1 00:00:01,043 --> 00:00:03,713 -[tone beeps] -Tonight it'll be game number six. 2 00:00:03,797 --> 00:00:08,301 The Lakers against the 76ers. The Lakers going without Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 3 00:00:08,385 --> 00:00:11,388 still in Los Angeles taking treatment for that sprained ankle. 4 00:00:12,931 --> 00:00:15,976 I told Coach Westhead-- I said, "Let me play center." 5 00:00:16,685 --> 00:00:18,853 "They're not gonna know what's gonna come at 'em." 6 00:00:19,604 --> 00:00:24,359 He said, "I played center in high school," which was only, like, two years ago. 7 00:00:24,442 --> 00:00:27,779 He's gonna play smack-dab in the middle right from the start. 8 00:00:27,862 --> 00:00:29,531 He is our offensive center. 9 00:00:29,614 --> 00:00:31,449 [reporter] The big one tonight, game six. 10 00:00:31,533 --> 00:00:35,579 Lakers can win it all, or we go to a seventh game at the Forum on Sunday. 11 00:00:35,662 --> 00:00:38,540 [commentator] You are looking live at the sold-out crowd 12 00:00:38,623 --> 00:00:40,333 at the Spectrum in Philadelphia. 13 00:00:40,417 --> 00:00:42,502 [chuckles] 14 00:00:42,586 --> 00:00:44,129 [commentator] I think that Magic's gonna jump. 15 00:00:44,212 --> 00:00:45,881 [co-commentator] Philadelphia is gonna have 16 00:00:45,964 --> 00:00:49,259 a hard time defensively in who's gonna guard who. 17 00:00:51,219 --> 00:00:53,763 I talked to my father the night before, and I told him, 18 00:00:53,847 --> 00:00:56,933 "Dad, I'ma go-- just go out here and play like I did in high school." 19 00:00:57,017 --> 00:01:00,395 And, um, he said, "All right. Well, go do your thing." 20 00:01:00,478 --> 00:01:03,148 [spectators cheering] 21 00:01:03,857 --> 00:01:06,276 [commentator] Here comes the 20-year-old rookie down the middle. 22 00:01:06,359 --> 00:01:10,196 [co-commentator] From the left-hand, Magic Johnson going inside on Julius. 23 00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:12,282 [commentator] Two quick assists and a field goal, 24 00:01:12,365 --> 00:01:15,327 and Magic Johnson drives the Lakers to a six-point lead. 25 00:01:15,410 --> 00:01:19,623 He was making everybody better. Jamaal Wilkes had a career-high 37. 26 00:01:19,706 --> 00:01:22,334 [commentator] Magic comes inside. Dishes one to Wilkes. Beautiful pass. 27 00:01:22,417 --> 00:01:25,086 [co-commentator] This is the best game I have ever seen Magic play. 28 00:01:25,170 --> 00:01:26,796 [commentator] Championship within reach. 29 00:01:26,880 --> 00:01:31,259 [co-commentator] Whip it inside to Magic. Check that pass. 30 00:01:33,929 --> 00:01:35,138 [commentator] There it is. It's over. 31 00:01:35,222 --> 00:01:38,099 And the most valuable player is Magic Johnson. 32 00:01:38,683 --> 00:01:40,060 [Michael Wilbon] Forty-two, 15 and seven. 33 00:01:40,143 --> 00:01:44,898 The greatest performance, as far as I am concerned, in NBA Finals history. 34 00:01:45,690 --> 00:01:47,943 [Wilkes] We don't have to wonder about who he is anymore, 35 00:01:48,026 --> 00:01:50,445 you know, or his value to the team. We know that now. 36 00:01:50,528 --> 00:01:52,155 And I just said, "Man, this dude Earvin Johnson, 37 00:01:52,239 --> 00:01:54,115 he's gonna be the greatest player of all time." 38 00:01:54,199 --> 00:01:56,326 [interviewer] And here's the man of the hour, Magic Johnson. 39 00:01:56,409 --> 00:01:59,371 Magic, there's a lot of ballplayers around who haven't made it this far 40 00:01:59,454 --> 00:02:00,455 in a long career. 41 00:02:00,538 --> 00:02:01,957 This is your first year, and you're here. 42 00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:04,542 How many more of these would you like to get under your belt? 43 00:02:04,626 --> 00:02:05,961 -About 20. [chuckles] -[chuckles] 44 00:02:06,044 --> 00:02:08,754 And I want to present the world trophy 45 00:02:08,837 --> 00:02:11,341 to the owner of the Los Angeles Lakers. 