain teams even folding. 239 00:14:27,452 --> 00:14:29,287 [Thorn] It was "survive." 240 00:14:29,371 --> 00:14:33,917 Can we survive a, you know, another year? Can we survive another week? 241 00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:37,420 [announcer] And now, starting for your Los Angeles Lakers… 242 00:14:37,504 --> 00:14:40,048 The Lakers at that time weren't thought of as champions. 243 00:14:40,131 --> 00:14:41,716 They were thought of as contenders. 244 00:14:41,800 --> 00:14:44,594 [announcer] West. West all alone. Look at Russell come down. 245 00:14:44,678 --> 00:14:46,137 And what a play by Russell! 246 00:14:47,264 --> 00:14:49,849 [West] I remember my first year in Los Angeles. 247 00:14:49,933 --> 00:14:53,895 The Lakers were on the last page of the newspaper. The last page. 248 00:14:54,646 --> 00:14:56,898 We would get in the back of trucks 249 00:14:56,982 --> 00:15:00,235 and go in the neighborhoods with microphones. 250 00:15:00,318 --> 00:15:04,155 "Come out and see the Lakers play. Come out and see the Lakers play." 251 00:15:04,239 --> 00:15:08,535 Since 1960, I mean, the Lakers got beat six times in a row 252 00:15:08,618 --> 00:15:10,412 by Bill Russell and the Celtics. 253 00:15:11,496 --> 00:15:15,375 [West] We lost so many times in the Finals. I played nine Finals. 254 00:15:15,458 --> 00:15:17,794 We won one time in nine Finals, 255 00:15:17,878 --> 00:15:20,589 and it was probably the most horrid feeling in my life. 256 00:15:20,672 --> 00:15:24,217 I actually, uh-- I wanted to quit basketball. 257 00:15:25,886 --> 00:15:28,138 We just didn't have the team that could win. 258 00:15:28,221 --> 00:15:30,640 You know, we had a good team. I-I played very well. 259 00:15:30,724 --> 00:15:34,644 I won an MVP, but, um, we couldn't really contend 260 00:15:34,728 --> 00:15:37,480 for the championship without the right players on the court. 261 00:15:43,403 --> 00:15:46,156 Is Magic Johnson your favorite basketball player? 262 00:15:48,199 --> 00:15:49,910 Not seeing no magic. 263 00:15:49,993 --> 00:15:51,494 -[chuckles] -[TV crew laughs] 264 00:15:51,578 --> 00:15:52,662 No. 265 00:15:52,746 --> 00:15:54,414 [commentator] That was one of the many questions heard 266 00:15:54,497 --> 00:15:56,958 at the Forum as the Lakers held their annual picture day 267 00:15:57,042 --> 00:15:59,294 before leaving for Palm Springs and training camp. 268 00:15:59,377 --> 00:16:01,504 And their hopes are high for the '79-'80 season. 269 00:16:09,387 --> 00:16:13,141 When I got to training camp as a rookie, 270 00:16:13,225 --> 00:16:16,144 I went in there-- At first I was so nervous. 271 00:16:17,312 --> 00:16:19,272 [interviewer] Magic, you talk about getting to know things 272 00:16:19,356 --> 00:16:20,649 and making these adjustments. 273 00:16:20,732 --> 00:16:22,567 What are the big adjustments that you're making? 274 00:16:22,651 --> 00:16:25,445 I think, uh-- You know, you got so many different, uh, 275 00:16:25,528 --> 00:16:28,531 plays and so many different combinations you can go on offense. 276 00:16:28,615 --> 00:16:31,451 And then on defense, just trying to stay with your man 277 00:16:31,534 --> 00:16:34,204 and then trying to learn some of them hold moves. I'm-- [laughs] 278 00:16:34,287 --> 00:16:35,288 [interviewer laughs] 279 00:16:35,372 --> 00:16:38,291 When he first got there, there was some friction 280 00:16:38,375 --> 00:16:40,293 with this Magic Johnson. 281 00:16:40,377 --> 00:16:43,046 Who's gonna be the leader? Is it gonna be Kareem? 282 00:16:43,129 --> 00:16:44,631 Is it gonna be Magic? 283 00:16:44,714 --> 00:16:49,177 There's a tradition of harassing the rookies in the NBA. 284 00:16:49,261 --> 00:16:55,183 The older players get to, uh, be cruel and unusual with the-- with the rookies. 285 00:16:55,267 --> 00:16:59,521 Kareem said, "Hey, I want Earvin Johnson to be my rookie." 286 00:16:59,604 --> 00:17:03,108 I said, "Oh, okay." [laughs] You know, I'm like, 287 00:17:03,191 --> 00:17:06,486 "I'll do anything for you. You-- You-- You a legend. 288 00:17:06,570 --> 00:17:08,905 You-- You the best player in the NBA." 289 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. 290 00:17:14,160 --> 00:17:17,455 Every time it was a time-out in practice, 291 00:17:17,539 --> 00:17:22,544 he wants two waters and two Gatorades, and it better be cold. 292 00:17:22,627 --> 00:17:23,628 I said, "No problem." 293 00:17:23,712 --> 00:17:25,421 So, Norm Nixon called me aside. 294 00:17:25,505 --> 00:17:28,967 "Man, act like you been here before. Relax a little bit." 295 00:17:29,050 --> 00:17:33,263 He was a target, you know? And, um, he just had to be careful. 296 00:17:34,681 --> 00:17:36,766 [Magic] So, we're in practice. 297 00:17:36,850 --> 00:17:39,978 I was boxing out Ron Boone. 298 00:17:40,061 --> 00:17:43,273 All of a sudden, I look up at the rim and the ball, 299 00:17:43,356 --> 00:17:48,778 and he had hit me right behind my head really hard. 300 00:17:48,862 --> 00:17:50,322 And he was just smiling. 301 00:17:50,405 --> 00:17:52,282 [commentator] Ronnie Boone, he's a warhorse. 302 00:17:52,365 --> 00:17:54,284 I don't think he's ever missed a game in his life. 303 00:17:54,367 --> 00:17:55,535 [Westhead] Ron was old-school. 304 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?" 305 00:17:59,539 --> 00:18:01,041 Love him as a human being. 306 00:18:01,124 --> 00:18:03,126 As a basketball player? Nasty fucker, man. 307 00:18:03,209 --> 00:18:05,337 [Westhead] Ron would not back down to anybody. 308 00:18:05,420 --> 00:18:08,673 And he probably wanted to let the rookie know that the-- 309 00:18:08,757 --> 00:18:11,676 You know, "I've been here for 12 years, so don't mess with me." 310 00:18:11,760 --> 00:18:13,303 [players chattering] 311 00:18:13,386 --> 00:18:15,972 [Magic] The next time, he's boxing me out. 312 00:18:16,598 --> 00:18:17,891 Oh, Ron Boone? 313 00:18:17,974 --> 00:18:19,351 Let's see what you got. 314 00:18:19,434 --> 00:18:22,354 You think, first of all, you drafted the wrong dude? 315 00:18:22,437 --> 00:18:24,231 Okay. I got something for you. 316 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. 317 00:18:31,821 --> 00:18:34,199 He shouldn't have woke that quiet bear up, see? 318 00:18:34,282 --> 00:18:35,283 He woke me up. 319 00:18:35,867 --> 00:18:37,661 So, Jerry West came over. 320 00:18:37,744 --> 00:18:42,207 He pulled me aside and he said, "Magic, I like that." 321 00:18:42,290 --> 00:18:46,253 And I said, "Do you want Earvin Johnson to play basketball, 322 00:18:46,336 --> 00:18:49,256 or do you want Magic Johnson to play basketball?" 323 00:18:49,339 --> 00:18:53,134 I said, "I'd rather see Magic Johnson play basketball." 324 00:19:02,769 --> 00:19:07,274 [Magic] You know, growing up in a small town like Lansing, Michigan-- 325 00:19:08,233 --> 00:19:09,568 Let me tell you something. 326 00:19:10,402 --> 00:19:13,154 Nobody really heard about Earvin Johnson. 327 00:19:14,281 --> 00:19:16,658 I mean, who's Earvin Johnson? 328 00:19:18,910 --> 00:19:21,621 A person coming from Lansing-- You had to prove yourself. 329 00:19:21,705 --> 00:19:25,000 If you were really good, you had to go out and prove a point 330 00:19:25,083 --> 00:19:28,253 that this little boy from Lansing, Michigan had game. 331 00:19:28,336 --> 00:19:29,671 You know? [laughs] 332 00:19:32,799 --> 00:19:35,886 Lansing is a hardworking town. 333 00:19:37,137 --> 00:19:39,431 You either worked in the car industry, 334 00:19:40,056 --> 00:19:43,393 or you worked, really, for the state. There's only two jobs. 335 00:19:45,562 --> 00:19:48,607 My father worked for General Motors for 30 years. 336 00:19:48,690 --> 00:19:50,692 He was never late. Never missed a day. 337 00:19:52,152 --> 00:19:54,946 And he worked on the line with the welding. 338 00:19:55,030 --> 00:19:58,450 So, his shirt would have holes in 'em from all the sparks flying. 339 00:20:00,327 --> 00:20:02,662 My mother worked for the school cafeteria. 340 00:20:03,455 --> 00:20:06,625 They were both hardworking people, blue-collar people. 341 00:20:08,251 --> 00:20:10,212 My father was in the service. 342 00:20:10,295 --> 00:20:15,300 And every time he came home, he made a baby. [laughs] 343 00:20:16,468 --> 00:20:19,638 That's why we're all in a row. [laughs] 344 00:20:19,721 --> 00:20:20,931 Michael Johnson. 345 00:20:21,014 --> 00:20:22,098 Larry Johnson. 346 00:20:22,182 --> 00:20:24,309 -Pearl Johnson. -Kim Johnson-Ray. 347 00:20:24,392 --> 00:20:26,144 Evelyn Johnson. 