46 00:02:11,424 --> 00:02:13,343 -Jerry Buss, it's yours. -[chuckles] 47 00:02:13,426 --> 00:02:16,513 For my dad, it was overwhelming to him. 48 00:02:16,596 --> 00:02:20,684 It was, you know, I think his-- his proudest moment. 49 00:02:20,767 --> 00:02:23,353 I'm excited. [chuckles] I'm just happy for everybody. 50 00:02:23,436 --> 00:02:25,105 You wanted to buy a ball team. Look what you got. 51 00:02:25,188 --> 00:02:27,524 [chuckles] A world champion. Would you believe it? 52 00:02:27,607 --> 00:02:28,858 [chuckles] A world champion. 53 00:02:28,942 --> 00:02:30,652 -Right. -It's-- It's just unbelievable. 54 00:02:30,735 --> 00:02:33,947 Jerry Buss and I hugged each other and said, "Can you believe it?" 55 00:02:34,030 --> 00:02:38,785 In our first year together we win the NBA championship. Ah. 56 00:02:38,868 --> 00:02:44,207 They shared that moment, and that was intoxicating for both of them 57 00:02:44,291 --> 00:02:46,251 because a star was born. 58 00:02:51,047 --> 00:02:53,675 [Westhead] When we got home and the plane landed, 59 00:02:53,758 --> 00:02:58,430 Kareem, the big fella, got on the plane with his cowboy hat. 60 00:02:58,513 --> 00:03:02,017 -Didn't even wait for your boy. -[laughing] 61 00:03:02,100 --> 00:03:03,560 I got everything waiting for y'all, man. 62 00:03:03,643 --> 00:03:07,439 -All the ladies, all the champagne. -[player 1] For us. For us. [laughs] 63 00:03:07,522 --> 00:03:10,734 [interviewer] Are you afraid that you might lose your job for next year? 64 00:03:11,234 --> 00:03:13,987 Well, if--if-- if I lose my job, I can always play guard, 65 00:03:14,070 --> 00:03:16,114 and we'll just trade positions. 66 00:03:16,197 --> 00:03:19,492 Why, after we won that championship, even Kareem kinda like, "Okay." 67 00:03:20,076 --> 00:03:22,078 He knew Magic was gonna be our leader. 68 00:03:22,579 --> 00:03:26,833 He's our new guy. He was Kareem and Magic put together. 69 00:03:27,334 --> 00:03:30,086 [Cooper] We didn't set off to win the ch-- We just wanted to play good basketball. 70 00:03:30,170 --> 00:03:32,380 Uh, but once we won that championship, 71 00:03:32,464 --> 00:03:37,427 that changed the whole dynamic of what Laker basketball was about. 72 00:03:37,510 --> 00:03:43,058 The first piece of merchandise I wanna show you is my Lakers championship trophy 73 00:03:43,141 --> 00:03:44,267 that match my tattoo. 74 00:03:44,351 --> 00:03:49,231 It has "Lakers" across the top of the ball because we own this motherfucker. 75 00:03:53,443 --> 00:03:57,739 When the Lakers win a championship, this city has a different glow to it. 76 00:04:00,575 --> 00:04:03,870 [Scott] From the fan's standpoint and bringing them a championship 77 00:04:03,954 --> 00:04:06,373 where everybody thought, here in LA at least, you know, 78 00:04:06,456 --> 00:04:09,417 that this was gonna be very hard to do without Kareem. 79 00:04:09,501 --> 00:04:12,045 Earvin "Magic" Johnson went in there and delivered 80 00:04:12,128 --> 00:04:15,257 one of the most memorable games I have ever seen in my life. 81 00:04:20,470 --> 00:04:23,098 I mean, everybody was in awe. 82 00:04:23,181 --> 00:04:25,559 [chanting] Magic! Magic! Magic! 83 00:05:26,578 --> 00:05:30,832 You know, every once in a while, an athlete comes along who brings new life 84 00:05:30,916 --> 00:05:33,627 and energy to a team and a sport. 85 00:05:33,710 --> 00:05:37,380 Here is the rookie sensation Earvin "Magic" Johnson! 