348 00:20:26,228 --> 00:20:30,523 [Magic] I have six sisters, three brothers. I'm the baby boy. 349 00:20:30,607 --> 00:20:33,026 We used to call him Junebug. 350 00:20:33,109 --> 00:20:36,279 I don't even know where that came from. [laughs] 351 00:20:36,363 --> 00:20:38,573 All I know, we-- They called him Junebug. 352 00:20:38,657 --> 00:20:41,576 Junebug. That was when he was little. 353 00:20:41,660 --> 00:20:44,746 He was so joyful all the time. 354 00:20:44,829 --> 00:20:48,291 I think that was a fitting, uh, nickname for him. 355 00:20:48,959 --> 00:20:51,169 -I don't think he liked it. -Oh, no. 356 00:20:51,253 --> 00:20:53,797 That stuck with him for a long time. Every now and then, 357 00:20:53,880 --> 00:20:56,633 somebody that-- When he's home. "Hey, Junebug!" 358 00:20:56,716 --> 00:21:00,053 Then, as he grew up, we started calling him Earvin. 359 00:21:01,471 --> 00:21:03,181 [Larry] We used to have some games, man. 360 00:21:03,265 --> 00:21:07,060 I tell you those one-on-one games were just… hard. 361 00:21:07,143 --> 00:21:08,144 We fought. 362 00:21:08,728 --> 00:21:11,189 We both roughed each other up, you know, 363 00:21:11,273 --> 00:21:14,317 'cause then neither one of us wanna lose, you know. 364 00:21:14,401 --> 00:21:17,153 And at a young age he wouldn't let nothing get by, you know. 365 00:21:17,237 --> 00:21:20,240 So we had our time where we had to scrap and stuff 366 00:21:20,323 --> 00:21:22,409 on the ground, and stuff during a game. 367 00:21:22,492 --> 00:21:24,953 Arguing about who won and who-- you know. 368 00:21:25,036 --> 00:21:30,000 But Earv was the-- that go-getter, you know. 369 00:21:30,083 --> 00:21:32,335 Whatever he wanted to do, he was gonna do it. 370 00:21:35,672 --> 00:21:38,925 [Magic] Main Street School was the mecca of Lansing, Michigan. 371 00:21:39,009 --> 00:21:41,636 If you were the best player in Lansing, 372 00:21:41,720 --> 00:21:44,097 you had to come to Main Street School. 373 00:21:44,180 --> 00:21:48,435 That's where you gonna get the action at, because guys were coming from all over. 374 00:21:48,518 --> 00:21:51,938 If you lose a game, you might not play again for another two hours. 375 00:21:52,022 --> 00:21:55,650 'Cause guys is lined up, and they always had their teams ready to go. 376 00:21:55,734 --> 00:21:57,819 Whether you had to cheat to win, or whatever, 377 00:21:57,903 --> 00:21:59,404 you wanted to stay on that court. 378 00:21:59,487 --> 00:22:01,907 I'ma pick the dudes that gonna play their role, 379 00:22:01,990 --> 00:22:05,035 so that we can win and stay out on that court all day. 380 00:22:05,118 --> 00:22:08,121 I played in the rain. I played in the snow. 381 00:22:08,204 --> 00:22:09,205 It didn't matter. 382 00:22:09,289 --> 00:22:11,374 Sunup to sundown. 383 00:22:11,458 --> 00:22:14,169 And then I started playing against older boys, 384 00:22:14,252 --> 00:22:16,379 and then I started playing against men. 385 00:22:16,463 --> 00:22:18,715 Even my father and my uncle. 386 00:22:19,591 --> 00:22:23,762 My father, my uncle fouled me, but they said there was no foul, 387 00:22:23,845 --> 00:22:25,972 so I had to play through that. 388 00:22:26,056 --> 00:22:30,477 I didn't want him to be out there, crybaby each time somebody hit him, 389 00:22:30,560 --> 00:22:32,562 or bump him into the jaw, he'd cry. 390 00:22:33,188 --> 00:22:37,025 They said, "Okay, he can hold his own, and he's strong enough 391 00:22:37,108 --> 00:22:39,027 and physical enough to--" 392 00:22:39,110 --> 00:22:41,404 to handle the beating that they were gonna give me. 393 00:22:42,072 --> 00:22:44,282 And nobody outworked me in the neighborhood. 394 00:22:44,366 --> 00:22:49,246 I was on the court more than any kid. I mean, it wasn't even close. 395 00:22:49,329 --> 00:22:51,414 And I wanted it more. 396 00:23:01,550 --> 00:23:03,134 One of my very best friends 397 00:23:03,218 --> 00:23:06,596 wrote high school sports for the Lansing State Journal. 398 00:23:06,680 --> 00:23:11,434 And one December Friday night, he called me and he said, 399 00:23:11,518 --> 00:23:13,687 "Have you heard of this kid Earvin Johnson?" 400 00:23:13,770 --> 00:23:16,314 I was assigned to cover Earvin's first game. 401 00:23:16,398 --> 00:23:20,860 50 to 49. Earvin had 12 points, ten rebounds and fouled out. 402 00:23:23,697 --> 00:23:25,115 And so I get back to the office 403 00:23:25,198 --> 00:23:28,618 and everybody wants to know how this Earvin Johnson kid is. 404 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, 405 00:23:32,872 --> 00:23:34,583 but he wasn't anything special in that game.'' 406 00:23:34,666 --> 00:23:38,295 We beat 'em by one point, on a rebound at the buzzer. 407 00:23:40,171 --> 00:23:42,424 And, uh, my brother came into the locker room. 408 00:23:42,507 --> 00:23:47,596 He says, "George, he might be an all-city and maybe an all-stater. 409 00:23:47,679 --> 00:23:49,347 He's no all-American." 410 00:23:50,265 --> 00:23:51,474 But I thought, "Wait." 411 00:23:51,558 --> 00:23:53,268 [crowd cheering] 412 00:23:53,351 --> 00:23:56,646 Somehow, fate had me be assigned to the second game. 413 00:23:56,730 --> 00:23:59,357 [Magic] We went to play one of the schools that's supposedly good 414 00:23:59,441 --> 00:24:00,817 in the state of Michigan. 415 00:24:00,901 --> 00:24:03,153 And we blew them out on their home court. 416 00:24:03,236 --> 00:24:08,033 I always tell people, he had 36 points, 20 rebounds, 15 assists and 10 steals. 417 00:24:08,116 --> 00:24:10,744 As a 15-year-old, that was my first triple-double. 418 00:24:10,827 --> 00:24:12,579 And my brother came up to me 419 00:24:12,662 --> 00:24:14,998 and he says, "George, he'll make you forget 420 00:24:15,081 --> 00:24:17,959 about every other basketball player we've had in this area." 421 00:24:18,585 --> 00:24:22,088 [Stabley] It was the most amazing performance I'd ever seen 422 00:24:22,172 --> 00:24:25,634 by anybody, and he was his second game of his high school career. 423 00:24:25,717 --> 00:24:29,596 So the sportswriter came in and he said, "Listen, man, I'm-- 424 00:24:29,679 --> 00:24:32,766 I haven't seen a performance like that ever in my life." 425 00:24:32,849 --> 00:24:36,102 -He says, "I wanna give you a nickname." -"Earvin, we gotta call you something." 426 00:24:36,186 --> 00:24:39,648 Somebody's called Biggie. Somebody's called Dr. J. 427 00:24:39,731 --> 00:24:41,066 How about Magic? 428 00:24:41,149 --> 00:24:43,443 You know, you're like, "Yeah, right." [laughs] 429 00:24:43,526 --> 00:24:46,529 You know, you-- you start laughing like, "Yeah, yeah, okay that--" 430 00:24:46,613 --> 00:24:49,783 My boys not gonna call me "Magic." You know? 431 00:24:54,329 --> 00:24:58,333 And within two months, everybody in Michigan knew who Magic was. 432 00:24:59,876 --> 00:25:02,837 [Barkley] When I first started playing basketball in high school, 433 00:25:02,921 --> 00:25:05,549 everybody started talking about this guy from East Lansing. 434 00:25:06,132 --> 00:25:09,302 Magic Johnson. Magic, Magic, Magic. 435 00:25:09,970 --> 00:25:14,099 And I was like, "Magic? Man, I need to watch this." 436 00:25:15,308 --> 00:25:18,311 And I had heard about this kid, you know, Earvin ''Magic'' Johnson. 437 00:25:18,395 --> 00:25:20,230 I was like, "Who's this dude? Earvin 'Magic' Johnson." 438 00:25:20,313 --> 00:25:24,859 Never saw him, but just kept hearing how great he was as a basketball player. 439 00:25:24,943 --> 00:25:26,695 [commentator] There he goes. Watch it for three... 440 00:25:26,778 --> 00:25:29,239 "Have you seen this kid in Lansing?" 441 00:25:29,864 --> 00:25:32,951 "This 15-year-old Black kid from the Midwest. 442 00:25:33,660 --> 00:25:35,745 They call him Magic. Have you seen him?" 443 00:25:35,829 --> 00:25:38,540 [interviewer] Earvin Johnson, you're a very sought-after player. 444 00:25:38,623 --> 00:25:41,918 Uh, you shoot well, you pass well, you dribble, score, assist. 445 00:25:42,002 --> 00:25:43,753 We're trying to figure out what you do best. 446 00:25:43,837 --> 00:25:45,589 -Do you know? We can't figure it out. -[chuckles] 447 00:25:45,672 --> 00:25:48,174 When the newspapers really started getting involved, 448 00:25:48,258 --> 00:25:50,760 and then he started getting the big headlines-- 449 00:25:50,844 --> 00:25:54,222 You know, that's when he basically became the pied piper. 450 00:25:54,306 --> 00:25:57,309 Whatever game he was playing, everybody wanted to go see it. 451 00:25:58,894 --> 00:26:00,353 ["Speedoo" playing] 452 00:26:11,865 --> 00:26:15,702 [Staudt] Everywhere we would go, you could not find a seat any place. 