86 00:05:39,174 --> 00:05:41,676 [reporter] At only 20 years old, Earvin "Magic" Johnson 87 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:43,011 has not only captivated 88 00:05:43,094 --> 00:05:45,639 the city of Los Angeles but has boosted the Lakers morale 89 00:05:45,722 --> 00:05:48,058 along with the team's box office figures. 90 00:05:48,141 --> 00:05:50,101 You're a celebrity in this town. 91 00:05:52,562 --> 00:05:53,855 My hero. 92 00:05:53,939 --> 00:05:54,940 [people cheering] 93 00:05:55,607 --> 00:05:59,694 [reporter] It was one of those star-studded Hollywood premieres. 94 00:05:59,778 --> 00:06:05,325 And towering over stars and admirers alike was Earvin Johnson, 95 00:06:05,408 --> 00:06:09,287 known as Magic, a man-child in the promised land. 96 00:06:09,371 --> 00:06:14,417 The instantaneous, uh, success, celebrity endorsements, 97 00:06:14,501 --> 00:06:18,505 you know, all of those things-- Money came to us quickly, 98 00:06:18,588 --> 00:06:20,507 you know, when Magic showed up. 99 00:06:20,590 --> 00:06:21,800 Magic Johnson, yeah. 100 00:06:21,883 --> 00:06:23,301 Came to Earvin too. 101 00:06:23,385 --> 00:06:24,886 Who's Earvin Johnson? 102 00:06:24,970 --> 00:06:26,221 Who is Earvin Johnson? 103 00:06:26,304 --> 00:06:29,057 -Never heard of her. -[all laugh] 104 00:06:29,140 --> 00:06:30,183 Who is she? 105 00:06:30,267 --> 00:06:31,893 [chuckles] 106 00:06:31,977 --> 00:06:34,563 [Hill] When you have a name like Magic, you gotta succeed. 107 00:06:35,564 --> 00:06:37,899 And so this whole transformation began 108 00:06:38,483 --> 00:06:43,029 when Dr. Buss realized, the key to everything was Magic Johnson. 109 00:06:43,613 --> 00:06:46,074 [West] And Jerry used to take him with him a lot of places 110 00:06:46,157 --> 00:06:48,577 like his beautiful diamond ring. 111 00:06:49,327 --> 00:06:53,999 "Here's my big great basketball player. I want to show him off." 112 00:06:54,082 --> 00:06:59,462 We went to Disneyland and he saw, "This is the Magic Kingdom." 113 00:06:59,546 --> 00:07:01,298 [audience laughs] 114 00:07:01,381 --> 00:07:03,800 Then he said, "They didn't have to do that." 115 00:07:05,218 --> 00:07:09,931 If you're Dr. Buss, of course you're gonna gravitate to Magic Johnson. 116 00:07:10,015 --> 00:07:13,226 Magic has taken Los Angeles by storm. 117 00:07:13,810 --> 00:07:18,398 Eight million that live in the Southern California area idolize this man. 118 00:07:19,107 --> 00:07:22,777 You're making me money. You're elevating my popularity. 119 00:07:22,861 --> 00:07:25,947 You're taking this Lakers brand to another level. 120 00:07:26,031 --> 00:07:29,492 I'd be a fool not to cultivate a relationship with you. 121 00:07:30,410 --> 00:07:33,914 [reporter] The Los Angeles Lakers have given him a new contract 122 00:07:33,997 --> 00:07:36,207 covering 25 years, 123 00:07:36,291 --> 00:07:41,796 far beyond his playing career, for a reported $25 million. 124 00:07:43,882 --> 00:07:47,135 That much? Twenty-five years? 125 00:07:47,969 --> 00:07:50,931 [reporter] The contract that left the athletic world gasping 126 00:07:51,014 --> 00:07:53,141 was the one Magic signed with the Lakers, 127 00:07:53,225 --> 00:07:56,228 making him the highest-paid professional athlete in the world. 128 00:07:56,311 --> 00:07:57,520 Who is this guy? 129 00:07:59,731 --> 00:08:01,900 How long has he played? What has he done? 130 00:08:03,068 --> 00:08:07,364 It certainly made headlines, which is the way my dad likes to do things. 131 00:08:08,114 --> 00:08:12,452 [Wilkes] There was chatter amongst the players, "What does this mean?" 132 00:08:12,535 --> 00:08:17,082 [Abdul-Jabbar] We were all wondering if Earvin was a player or management. 133 00:08:18,166 --> 00:08:20,752 When you get a contract like that, uh-- you're management. 