453 00:26:15,785 --> 00:26:17,495 You just could not find a seat. 454 00:26:18,330 --> 00:26:22,459 I still remember the ticket scalping, the extra police there for security. 455 00:26:27,756 --> 00:26:30,842 It wasn't any kind of ordinary stuff that he did. 456 00:26:30,926 --> 00:26:34,804 He did stuff that I'd never seen on a basketball floor before. 457 00:26:34,888 --> 00:26:38,016 [Turner] He's up and down the court. Just behind his back, 458 00:26:38,099 --> 00:26:40,936 throwing no-look passes. Just doing everything. 459 00:26:42,187 --> 00:26:45,440 Earvin was a fierce competitor. 460 00:26:45,523 --> 00:26:47,484 God, he was competitive. 461 00:26:48,902 --> 00:26:51,863 A lot of the other kids-- white kids, they wanted to beat him. 462 00:26:52,530 --> 00:26:55,075 [Staudt] And I'll never forget that they were playing Benton Harbor, 463 00:26:55,158 --> 00:26:57,661 a tradition-rich basketball school in Michigan history. 464 00:26:57,744 --> 00:27:02,415 [Magic] They practiced first, and as they exit the floor 465 00:27:02,499 --> 00:27:05,335 and it was our turn to go onto the floor, a dude said, 466 00:27:05,919 --> 00:27:08,338 "Which one of you dudes, uh, Earvin Johnson? 467 00:27:08,421 --> 00:27:11,466 I just want you to know, tomorrow you in trouble." 468 00:27:12,509 --> 00:27:16,179 All my teammates were like, "Ooh, man. He talking trash." 469 00:27:16,263 --> 00:27:18,640 I said, "Mmm, you just wait till tomorrow night." 470 00:27:22,185 --> 00:27:25,397 It was 9,000 people, sold out I think. 471 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, 472 00:27:29,985 --> 00:27:31,945 so my shoe came off. 473 00:27:32,028 --> 00:27:34,948 For the next two or three minutes, I'm playing with one shoe on. 474 00:27:36,408 --> 00:27:39,953 In that three minutes, I made, like, five plays. 475 00:27:40,787 --> 00:27:42,956 He still went down the court with one shoe on 476 00:27:43,039 --> 00:27:45,667 and did a dazzling move and scored. 477 00:27:45,750 --> 00:27:48,920 Laid it in, and the people were just going crazy. 478 00:27:49,004 --> 00:27:51,006 -It was just building. -[crowd cheering] 479 00:27:51,089 --> 00:27:54,301 And by the time Benton Harbor coach called the time-out, 480 00:27:54,384 --> 00:27:56,386 the place just erupted. 481 00:27:58,763 --> 00:28:00,891 I said, "Look at the scoreboard." 482 00:28:00,974 --> 00:28:03,727 That's all. I don't have to talk trash. Just look up. 483 00:28:08,607 --> 00:28:11,401 [Staudt] I never saw somebody's reputation 484 00:28:11,484 --> 00:28:16,615 as a high school player grow as fast, in all my years, in any sport. 485 00:28:19,159 --> 00:28:22,871 I just knew he was not gonna go away. 486 00:28:25,373 --> 00:28:28,752 I do know one thing, that his mother was not real fond 487 00:28:28,835 --> 00:28:30,962 of the nickname "Magic" when he was given it. 488 00:28:31,046 --> 00:28:34,341 [interviewer] How about the nickname "Magic?" How'd you take to that? 489 00:28:34,424 --> 00:28:40,805 Well, I really never liked that, you know, because it had such a-- 490 00:28:40,889 --> 00:28:44,267 such an impact on him, you know. 491 00:28:44,351 --> 00:28:49,689 People expect so much from him because of that name. 492 00:28:50,190 --> 00:28:52,651 [people chattering] 493 00:28:57,113 --> 00:28:59,282 We had a big press conference at Everett High School. 494 00:28:59,366 --> 00:29:00,951 It was the big news. 495 00:29:02,869 --> 00:29:05,622 Every TV station within 50 miles was here. 496 00:29:05,705 --> 00:29:06,831 All right. 497 00:29:08,917 --> 00:29:11,169 Is there any questions before I get started? 498 00:29:11,253 --> 00:29:13,338 [people laughing] 499 00:29:13,421 --> 00:29:18,051 No, um, next year I will be, uh, attending Michigan State University. 500 00:29:18,134 --> 00:29:19,761 [people cheering] 501 00:29:21,054 --> 00:29:22,722 [announcer 1] Michigan State University. 502 00:29:22,806 --> 00:29:26,893 [commentator] Earvin ''Magic'' Johnson directing the Spartan Ballet Company 503 00:29:26,977 --> 00:29:28,687 from East Lansing, Michigan. 504 00:29:28,770 --> 00:29:31,314 [announcer 2] Magic Johnson comes from the Lansing area, 505 00:29:31,398 --> 00:29:33,650 which is something we're all very proud of here. 506 00:29:36,903 --> 00:29:41,157 The whole city recruited Earvin Johnson. It wasn't just Michigan State. 507 00:29:42,075 --> 00:29:43,952 That enthusiasm that he showed. 508 00:29:44,035 --> 00:29:47,163 That-- That electricity permeated through the building. 509 00:29:48,373 --> 00:29:50,625 It was, uh-- [chuckles] 510 00:29:50,709 --> 00:29:52,002 It was mesmerizing. 511 00:29:53,211 --> 00:29:55,422 [commentator] Magic Johnson, he's a coach on the floor. 512 00:29:55,505 --> 00:29:57,757 His play's under control. He's got great hands. 513 00:29:57,841 --> 00:30:01,011 A great passer. The way he goes, so goes the Spartans. 514 00:30:01,094 --> 00:30:05,932 They had a bad season the year before, but most of the players were coming back. 515 00:30:06,016 --> 00:30:10,770 Greg Kelser was there, and I put Jay Vincent in that lineup, 516 00:30:10,854 --> 00:30:12,689 and I put myself in the lineup. I said, 517 00:30:12,772 --> 00:30:16,484 "Man, I think we can win the Big Ten." 518 00:30:16,568 --> 00:30:19,571 I could not wait for the season to begin. 519 00:30:19,654 --> 00:30:23,158 So we can enjoy this chemistry and camaraderie. 520 00:30:23,241 --> 00:30:24,743 And it clicked right away. 521 00:30:24,826 --> 00:30:27,329 [Magic] We were just having a good time. 522 00:30:27,412 --> 00:30:29,414 ["Potential" playing] 523 00:30:29,497 --> 00:30:33,376 We had a nice boom box and record player, uh, in the locker room. 524 00:30:34,753 --> 00:30:36,463 When he joined, that was his thing. 525 00:30:36,546 --> 00:30:38,715 He took that over so we just left it alone. 526 00:30:39,466 --> 00:30:43,136 The one that we adopted, the song by the Jimmy Castor Bunch, 527 00:30:44,137 --> 00:30:45,347 is called "Potential." 528 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. 529 00:30:50,185 --> 00:30:52,729 Because our thought was that we were a young club, 530 00:30:52,812 --> 00:30:54,773 trying to reestablish ourselves. 531 00:30:54,856 --> 00:30:57,776 So play to your potential and see how many teams can beat you. 532 00:31:00,237 --> 00:31:02,530 Earvin fashioned himself as a disc jockey. 533 00:31:02,614 --> 00:31:05,283 You know, his moniker was EJ the DJ. 534 00:31:07,327 --> 00:31:09,537 EJ the DJ. 535 00:31:09,621 --> 00:31:12,249 EJ the DJ. Yeah, yeah. 536 00:31:12,332 --> 00:31:15,293 You know, he would deejay on his off days, 537 00:31:15,377 --> 00:31:18,004 and before every game he had to get into a groove. 538 00:31:18,755 --> 00:31:21,466 And boy did-- I-I don't know what music did to him, 539 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… 540 00:31:26,137 --> 00:31:30,475 And so then I started deejaying at all the local clubs, 541 00:31:30,559 --> 00:31:33,687 and I was getting paid to be there to deejay. 542 00:31:33,770 --> 00:31:37,315 And then it was the last day before we left 543 00:31:37,399 --> 00:31:39,109 to go home for Christmas break. 544 00:31:39,192 --> 00:31:40,694 [dance music plays] 545 00:31:40,777 --> 00:31:44,030 We go to this famous nightspot called Dooley's. 546 00:31:44,114 --> 00:31:48,159 -It was a party place. -Everybody on campus went to Dooley's. 547 00:31:48,243 --> 00:31:51,288 But it was just the place to be, to go. 548 00:31:51,371 --> 00:31:54,749 But we were sheltered. We didn't hang out. We didn't do those things. 549 00:31:54,833 --> 00:31:56,710 This was our first time being grown-ups. 550 00:31:56,793 --> 00:32:00,714 You know, away from home. Hanging out, drinking, having a good time. 551 00:32:02,007 --> 00:32:04,926 [Magic] A young lady came in and said hi to us. 552 00:32:06,011 --> 00:32:09,431 But right behind her was this beautiful, 553 00:32:10,140 --> 00:32:14,728 beautiful young lady named Cookie she introduced us to. 554 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. 555 00:32:21,735 --> 00:32:23,069 She walked away... 556 00:32:23,987 --> 00:32:25,113 and I said... 557 00:32:25,196 --> 00:32:27,657 [vocalizes] 558 00:32:28,241 --> 00:32:30,201 "I got to get to know her." 559 00:32:30,869 --> 00:32:36,750 Man, that's when "Jamaica Funk" and "Ring My Bell" just had hit. 560 00:32:36,833 --> 00:32:39,127 ["Ring My Bell" playing] 561 00:32:40,670 --> 00:32:42,464 [mimicking song beat] 562 00:32:44,090 --> 00:32:46,843 And I watched her on the dance floor. 563 00:32:47,469 --> 00:32:50,263 And Cookie could dance. 564 00:32:50,347 --> 00:32:52,015 So, Jay kept elbowing me, 565 00:32:52,098 --> 00:32:54,809 saying, "Man, if you don't get her phone number." 566 00:32:54,893 --> 00:32:56,019 The lights came up. 567 00:32:56,102 --> 00:32:57,520 Everybody was leaving. 568 00:32:57,604 --> 00:32:58,772 And I started walking out. 569 00:32:58,855 --> 00:33:02,567 And I stood right by the door 'cause I couldn't miss my opportunity. 570 00:33:02,651 --> 00:33:04,402 And as I walked past him, he said, 571 00:33:04,486 --> 00:33:06,071 "Hey, lemme get that phone number." 572 00:33:06,154 --> 00:33:10,283 "I would like to get your phone number so when we come back from Christmas break, 573 00:33:10,367 --> 00:33:12,285 maybe we could go out or something." 574 00:33:12,369 --> 00:33:14,496 I laughed at him and I said, 575 00:33:14,579 --> 00:33:18,124 "You'll never remember my name and remember to call me." 576 00:33:18,208 --> 00:33:21,378 -I said, "I'm gonna call you." -I gave him the number, and I said, 577 00:33:21,461 --> 00:33:23,463 "Okay, but you'll never remember who I am." 578 00:33:24,339 --> 00:33:26,675 [commentator] Indiana working the ball. Forecourt. Bounce pass. 579 00:33:26,758 --> 00:33:28,927 [Cookie] Michigan State played a Christmas tournament. 580 00:33:29,010 --> 00:33:31,638 I was sitting with my mother watching the game, and I was like, 581 00:33:31,721 --> 00:33:34,891 "Mom, that guy right there, he asked me for my number when I left." 582 00:33:34,975 --> 00:33:37,227 And I was like, "He'll never remember me." 583 00:33:37,310 --> 00:33:39,229 And we laughed. We had a good laugh about it. 584 00:33:41,690 --> 00:33:46,236 I went back early because I had to finish registering for some classes, 585 00:33:46,319 --> 00:33:49,573 and I remember the day that I walked into the room, 586 00:33:49,656 --> 00:33:50,865 the phone started ringing. 587 00:33:50,949 --> 00:33:53,159 Like, literally we were walking in with our bags, 588 00:33:53,243 --> 00:33:56,037 and the phone started ringing. I picked it up, and it was him. 589 00:33:56,121 --> 00:33:58,415 She said, "I never thought you were gonna call me." 590 00:33:58,498 --> 00:34:02,961 And I'm thinking, "How did he even know that I just walked into my room?" 591 00:34:03,044 --> 00:34:05,213 That we even came back 'cause we came back early. 592 00:34:05,297 --> 00:34:06,381 I just played it off-- 593 00:34:06,464 --> 00:34:09,259 "Yeah, you know a brother know these type of things." 594 00:34:09,342 --> 00:34:10,343 [chuckles] 595 00:34:10,427 --> 00:34:12,262 She didn't know I was calling every day 596 00:34:12,345 --> 00:34:14,681 about five times a day trying to reach her. 597 00:34:18,768 --> 00:34:21,688 [Cookie] And he found out my birthday was January 20th. 598 00:34:21,771 --> 00:34:24,524 And so then he asked me, 599 00:34:24,608 --> 00:34:26,735 "Can I take you out for your birthday?" 600 00:34:26,818 --> 00:34:29,070 You know, and I thought, "Oh, wow, okay." 601 00:34:29,153 --> 00:34:33,365 I was really shocked, you know, um, and excited about it. 602 00:34:33,450 --> 00:34:35,535 I went home and told my father, 603 00:34:35,619 --> 00:34:39,623 "I want to put on a suit to take her out on my first date." 604 00:34:40,999 --> 00:34:44,586 And he said, "Wow, you must-- you must really like this girl. 605 00:34:45,086 --> 00:34:47,838 How long you known her?" I said, "Dad, I don't know her yet." 606 00:34:47,923 --> 00:34:49,173 [laughs] 607 00:34:49,257 --> 00:34:51,218 We had a great time at dinner, 608 00:34:51,300 --> 00:34:54,262 and it was like we were best friends instantly, you know. 609 00:34:54,346 --> 00:34:56,306 We just-- Easy talking to each other. 610 00:34:56,389 --> 00:34:58,391 We talked at the restaurant. 611 00:34:58,475 --> 00:35:00,518 Then we went over to my uncle's house. 612 00:35:00,602 --> 00:35:03,355 We sat there and listened to music, and we talked some more. 613 00:35:04,481 --> 00:35:05,815 Cookie was amazing. 614 00:35:06,691 --> 00:35:12,572 And Cookie was serious about graduating, uh, so she was driven like I was. 615 00:35:13,406 --> 00:35:17,577 For me, I was most impressed with the fact of how down-to-earth he was. 616 00:35:17,661 --> 00:35:21,665 He was so cool and so funny and so normal, you know. 617 00:35:21,748 --> 00:35:23,750 That's what I fell in love with. 618 00:35:24,251 --> 00:35:26,670 [Magic] The first few months was just incredible. 619 00:35:26,753 --> 00:35:29,172 Cookie and I had the best time. 620 00:35:29,256 --> 00:35:33,343 I stayed on the phone with Cookie on the road all night. 621 00:35:33,426 --> 00:35:35,887 I-- Actually, we would fall asleep, 622 00:35:36,888 --> 00:35:39,599 and the phone's off the hook, you know. [laughs] 623 00:35:39,683 --> 00:35:41,977 We-- We would fall asleep talking to each other. 624 00:35:42,060 --> 00:35:43,645 It'd be 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning. 625 00:35:44,563 --> 00:35:48,900 [Cookie] I think for him, I was always just that place 626 00:35:48,984 --> 00:35:53,154 where he could relax and be supported. 627 00:35:53,238 --> 00:35:58,368 Whether he won, lost or, you know, was really tired or sick. 628 00:35:58,994 --> 00:36:01,371 Whatever I needed, even before I needed it, 629 00:36:01,454 --> 00:36:04,249 she would say, "Hey, I know-- You look tired. 630 00:36:04,332 --> 00:36:06,877 Come, just lay down on my bed. I'm gonna just study." 631 00:36:08,128 --> 00:36:10,964 I think that's what made me fall in love with her too. 632 00:36:12,716 --> 00:36:15,802 Because of those moments at Michigan State, 633 00:36:15,886 --> 00:36:17,679 we were building something together. 634 00:36:22,434 --> 00:36:24,519 [Cookie] Him being the focal point 635 00:36:24,603 --> 00:36:27,230 of Michigan State's basketball team, 636 00:36:27,314 --> 00:36:28,648 it wasn't easy. 637 00:36:30,150 --> 00:36:33,528 And the pressure he was under once the season started. 638 00:36:33,862 --> 00:36:37,490 You know, he was very strict about his regimen before a game. 639 00:36:37,574 --> 00:36:41,119 What he ate, and how he needed quiet-- 640 00:36:41,828 --> 00:36:43,455 Dark room, just his music. 641 00:36:43,538 --> 00:36:45,081 [crowd cheering] 642 00:36:47,167 --> 00:36:50,128 And I would go to the basketball games and, um, 643 00:36:50,212 --> 00:36:52,672 sometimes I would wait for him after the game. 644 00:36:52,756 --> 00:36:55,091 But he always told me, "Just go back to the dorms, 645 00:36:55,175 --> 00:36:56,927 and I'll meet you there after the game." 646 00:36:57,010 --> 00:37:00,388 There was no just hanging around talking or going home. 647 00:37:00,472 --> 00:37:03,058 Right then and there, "I'll call you when I get home. Bye." 648 00:37:03,808 --> 00:37:05,435 [Magic] She said, "Well, why can't I wait 649 00:37:05,518 --> 00:37:08,313 because all the other players' girlfriends are waiting?" 650 00:37:08,396 --> 00:37:10,941 I said, "Just go to the dorm, and I'll see you afterward." 651 00:37:11,024 --> 00:37:12,525 That was our first big argument. 652 00:37:12,609 --> 00:37:14,986 Everybody was trying to talk to Earvin. 653 00:37:15,570 --> 00:37:17,906 All the girls, "Earvin. I want Ear--" 654 00:37:17,989 --> 00:37:20,992 No, not Earvin. "I want Magic. I want Magic." 655 00:37:21,076 --> 00:37:23,578 [Cookie] You know, there were girls everywhere. 656 00:37:24,079 --> 00:37:28,708 I get in his car one day and, um, I see pictures on the floor 657 00:37:28,792 --> 00:37:34,631 of him, you know, taking somebody to, uh, their-- their dance. 658 00:37:34,714 --> 00:37:37,384 And I'm thinking, "What is this?" 659 00:37:37,467 --> 00:37:39,844 And he says, "Oh, no. It's just a friend of mine. 660 00:37:39,928 --> 00:37:42,055 I just took her. She broke up with her boyfriend." 661 00:37:42,138 --> 00:37:46,017 And I thought, "No. I don't think that that's what's going on." 662 00:37:46,101 --> 00:37:47,352 -She was very hurt. -Yeah. 663 00:37:47,435 --> 00:37:49,271 -[Webster] Very hurt. -Hurt bad. 664 00:37:49,854 --> 00:37:51,022 Because we knew how mu-- 665 00:37:51,106 --> 00:37:53,108 -We knew how she felt. -We knew how she felt. 666 00:37:53,191 --> 00:37:56,152 -We knew she loved-- she loved him. -Right. 