134 00:08:20,835 --> 00:08:23,171 Man, you… They've adopted you. 135 00:08:24,756 --> 00:08:27,509 [Magic] I think, you know, there was a little tension. Matter of fact, 136 00:08:27,592 --> 00:08:32,389 I'd be lying if I said there was a little tension. There was a lot. It was big. 137 00:08:33,472 --> 00:08:36,518 The Laker guys were not happy. Kareem was not happy. 138 00:08:37,226 --> 00:08:42,899 And then we get to training camp and Coach Westhead decided to change all the plays. 139 00:08:43,733 --> 00:08:48,863 I made some changes, and if that caused ruffles with the players, 140 00:08:48,947 --> 00:08:50,949 then I can live with that. 141 00:08:51,032 --> 00:08:52,993 The question flying around the Fabulous Forum 142 00:08:53,076 --> 00:08:56,663 after Friday night's loss to Phoenix, "What's wrong with the Lakers?" 143 00:08:56,746 --> 00:08:57,747 We weren't playing right. 144 00:08:57,831 --> 00:09:00,625 We weren't utilizing our best asset which was our ability to run. 145 00:09:00,709 --> 00:09:03,378 [commentator] And Johnson has it with 19 seconds to go. 146 00:09:03,461 --> 00:09:06,798 Every time Magic got the basketball and head down, Coach Westhead was on the side. 147 00:09:06,882 --> 00:09:09,509 "Hold, hold, hold! Hold. Ah, okay, and run this." 148 00:09:09,593 --> 00:09:11,761 And Magic spent most of his time looking over his shoulder. 149 00:09:12,971 --> 00:09:15,891 -[commentator] Magic checks the clock. -[Utah coach] Time-out! Time-out. 150 00:09:15,974 --> 00:09:19,978 Paul had his own ideas. Those ideas didn't work out as well for us. 151 00:09:20,061 --> 00:09:22,147 So, you know, Magic started complaining about it. 152 00:09:23,356 --> 00:09:28,028 So we're playing in Utah, and-- So Utah calls a time-out. 153 00:09:28,737 --> 00:09:31,281 And I went to Coach and said, "Listen. 154 00:09:31,907 --> 00:09:35,952 Everybody's frustrated because we're not performing well. 155 00:09:36,036 --> 00:09:38,079 We're not shooting well. We're not playing well." 156 00:09:39,331 --> 00:09:41,625 Coach Westhead turns to me. "Shut the hell up." 157 00:09:43,293 --> 00:09:45,754 And I'm like shocked. Like, "What?" 158 00:09:47,672 --> 00:09:51,092 Yeah, well. So, I'll give you my version. 159 00:09:51,176 --> 00:09:55,263 Late in the game, at a time-out, he had drifted away. 160 00:09:55,347 --> 00:10:01,144 Like, whatever you're saying, it's okay but, you know, I'm not here. 161 00:10:01,228 --> 00:10:02,729 [Riley] You know, right after the game, 162 00:10:02,812 --> 00:10:06,816 he called Earvin into a private room across from the locker room. 163 00:10:06,900 --> 00:10:10,445 And he just started, just, "I'm tired of your shit, 164 00:10:10,528 --> 00:10:12,656 and I'm tired--" And... [speaks gibberish]. 165 00:10:12,739 --> 00:10:16,034 I said, "Magic, this cannot happen again." 166 00:10:16,117 --> 00:10:17,702 He barely said a word, like, 167 00:10:17,786 --> 00:10:20,664 nodding that, [stammers] like, basically, "Are you finished?" 168 00:10:20,747 --> 00:10:25,877 I just can't take it no more, you know. So it's coming down to me or him. 169 00:10:25,961 --> 00:10:28,338 [reporter] Last night, after the game, Magic Johnson said 170 00:10:28,421 --> 00:10:30,674 he was unable to play for Westhead any longer 171 00:10:30,757 --> 00:10:32,175 and wanted to be traded. 172 00:10:32,259 --> 00:10:34,678 [Magic] Um, I haven't been happy. I'm not happy. 173 00:10:34,761 --> 00:10:36,972 I just, you know, wanted to get out the situation. 174 00:10:37,514 --> 00:10:42,227 As soon as we landed, Jerry West and Dr. Buss told me to come in and see them. 175 00:10:42,310 --> 00:10:45,480 Earvin talked to Jerry about it because they were so close. 176 00:10:45,564 --> 00:10:48,316 And, um, "Jerry," he said, "we're going to make a change." 