667 00:37:56,236 --> 00:37:58,738 You know, they just really-- It really devastated her. 668 00:38:00,323 --> 00:38:02,576 You know, she saw that I was dating other people 669 00:38:02,659 --> 00:38:06,246 so it wasn't a good look for me. 670 00:38:06,329 --> 00:38:08,039 'Cause she said, "Oh, you moved on. 671 00:38:08,123 --> 00:38:09,666 Okay, then I'ma start dating other people." 672 00:38:09,749 --> 00:38:10,792 And I didn't like that. 673 00:38:10,875 --> 00:38:12,961 We got into an argument, and then I said, 674 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." 675 00:38:17,048 --> 00:38:18,842 He's like, "I'm not dating her, but--" 676 00:38:18,925 --> 00:38:21,219 And I said, "No, you gotta choose one or the other." 677 00:38:21,303 --> 00:38:22,637 And he said, "I'm not choosing." 678 00:38:22,721 --> 00:38:24,723 So I said, "Well, I will. I'm out." 679 00:38:32,188 --> 00:38:35,108 [Fox] I remember back in those days when I used to see him a lot. 680 00:38:35,191 --> 00:38:38,320 And we were just standing there talking. I says, "Earvin, do you know, 681 00:38:38,403 --> 00:38:43,241 there's a 6'8" or 9" kid somewhere in a gym in this country, 682 00:38:44,659 --> 00:38:48,538 and he's got all your skills. 683 00:38:49,497 --> 00:38:51,374 Is he gonna outwork you?" 684 00:38:52,584 --> 00:38:55,587 A year later, I-- I'm talking to him somewhere, 685 00:38:55,670 --> 00:38:57,255 and he says, "Hey, Coach. 686 00:38:57,339 --> 00:39:00,967 Remember that story you told me about somebody outworking me?" 687 00:39:01,468 --> 00:39:03,053 He says, "I found him." 688 00:39:06,890 --> 00:39:09,142 [Magic] At the end of my freshman season, 689 00:39:09,226 --> 00:39:12,687 they decide to invite the best college basketball players 690 00:39:12,771 --> 00:39:14,689 to represent the United States. 691 00:39:16,608 --> 00:39:19,402 The first day of practice, I'm watching him shoot, 692 00:39:19,486 --> 00:39:22,906 and it's nothing but net, like 30 times in a row. 693 00:39:23,907 --> 00:39:26,576 I'm like, "Whoo. Man, this dude can shoot." 694 00:39:27,285 --> 00:39:29,621 [Bird] I'm going into that game, didn't know much about him. 695 00:39:29,704 --> 00:39:31,706 Just knew he's a talented basketball player. 696 00:39:31,790 --> 00:39:32,707 And he was walking around 697 00:39:32,791 --> 00:39:36,044 with a big music box on his shoulder, everywhere he went. 698 00:39:36,127 --> 00:39:39,339 That's when I saw Larry Bird up close. 699 00:39:39,422 --> 00:39:41,132 [crowd cheering] 700 00:39:43,301 --> 00:39:46,805 We would get in the game and start throwing no-look passes, 701 00:39:46,888 --> 00:39:49,391 and he'd start hittin' 'em long jump shots. 702 00:39:50,016 --> 00:39:51,810 [commentator] Earvin Johnson, look at that-- Oh! 703 00:39:51,893 --> 00:39:54,813 One time, I came down, threw a no-look to Larry, 704 00:39:54,896 --> 00:39:57,148 he got it, threw a no-look back to me, 705 00:39:57,232 --> 00:39:59,734 and I laid it up. And the people went nuts. 706 00:40:01,069 --> 00:40:03,488 And, man, after that I went back and told everybody, 707 00:40:03,572 --> 00:40:06,366 "Larry Bird, he's for real." 708 00:40:07,367 --> 00:40:08,785 The next season, 709 00:40:08,868 --> 00:40:12,330 he would lead his team to a 33 and 0 season. 710 00:40:12,414 --> 00:40:13,665 33 and 0. 711 00:40:15,000 --> 00:40:17,919 [Kelser] Now, we had to face a ton of good guys in the Big Ten, 712 00:40:18,003 --> 00:40:21,298 but we had never faced one individual talent like Larry Bird. 713 00:40:23,174 --> 00:40:24,551 [Smith] Bird was an assassin. 714 00:40:24,634 --> 00:40:26,803 He was a one-man wrecking crew at Indiana State, 715 00:40:26,887 --> 00:40:28,847 and Magic may, uh-- 716 00:40:28,930 --> 00:40:31,600 They may have resented each other early on 'cause they were competitors. 717 00:40:31,683 --> 00:40:35,645 [Magic] He was on the cover of Sports Illustrated, Basketball Weekly. 718 00:40:35,729 --> 00:40:38,273 All the basketball magazines. 719 00:40:38,356 --> 00:40:40,317 He was named College Basketball Player of the Year. 720 00:40:40,400 --> 00:40:43,653 I still said, "Hey, probably should've been me, but that's okay." 721 00:40:43,737 --> 00:40:45,280 [chuckles] I'm sure he was. 722 00:40:45,363 --> 00:40:47,365 Uh, as much as we could of each other. 723 00:40:47,991 --> 00:40:51,202 The numbers that he was putting up the first year was incredible. 724 00:40:52,078 --> 00:40:54,706 [Magic] It's hard when you can look in the mirror 725 00:40:54,789 --> 00:40:57,459 and see a guy that played just like you. 726 00:40:57,542 --> 00:41:01,087 His drive to win was just as high as mine. 727 00:41:01,755 --> 00:41:05,300 He was a competitor like I was a competitor. 728 00:41:06,051 --> 00:41:08,261 [Bird] At that time, I don't think either of us thought 729 00:41:08,345 --> 00:41:10,430 about what was gonna happen in the future. 730 00:41:10,513 --> 00:41:12,766 It was just the start of something I knew that-- 731 00:41:12,849 --> 00:41:14,517 that I was gonna be seeing him a lot. 732 00:41:14,601 --> 00:41:16,895 [commentator] Arkansas is on a 14-game winning streak 733 00:41:16,978 --> 00:41:18,772 with 25 and 4 this season. 734 00:41:18,855 --> 00:41:20,440 Indiana State 31 and 0. 735 00:41:20,523 --> 00:41:23,526 [Clinton] In 1979, I was governor of Arkansas. 736 00:41:23,610 --> 00:41:25,111 It was my first year. 737 00:41:25,195 --> 00:41:28,949 And Arkansas made the tournament, and they were playing Indiana State. 738 00:41:30,408 --> 00:41:33,703 [chuckles] Nobody wanted to see Arkansas beat Indiana 739 00:41:33,787 --> 00:41:35,705 except the people from Arkansas. 740 00:41:35,789 --> 00:41:37,958 They wanted Bird and Magic in the final. 741 00:41:38,917 --> 00:41:42,504 The point guard for Indiana State, who was a senior and very good, 742 00:41:42,587 --> 00:41:45,799 with time running out, he throws the ball into his left hand, 743 00:41:45,882 --> 00:41:49,094 heaves it up. It bounces off the backboard and goes in, and they win. 744 00:41:49,177 --> 00:41:50,762 It was an unbelievable game. I-- 745 00:41:50,845 --> 00:41:53,473 And I looked at the guy sittin' with me, and I said, 746 00:41:53,557 --> 00:41:58,478 "God now wants Magic and Larry Bird to play in the final, 747 00:41:59,062 --> 00:42:01,314 and who are we to defy God's will?" 748 00:42:01,398 --> 00:42:02,732 [crowd cheering] 749 00:42:05,777 --> 00:42:07,862 [Gumbel] It is Indiana State against Michigan State. 750 00:42:07,946 --> 00:42:11,408 I'm Bryant Gumbel, and the fans here are going bananas. 751 00:42:12,659 --> 00:42:17,872 [Obama] The NCAA finals between Michigan State and Indiana State 752 00:42:17,956 --> 00:42:19,791 was basketball heaven. 753 00:42:20,250 --> 00:42:23,753 Uh, because you had two transcendent talents. 754 00:42:23,837 --> 00:42:25,380 [commentator] The Magic Man, Earvin Johnson, 755 00:42:25,463 --> 00:42:27,424 against The Bird, Larry Bird, of Indiana State. 756 00:42:27,507 --> 00:42:30,218 You didn't turn on the TV unless they was talking about Magic, Bird. 757 00:42:30,302 --> 00:42:31,303 It was everywhere. 758 00:42:31,970 --> 00:42:33,930 [West] You had this Magic Man 759 00:42:34,014 --> 00:42:38,351 against the hillbilly from French Lick, Indiana, Larry Bird. 760 00:42:38,435 --> 00:42:42,188 And both of 'em had a different-- completely different kind of appeal. 761 00:42:43,398 --> 00:42:46,776 The country was divided about who they were gonna cheer for. 762 00:42:47,819 --> 00:42:51,197 And let's not kid ourselves, the racial contrasts were there too. 763 00:42:51,823 --> 00:42:54,659 White kid from Indiana in the country. 764 00:42:55,535 --> 00:42:57,954 City, urban Black kid. 765 00:42:58,038 --> 00:43:00,415 Hooking up for all the gold, all the marbles. 766 00:43:00,498 --> 00:43:02,250 [Hill] Everything was about them 767 00:43:02,334 --> 00:43:05,587 because there's a story about opposites that attract, right? 768 00:43:05,670 --> 00:43:08,798 You got a Black guy, and you got a white guy. Opposites. 769 00:43:08,882 --> 00:43:11,426 You got Michigan State, and you got Indiana State. 770 00:43:11,509 --> 00:43:13,345 Their style of play, opposites. 771 00:43:13,428 --> 00:43:14,846 [crowd cheering] 772 00:43:14,930 --> 00:43:17,557 [Kelser] They were the two best players in the country. 773 00:43:18,433 --> 00:43:21,353 Only one can win, and only one can walk away with the crown. 774 00:43:21,436 --> 00:43:24,564 How many times do you get that matchup for the championship? 775 00:43:27,234 --> 00:43:30,403 [commentator] Tonight the Spartan season concludes with a tense matchup 776 00:43:30,487 --> 00:43:32,364 against undefeated Indiana State. 