177 00:10:48,984 --> 00:10:51,903 [Westhead] I came back to have a conversation with Jerry Buss 178 00:10:51,987 --> 00:10:57,951 and tell him we need to discipline Earvin "Magic" Johnson right now. 179 00:10:58,034 --> 00:11:03,456 So then I go in and see Buss, and he… he tells me right away. 180 00:11:03,540 --> 00:11:05,500 He didn't mix any words. 181 00:11:05,584 --> 00:11:09,170 Paul Westhead has been fired as the coach of the Los Angeles Lakers 182 00:11:09,254 --> 00:11:12,549 after the team's star, Magic Johnson, said he wanted to be traded. 183 00:11:13,174 --> 00:11:16,469 [reporter] Dr. Jerry Buss insists he was not playing favorites 184 00:11:16,553 --> 00:11:18,138 with his million-dollar player. 185 00:11:18,221 --> 00:11:20,265 It really has nothing to do with that. 186 00:11:20,348 --> 00:11:22,058 [reporter] Buss went on to say 187 00:11:22,142 --> 00:11:24,269 that Pat Riley will move from assistant to head coach. 188 00:11:24,352 --> 00:11:28,356 You know, when Paul was fired, we were 7-3. And we were winning. 189 00:11:28,440 --> 00:11:31,401 [reporter] Did it ever come down to a situation where you told management, 190 00:11:31,484 --> 00:11:34,362 -"Either he goes, or I go?" -No, I never told them that. 191 00:11:34,446 --> 00:11:37,616 It was clear he had more power than me. 192 00:11:39,284 --> 00:11:42,996 When the media blamed Earvin, Earvin became a villain. 193 00:11:43,079 --> 00:11:47,334 Fans don't like what they call, you know, "coach killers." 194 00:11:47,417 --> 00:11:49,419 You know, the-- And Magic got booed. 195 00:11:49,502 --> 00:11:52,631 [commentator] Starting for Los Angeles. At guard. From Michigan State. 196 00:11:52,714 --> 00:11:55,300 -Number 32. Magic Johnson. -[crowd booing] 197 00:11:56,551 --> 00:11:58,053 My first game as the head coach, 198 00:11:58,136 --> 00:12:01,097 Earvin was booed heavily when he got on the court. 199 00:12:02,182 --> 00:12:06,394 Ooh, man. It was like nobody liked me. 200 00:12:06,895 --> 00:12:10,023 "Don't speak to him. Don't say nothing to him." 201 00:12:10,106 --> 00:12:12,859 All that. Man, it's like I didn't have a friend in the world. 202 00:12:12,943 --> 00:12:18,073 And every time he got booed, I would say to him, "Just play harder. 203 00:12:18,156 --> 00:12:21,660 Just play harder. Just show 'em. They'll forgive you." 204 00:12:21,743 --> 00:12:24,829 Him and I bonded right away. Right away. 205 00:12:24,913 --> 00:12:28,750 I said, "Okay. Then I'm gonna just have to play great." 206 00:12:29,417 --> 00:12:31,044 [Abdul-Jabbar] When Coach Riley took over, 207 00:12:31,127 --> 00:12:34,589 we just went back to emphasizing the fast break, 208 00:12:34,673 --> 00:12:38,718 which is our best style of play, and we start to win again. 209 00:12:39,678 --> 00:12:43,306 [commentator] That's the time. The Lakers will be crowned champions. 210 00:12:43,890 --> 00:12:48,395 And so, when we won the title again in 1982, it was electric. 211 00:12:49,479 --> 00:12:51,523 [Smith] Pat Riley allowed Magic to be Magic. 212 00:12:51,606 --> 00:12:56,027 He allowed Magic to institute that showtime persona. 213 00:12:56,111 --> 00:12:59,906 [reporter] The magic has returned. The Lakers' image gleaming again. 214 00:12:59,990 --> 00:13:02,951 Mmm. Mmm. Mmm. Showtime. 215 00:13:04,911 --> 00:13:07,622 [announcer] And welcome to the Fabulous Forum. 216 00:13:14,212 --> 00:13:16,673 [Hall] I got to go to the Great Western Forum in Inglewood 217 00:13:16,756 --> 00:13:20,218 one time before Earvin came to Hollywood. 218 00:13:20,302 --> 00:13:21,678 It was a different building. 219 00:13:22,929 --> 00:13:26,433 It was the difference between chicken shit and chicken salad, you know what I mean? 220 00:13:27,142 --> 00:13:32,314 There will never be anything like the atmosphere of The Forum. 