777 00:43:32,447 --> 00:43:35,242 This will mark Larry Bird's final college appearance 778 00:43:35,325 --> 00:43:37,994 and likely the same for Earvin "Magic" Johnson. 779 00:43:40,205 --> 00:43:43,250 Even as we broke up, I continued to watch the games 780 00:43:43,333 --> 00:43:45,043 and, you know, was a part of all of that 781 00:43:45,126 --> 00:43:47,504 'cause I-- you know, I was still in love with him. 782 00:43:48,004 --> 00:43:51,758 And he wasn't really acknowledging that he's dating the other girl, 783 00:43:51,841 --> 00:43:54,427 so I kept thinking maybe we'll get back together. 784 00:43:55,804 --> 00:43:58,348 But by the time they went to the NCAA, 785 00:43:58,431 --> 00:44:01,560 and I'm watching it on TV and I look in the audience, 786 00:44:01,643 --> 00:44:03,562 and I see his mom in the stands. 787 00:44:03,645 --> 00:44:07,941 And she's right next to her. And that just really crushed me. 788 00:44:09,276 --> 00:44:12,195 Watching that game and then seeing that girl 789 00:44:12,279 --> 00:44:14,531 in the seat that I should've been in. 790 00:44:16,866 --> 00:44:19,369 You know, just-- It-- It was tough watching that. 791 00:44:19,452 --> 00:44:21,871 It was really tough watching that. 792 00:44:21,955 --> 00:44:23,790 [commentator] Michigan State wins the tip-off 793 00:44:23,873 --> 00:44:25,375 with Donnelly in the backcourt. 794 00:44:25,458 --> 00:44:28,920 Taking control early, many think, will be crucial to win this game. 795 00:44:29,004 --> 00:44:30,630 We knew it was gonna be tough 796 00:44:30,714 --> 00:44:33,633 but we had confidence that we was gonna compete that night. 797 00:44:34,509 --> 00:44:37,345 [Magic] The game plan was for us to double-team him 798 00:44:37,429 --> 00:44:38,430 wherever he went. 799 00:44:38,513 --> 00:44:41,433 Don't give him no room to maneuver. 800 00:44:41,516 --> 00:44:43,602 [commentator] Look, they have him sandwiched in. 801 00:44:43,685 --> 00:44:45,145 Completely in, can't get him the ball. 802 00:44:45,228 --> 00:44:47,522 He was such an incredible shooter, 803 00:44:47,606 --> 00:44:50,442 we wanted to just get right up in his chest 804 00:44:50,525 --> 00:44:52,277 and not give him any airspace. 805 00:44:52,360 --> 00:44:53,445 Surrounded me 806 00:44:53,528 --> 00:44:57,324 and made me take tougher shots than I usually did. 807 00:44:57,407 --> 00:44:59,743 [commentator] Johnson, three on one. 808 00:44:59,826 --> 00:45:02,621 Here it comes. The alley-oop. That's Greg Kelser. 809 00:45:02,704 --> 00:45:05,832 Going into the second half, we went up 16 points. 810 00:45:07,500 --> 00:45:09,544 And then everything changed. 811 00:45:09,628 --> 00:45:12,380 [commentator] Earvin Johnson pushing for Michigan State, 812 00:45:12,464 --> 00:45:15,592 and Magic Johnson has his third foul. 813 00:45:15,675 --> 00:45:16,968 We had to fight through adversity 814 00:45:17,052 --> 00:45:18,887 because Earvin got three fouls in the first half. 815 00:45:18,970 --> 00:45:21,890 [commentator] A big guard in there, along with a good-sized-- 816 00:45:21,973 --> 00:45:24,809 Foul is on Kelser, number four. 817 00:45:24,893 --> 00:45:26,603 We were about to blow the game open. 818 00:45:26,686 --> 00:45:30,106 Greg Kelser got his fourth foul and they came storming back. 819 00:45:31,441 --> 00:45:32,692 [commentator] Bird. 820 00:45:33,318 --> 00:45:35,612 52 to 46. 821 00:45:35,695 --> 00:45:38,823 [Magic] So, I knew I had to make plays for us to win. 822 00:45:38,907 --> 00:45:41,993 [commentator] Johnson. Magic Johnson with the ball. 823 00:45:43,411 --> 00:45:46,456 Last play of the game, Earvin ends up with the ball. 824 00:45:46,539 --> 00:45:51,211 He throws it over his head about three-quarters court down the floor... 825 00:45:51,294 --> 00:45:52,671 [commentator] Oh, there's the pass! 826 00:45:52,754 --> 00:45:55,090 ...to Kelser, who flushes it to end the game. 827 00:45:58,552 --> 00:46:00,220 [commentator] It's all over. 828 00:46:00,303 --> 00:46:06,101 Michigan State University, National Champions, 1979. 829 00:46:06,184 --> 00:46:08,937 We were able to play to our potential, 830 00:46:09,020 --> 00:46:10,814 and it was a gratifying moment. 831 00:46:10,897 --> 00:46:12,732 [commentator] But only one can make… 832 00:46:12,816 --> 00:46:16,069 It was one of the toughest losses I've ever taken, and it still is today. 833 00:46:18,989 --> 00:46:22,826 [Kelser] Still the most-watched game in college basketball history 834 00:46:22,909 --> 00:46:24,953 some 40-some years after it was played. 835 00:46:27,247 --> 00:46:30,750 [Magic] The goal and dream that I had set came to fruition, 836 00:46:30,834 --> 00:46:35,171 and so on the plane ride going back to Michigan State 837 00:46:36,298 --> 00:46:37,591 I knew I was leaving. 838 00:46:37,674 --> 00:46:41,136 I was ready mentally, physically, to turn pro. 839 00:46:43,930 --> 00:46:48,518 We did a lot of things in college that I thought maybe would take four years, 840 00:46:48,602 --> 00:46:53,481 and it happened in two, so I guess I gotta go on to the next step. 841 00:46:54,190 --> 00:46:57,068 And let's, uh, see what I can do in the NBA. 842 00:46:58,862 --> 00:47:00,906 I'm giving up a lot, you know. 843 00:47:00,989 --> 00:47:04,743 Uh, college is-- You're giving up, you know, the students, 844 00:47:04,826 --> 00:47:10,081 you know, the chance to have a lot of fun, uh. 845 00:47:11,666 --> 00:47:13,710 Just a lot of things, you know. 846 00:47:14,586 --> 00:47:19,382 He went on to win the NCAA and then, you know, the very next year 847 00:47:19,466 --> 00:47:21,885 he opted to go to, uh, California. 848 00:47:23,011 --> 00:47:24,846 So, I was determined to finish school 849 00:47:24,930 --> 00:47:27,933 and get outta here, um, and start a new life. 850 00:47:32,979 --> 00:47:34,773 [crowd cheering] 851 00:47:35,398 --> 00:47:37,734 [interviewer] On the eve of his very first day 852 00:47:37,817 --> 00:47:41,363 I want you to know that this man has a smile 853 00:47:41,446 --> 00:47:45,784 that lights up a television screen from here to Bangor, Maine. 854 00:47:45,867 --> 00:47:48,286 I got butterflies in my stomach. 855 00:47:48,370 --> 00:47:51,957 I'm just tryna make sure I can settle myself down. 856 00:47:53,083 --> 00:47:54,501 [commentator] So you're watching the debut 857 00:47:54,584 --> 00:47:56,878 of Magic Johnson with the Los Angeles Lakers. 858 00:47:56,962 --> 00:47:59,256 And Magic Johnson missing one underneath. 859 00:48:00,465 --> 00:48:02,300 Loose ball, tangle of bodies. 860 00:48:02,384 --> 00:48:05,136 Johnson comes free and he travels. 861 00:48:05,220 --> 00:48:07,806 I can hear some basketball fans right now. 862 00:48:07,889 --> 00:48:09,057 They're saying, "See, 863 00:48:09,140 --> 00:48:11,893 Magic Johnson can't play defense in the NBA." 864 00:48:11,977 --> 00:48:14,813 About the second quarter or so I did settle down. 865 00:48:15,855 --> 00:48:18,900 [commentator] Intercepted by Magic, and here he comes from behind. 866 00:48:18,984 --> 00:48:21,653 A fake. Oh, the pass. Here we go. 867 00:48:21,736 --> 00:48:23,321 Five. 868 00:48:23,405 --> 00:48:24,698 Johnson back to Kareem. 869 00:48:25,532 --> 00:48:29,119 So, it has come down to this. Ford sends it to Kareem. 870 00:48:29,202 --> 00:48:30,495 Skyhook up, 871 00:48:30,579 --> 00:48:33,498 and good! Lakers win! Score it! 872 00:48:33,582 --> 00:48:38,503 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has given the Los Angeles Lakers a victory! 873 00:48:38,587 --> 00:48:41,339 And Magic Johnson is out there celebrating 874 00:48:41,423 --> 00:48:44,134 like they just won the NCAA Championship. 875 00:48:44,217 --> 00:48:46,845 Magic starts running and jumping, and we're all happy and stuff 876 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. 877 00:48:51,057 --> 00:48:53,643 He saw the making of a championship team. 878 00:48:54,936 --> 00:48:57,272 [Magic] I get in the locker room, Kareem say, 879 00:48:57,355 --> 00:49:00,150 "Rookie, don't ever do that again." 880 00:49:00,233 --> 00:49:01,860 We got 81 more games. 881 00:49:01,943 --> 00:49:02,944 [chuckles] 882 00:49:03,028 --> 00:49:06,698 You know, if we-- if we get up to this emotional level 883 00:49:06,781 --> 00:49:11,745 every time we win, uh, you know, we'll be wasted by, uh, Christmas time. 884 00:49:11,828 --> 00:49:13,705 He pointed at me, so I pointed at him. 885 00:49:13,788 --> 00:49:16,625 "If you ever hit a shot like that 81 more times, 886 00:49:16,708 --> 00:49:19,628 I'ma jump in your arms 81 more times." 887 00:49:19,711 --> 00:49:22,214 And all of a sudden, we started to win. 888 00:49:22,297 --> 00:49:25,091 [announcer] Someone that has captured the imagination of the country 889 00:49:25,175 --> 00:49:28,136 is this man, the Magic Man, Mr. Johnson. 890 00:49:28,220 --> 00:49:31,097 He made it possible for me to change my image 891 00:49:31,181 --> 00:49:34,267 in that we started winning. I-- You know, I could start smiling. 892 00:49:34,351 --> 00:49:36,186 [chuckles] 893 00:49:36,895 --> 00:49:39,022 He was exactly the player that we needed. 894 00:49:39,689 --> 00:49:42,192 [commentator] Cool is out. Enthusiasm is in. 895 00:49:42,275 --> 00:49:43,610 And isn't it refreshing? 896 00:49:44,152 --> 00:49:45,445 These guys care for each other. 897 00:49:45,528 --> 00:49:47,489 -We're sort of a live group of guys-- -Homeboy. 898 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. 899 00:49:50,825 --> 00:49:51,952 -Look at him. -[all laugh] 900 00:49:52,702 --> 00:49:54,829 [Snoop Dogg] When them Lakers started winning, 901 00:49:54,913 --> 00:49:58,166 it united the city of Los Angeles. 902 00:49:58,250 --> 00:50:00,418 So, everybody felt like he was their hero. 903 00:50:00,919 --> 00:50:05,715 I fell in love with Magic Johnson and what he did on the court. 904 00:50:05,799 --> 00:50:09,928 And the charisma he had out with his media and public. 905 00:50:10,011 --> 00:50:13,515 Not only did Black America, not only the young Black kids, Black teenagers 906 00:50:13,974 --> 00:50:16,351 fall in love with Magic Johnson. 907 00:50:17,143 --> 00:50:20,689 But white America was falling in love with Magic Johnson. 908 00:50:21,982 --> 00:50:27,279 Falling in love and looking up to and feeling inspired by a Black male, 909 00:50:27,362 --> 00:50:28,905 you know, was almost unheard of. 910 00:50:30,657 --> 00:50:31,950 [Scott] The Forum was in Inglewood. 911 00:50:32,033 --> 00:50:34,411 I grew up 14 blocks away and we got no tickets. 912 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. 913 00:50:37,998 --> 00:50:40,041 And run past the guards, get into the-- 914 00:50:40,125 --> 00:50:42,878 you know, get into the Forum and just kinda take seats. 915 00:50:42,961 --> 00:50:44,546 [commentator] Here we go again. 916 00:50:45,589 --> 00:50:47,048 I've never seen nothing like that. 917 00:50:47,132 --> 00:50:50,093 I've never seen anybody 6'9", they were bringing the ball up the floor, 918 00:50:50,176 --> 00:50:53,388 there was control in the tempo, uh, directing the offense. 919 00:50:53,471 --> 00:50:55,724 [Riley] Nobody played the game like he played it. 920 00:50:55,807 --> 00:50:58,894 He was an oxymoron. He was-- He could play any position. 921 00:50:58,977 --> 00:51:00,729 He was a 6'9" point guard, 922 00:51:00,812 --> 00:51:02,772 and there wasn't one around at the time. 923 00:51:02,856 --> 00:51:04,649 [commentator] Magic's hot and he knows it. 924 00:51:04,733 --> 00:51:06,735 Oh, what a pass to Cooper who scores! 925 00:51:06,818 --> 00:51:08,361 A no-look pass. But-- 926 00:51:08,445 --> 00:51:10,447 Earvin's gonna make a fantastic no-look pass. 927 00:51:10,530 --> 00:51:13,283 You know, look this way, ball goes that way, behind the back. 928 00:51:13,366 --> 00:51:15,327 [commentator] Wraparound the world, score! 929 00:51:15,410 --> 00:51:18,288 [Magic] I'm no-looking to everybody, right? 930 00:51:18,371 --> 00:51:20,749 Through the legs, behind the back. 931 00:51:20,832 --> 00:51:24,628 Oh, man, and that crowd would just go crazy. 932 00:51:24,711 --> 00:51:27,505 [Grant] Magic had swagger. Magic was cool. 933 00:51:28,548 --> 00:51:33,637 You know, he played with-- with-- with such joy, uh, enthusiasm. 934 00:51:33,720 --> 00:51:35,388 I mean, he was my favorite player. 935 00:51:35,472 --> 00:51:37,224 The Lakers became my favorite team. 936 00:51:38,350 --> 00:51:39,809 People looked up to him. 937 00:51:39,893 --> 00:51:42,812 People admired him from both sides. 938 00:51:42,896 --> 00:51:44,940 People wanted to be him. 939 00:51:53,406 --> 00:51:57,702 Everybody knows this Magic, the happy guy. The one who smiles. 940 00:51:57,786 --> 00:52:00,538 Uh. I think they-- they-- they might think that, 941 00:52:00,622 --> 00:52:02,290 you know, nothing ever goes wrong, 942 00:52:02,374 --> 00:52:04,376 or he has no problems. 943 00:52:04,459 --> 00:52:08,088 He just smiles every day and, and everything and, um-- 944 00:52:09,631 --> 00:52:13,385 But I do have low points, and, um, 945 00:52:14,052 --> 00:52:17,973 Earvin Johnson is another guy. You know. 946 00:52:18,056 --> 00:52:21,226 Here's Magic over here, and here's Earvin over here. 947 00:52:22,686 --> 00:52:25,397 Um, during the first year I was definitely homesick, 948 00:52:26,356 --> 00:52:29,150 so my phone bill was extremely high. 949 00:52:29,234 --> 00:52:31,361 He would call us all the time, 950 00:52:31,945 --> 00:52:34,739 you know, just about every day or every other day. 951 00:52:37,033 --> 00:52:39,411 [Magic] I've never been without my family. 952 00:52:39,494 --> 00:52:43,248 My father and my mother always been at my games. 953 00:52:43,331 --> 00:52:47,043 Always still only 15, 20 minutes away from the college 954 00:52:47,127 --> 00:52:49,713 so I could go home and get a home-cooked meal. 955 00:52:49,796 --> 00:52:51,006 I can't do that anymore. 956 00:52:51,089 --> 00:52:54,551 I can't go get a hug from my mother anymore 957 00:52:54,634 --> 00:52:58,638 or just advice from my father face-to-face anymore. 958 00:52:58,722 --> 00:53:02,392 Here is the rookie sensation, Earvin "Magic" Johnson. 959 00:53:02,475 --> 00:53:04,102 [Douglas] Tough when you play away from home. 960 00:53:04,185 --> 00:53:05,270 -Isn't it? -Definitely. 961 00:53:05,353 --> 00:53:07,439 Not hearing the home crowd screaming for you. 962 00:53:09,024 --> 00:53:10,734 [Rosen] The Forum was in Inglewood. 963 00:53:10,817 --> 00:53:13,987 Earvin lived close to Inglewood. He lived sort of an insulated life. 964 00:53:14,571 --> 00:53:17,449 He would go home and go to his little two-bedroom apartment. 965 00:53:17,949 --> 00:53:20,952 [Magic] I stayed in my apartment all the time 966 00:53:21,036 --> 00:53:22,162 because I was scared. 967 00:53:22,245 --> 00:53:26,499 I was still scared of LA because LA was so big. 968 00:53:27,083 --> 00:53:28,627 How's the social life out here? 969 00:53:29,377 --> 00:53:30,962 I mean, I know you work hard, 970 00:53:31,046 --> 00:53:32,422 -Yeah. -but there's playtime too. 971 00:53:32,505 --> 00:53:34,090 Right, there's playtime. 972 00:53:35,342 --> 00:53:38,345 I was very much a guy who was guarded, 973 00:53:38,428 --> 00:53:41,556 and Norm Nixon told me to watch out for people. 974 00:53:42,182 --> 00:53:44,935 Everybody was trying to, um, 975 00:53:45,685 --> 00:53:49,522 get to know, you know, the athletes, and so I say, "Okay." 976 00:53:49,606 --> 00:53:51,858 You have to watch so much. 977 00:53:51,942 --> 00:53:53,443 Then you have to find out with-- 978 00:53:53,526 --> 00:53:56,613 Are the people real? Do they want you for you? 979 00:53:56,696 --> 00:53:59,491 Can you go out and just forget about ball, you know? 980 00:53:59,574 --> 00:54:01,451 It's really hard. It's really hard. 981 00:54:02,410 --> 00:54:04,162 Good luck to you and to the Los Angeles Lakers. 982 00:54:04,246 --> 00:54:05,497 -Nice being here. -Thanks for being with us. 983 00:54:05,580 --> 00:54:07,749 Mr. Earvin "Magic" Johnson. Thank you, sir. 984 00:54:08,458 --> 00:54:12,504 Here was this fresh young man from Michigan, 985 00:54:13,088 --> 00:54:15,298 and, um, he couldn't trust people. 986 00:54:16,508 --> 00:54:19,135 But that first year in Los Angeles, 987 00:54:19,219 --> 00:54:20,804 Jerry Buss bought the team. 988 00:54:22,597 --> 00:54:25,475 [radio host] In 1979, Dr. Jerry Buss's dreams 989 00:54:25,559 --> 00:54:30,647 of sports ownership became reality when he spent a record $67.5 million 990 00:54:30,730 --> 00:54:35,026 on the LA Lakers, the LA Kings and their lucrative venue, the LA Forum. 991 00:54:38,738 --> 00:54:43,368 He knew I was a long way from home, and he said, "Hey, young man. 992 00:54:43,451 --> 00:54:46,913 When we get back from training camp, 993 00:54:46,997 --> 00:54:51,418 one Saturday I want you to come, and we gonna stand on the sideline 994 00:54:51,501 --> 00:54:52,836 of a USC game. 995 00:54:52,919 --> 00:54:54,337 [crowd cheering] 996 00:54:58,383 --> 00:55:01,052 Once he-- we went to the first USC football game, 997 00:55:02,095 --> 00:55:04,306 that's when we started really hanging out. 998 00:55:05,181 --> 00:55:08,768 We started having lunch and dinners after the Laker games. 999 00:55:09,853 --> 00:55:11,771 He would say meet him at this restaurant. 1000 00:55:11,855 --> 00:55:15,775 So I would go meet him there, and we would break bread together, talk. 1001 00:55:15,859 --> 00:55:19,487 And then he just starts saying, "Hey, come on over to the house. 1002 00:55:20,113 --> 00:55:24,451 You have the gate pad number. You can come anytime you want. 1003 00:55:25,035 --> 00:55:27,829 And so I started going over there all the time. 1004 00:55:28,788 --> 00:55:35,003 We played pool at his house for hours, and he sort of filled the void. 1005 00:55:35,795 --> 00:55:40,091 [Christine] I took him aside, and I talked with him. And I said, 1006 00:55:40,175 --> 00:55:43,678 "Will you please look out after my baby for me?" 1007 00:55:43,762 --> 00:55:47,432 Dr. Buss said, "Mrs. Johnson," he said, "I will take care of him." 1008 00:55:47,515 --> 00:55:49,768 I felt more comfortable, you know, 1009 00:55:49,851 --> 00:55:56,191 knowing that he had someone that he could talk to, someone that would, 1010 00:55:56,274 --> 00:55:59,110 um, you know, take care of him. 1011 00:56:00,695 --> 00:56:03,240 [West] Well, it became extremely close. 1012 00:56:03,323 --> 00:56:06,534 He was like Jerry's surrogate son. 1013 00:56:07,410 --> 00:56:09,329 He was the apple of his eye, that's for sure. 1014 00:56:09,412 --> 00:56:11,248 [commentator] Johnson from outta nowhere. 1015 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, 1016 00:56:16,753 --> 00:56:19,756 comes back inside, gives it to Kareem. That might do it. 1017 00:56:19,839 --> 00:56:21,841 [commentator] Charisma, that's what the young fella's got. 1018 00:56:21,925 --> 00:56:23,718 He's had an excellent rookie season. 1019 00:56:23,802 --> 00:56:26,805 The Los Angeles Lakers are the new champions 1020 00:56:26,888 --> 00:56:32,727 of the Western Conference as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar pours in 38 points. 1021 00:56:32,811 --> 00:56:34,813 Magic Johnson adds 20. 1022 00:56:34,896 --> 00:56:36,106 [Magic] I'm going crazy. 1023 00:56:36,189 --> 00:56:39,442 Like, I just won the NCAA championship the year before, 1024 00:56:39,526 --> 00:56:44,239 and now I'm actually going to the NBA Finals my rookie season. 1025 00:56:44,322 --> 00:56:45,198 Ah! 1026 00:56:45,282 --> 00:56:48,076 It's been eight seasons since the NBA championship has been a part 1027 00:56:48,159 --> 00:56:49,703 of the LA sports scene. 1028 00:56:49,786 --> 00:56:52,497 The style of the Lakers has always been to make the play-offs 1029 00:56:52,581 --> 00:56:55,625 but somehow fold in or before the Finals. 1030 00:56:56,877 --> 00:56:58,670 I remember we kept pumping each other up, 1031 00:56:58,753 --> 00:57:00,881 "Okay. We gotta do this. We gotta do that." 1032 00:57:00,964 --> 00:57:05,302 Well, earlier that week, the voting for the Rookie of the Year came out. 1033 00:57:08,555 --> 00:57:11,308 I thought it would be close. It wasn't close. I was shocked. 1034 00:57:13,143 --> 00:57:17,355 You know, when I learned that Larry Bird had won by a wide margin, 1035 00:57:18,106 --> 00:57:19,107 I didn't like it. 1036 00:57:21,234 --> 00:57:23,612 Everybody always said about me my first year, 1037 00:57:23,695 --> 00:57:29,618 "Oh, he can pass. He can run a team, but Larry Bird is a much better scorer." 1038 00:57:29,701 --> 00:57:34,205 I was sitting there saying to myself, "I can score, but that's not my role." 1039 00:57:34,289 --> 00:57:36,458 I didn't like hearing that all the time. 1040 00:57:38,168 --> 00:57:41,880 And so, you got me fired up going into the NBA Finals. 1041 00:57:43,048 --> 00:57:45,717 [commentator] Philadelphia beat the Boston Celtics four out of five. 1042 00:57:45,800 --> 00:57:47,969 Julius Erving carried the load. He averaged 25 a game. 1043 00:57:48,053 --> 00:57:50,347 The Doctor will be the man they'll have to go to. 1044 00:57:50,430 --> 00:57:53,391 They had a real good team. Dr. J, when they had Chocolate Thunder, 1045 00:57:53,475 --> 00:57:54,309 Darryl Dawkins. 1046 00:57:54,392 --> 00:57:57,062 Now, I was a Philadelphia 76ers fan. 1047 00:57:57,145 --> 00:57:59,356 I'd had a Dr. J poster on my wall. 1048 00:57:59,439 --> 00:58:01,858 I was pulling for Philly. I was a Dr. J fan. 1049 00:58:01,942 --> 00:58:05,528 We all wanted him to win a championship but not against us. 1050 00:58:05,612 --> 00:58:09,908 [commentator] …underway. Controlled by Dawkins who'll break free. 1051 00:58:09,991 --> 00:58:12,744 It was a back-and-forth, up-and-down series. 1052 00:58:13,453 --> 00:58:16,081 We knew we had our hands full with Philadelphia, 1053 00:58:16,164 --> 00:58:19,167 but the one thing that was going in our favor was nobody 1054 00:58:19,251 --> 00:58:20,919 in the league could stop Kareem. 1055 00:58:21,002 --> 00:58:22,504 [commentator] Kareem moving the other way, Dawkins can't-- 1056 00:58:22,587 --> 00:58:25,715 -[Magic] He was just unstoppable. -I spoke to the team. I told 'em, 1057 00:58:26,383 --> 00:58:28,718 "Listen, uh, I'm gonna be ready to do my job." 1058 00:58:28,802 --> 00:58:32,389 [commentator] Goes to Magic, lob to Kareem… [continues indistinctly] 1059 00:58:32,472 --> 00:58:36,226 And so, in game five at the Forum, it was nip and tuck. 1060 00:58:36,309 --> 00:58:41,022 A 2-2 series, this is a big game because we can go up 3-2. 1061 00:58:43,650 --> 00:58:46,695 [commentator speaks indistinctly] Kareem's hurt. 1062 00:58:46,778 --> 00:58:50,115 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is injured. There's no question about it. 1063 00:58:50,198 --> 00:58:52,409 [Riley] In the middle of the third quarter, 1064 00:58:52,492 --> 00:58:54,578 Kareem has a sprain in his ankle. 1065 00:58:54,661 --> 00:58:58,123 [commentator] Boy, they would be in more than serious trouble without him. 1066 00:58:58,206 --> 00:59:01,293 We ended up closing out the game. We're up 3-2 now. 1067 00:59:01,376 --> 00:59:03,545 Please. Give him some room here, please. 1068 00:59:03,628 --> 00:59:05,422 [Wilkes] It was catastrophic. 1069 00:59:05,505 --> 00:59:08,091 Kareem was our captain, and he was always there. 1070 00:59:08,174 --> 00:59:10,093 Consummate professional, whether it was, you know, 1071 00:59:10,176 --> 00:59:13,471 had a migraine or not. I think we were all hopeful. 1072 00:59:13,555 --> 00:59:16,474 If there was any way he could play, he would play. We knew that. 1073 00:59:17,392 --> 00:59:20,228 [Cooper] The next morning, we're flying to Philly. 1074 00:59:20,312 --> 00:59:24,149 We get to the airport, and they said, "Man, did you hear the news?" 1075 00:59:24,232 --> 00:59:25,233 I said, "What news?" 1076 00:59:25,317 --> 00:59:29,321 Our doctors let us know that he was injured enough 1077 00:59:29,404 --> 00:59:31,823 that he wasn't gonna play game six. 1078 00:59:32,365 --> 00:59:36,620 We don't have the greatest scorer in the history of the game with us. 1079 00:59:37,537 --> 00:59:40,332 [Magic] How we gonna beat Philadelphia without Kareem? 1080 00:59:40,832 --> 00:59:44,836 [Cooper] Everybody's sitting there, and you could tell it was a lot of tension. 1081 00:59:44,920 --> 00:59:46,838 And everybody was, like, nervous. 1082 00:59:46,922 --> 00:59:49,132 Nobody was talking, which was strange. 1083 00:59:49,216 --> 00:59:50,759 How we gonna do this without our captain? 1084 00:59:50,842 --> 00:59:52,802 You know, he's not even gonna make the trip. 1085 00:59:52,886 --> 00:59:54,471 Oh, this must really be bad. 1086 00:59:55,055 --> 00:59:58,975 [Magic] They was all frustrated and disappointed that he couldn't play. 1087 01:00:00,101 --> 01:00:02,187 So, I said, "I gotta do something." 1088 01:00:03,021 --> 01:00:04,773 [Riley] Kareem used to get seat 1A. 1089 01:00:05,357 --> 01:00:07,984 There was only one person who ever sat in 1A. 1090 01:00:09,152 --> 01:00:11,321 [Cooper] Kareem would sit in the first row 1091 01:00:11,404 --> 01:00:14,282 but Magic and I would sit in the second row. 1092 01:00:14,366 --> 01:00:17,744 So, I'm in the second row, and Magic sits in Kareem's seat. 1093 01:00:17,827 --> 01:00:20,038 He just turned around and looked at everybody. 1094 01:00:20,121 --> 01:00:22,165 And goes, 1095 01:00:22,249 --> 01:00:25,001 "Have no fear, Earvin Magic Johnson is here." 1096 01:00:26,795 --> 01:00:28,630 [Magic] I'm 'bout to show you 1097 01:00:28,713 --> 01:00:32,425 and everybody on this team what type of game I got.