221 00:13:34,608 --> 00:13:39,362 Showtime at The Forum meant, like, opening night at the biggest concert. 222 00:13:39,446 --> 00:13:42,365 The amount of famous people that would come to the games 223 00:13:42,449 --> 00:13:45,869 was jaw-dropping and awe-inspiring. 224 00:13:45,952 --> 00:13:52,751 And you had a great owner, Dr. Buss, who consciously created this spectacle. 225 00:13:52,834 --> 00:13:55,629 [reporter] There may not be another sports franchise owner 226 00:13:55,712 --> 00:13:58,798 who outwardly enjoys his lifestyle more than Jerry Buss. 227 00:14:00,091 --> 00:14:02,344 [Jeanie] The atmosphere that he wanted to create. 228 00:14:02,427 --> 00:14:05,972 It was really melding of sports and entertainment. 229 00:14:06,056 --> 00:14:08,225 His whole thing was changing things. 230 00:14:08,308 --> 00:14:13,230 And he felt there had to be more besides us playing against our opponent. 231 00:14:14,064 --> 00:14:16,691 Dancing Barry. Who-- Who thinks of that, you know? 232 00:14:17,984 --> 00:14:20,278 [stammers] Got the neck going like this. 233 00:14:23,073 --> 00:14:29,663 [Jeanie] When the team took a time-out, he wanted a dance team to entertain. 234 00:14:29,746 --> 00:14:32,123 And he named them the Laker Girls. 235 00:14:33,708 --> 00:14:36,419 [Abdul] I started my whole career becoming a Laker Girl. 236 00:14:37,212 --> 00:14:40,048 Here was this brand-new team of dancers, 237 00:14:40,131 --> 00:14:44,344 and-- and I like turned these girls into a-- a real fierce dance squad. 238 00:14:44,427 --> 00:14:48,265 And, um, everyone knows Jack Nicholson was one of the most avid fans. 239 00:14:48,348 --> 00:14:52,561 Whenever the Laker Girls had to go up and perform, he'd take out his binoculars. 240 00:14:53,436 --> 00:14:55,438 It was all Dr. Buss's ideas. 241 00:14:55,981 --> 00:15:01,111 Dr. Jerry Buss, he was like the Hugh Hefner of basketball. 242 00:15:01,611 --> 00:15:03,280 Some people would say that, uh, 243 00:15:03,363 --> 00:15:06,449 it's almost as if you made a Faustian deal with the devil 244 00:15:06,533 --> 00:15:09,786 because everything seems so perfect. Is this a perfect lifestyle? 245 00:15:09,869 --> 00:15:11,496 Well, I-- I certainly enjoy it. 246 00:15:11,580 --> 00:15:16,835 It was seducing. It was seductive. It was magical. 247 00:15:16,918 --> 00:15:20,338 You're a winner on the court. Are you also a winner with the ladies? 248 00:15:20,422 --> 00:15:23,341 -And how's your sex life? -[audience laughs] 249 00:15:23,425 --> 00:15:25,677 Have you thought about, uh, what it would be like 250 00:15:25,760 --> 00:15:28,305 to play the heavy schedule that you do and get married? 251 00:15:28,388 --> 00:15:30,223 Really, you're doing so much. 252 00:15:30,307 --> 00:15:33,184 You just wanna come home to that one special lady. 253 00:15:37,230 --> 00:15:41,276 [Cookie] I was living in Toledo at the time, working in fashion merchandising. 254 00:15:41,359 --> 00:15:43,528 And he lived in Los Angeles. 255 00:15:43,612 --> 00:15:46,489 You know, I had this dream, so I wanted to pursue that. 256 00:15:48,033 --> 00:15:49,618 She was doing her thing, she was-- 257 00:15:49,701 --> 00:15:52,370 She was doing her career and doing her thing. 258 00:15:52,454 --> 00:15:55,624 And we know how she felt. We knew her heart. We knew her heart, and-- 259 00:15:55,707 --> 00:15:58,126 But we also know Earvin wasn't really going too far. 260 00:15:58,209 --> 00:16:00,712 We-- 'Cause we knew Earvin knew what he had. 261 00:16:01,296 --> 00:16:02,464 We were not together, 262 00:16:02,547 --> 00:16:06,259 but we were still talking and, uh, staying in touch with each other. 263 00:16:06,343 --> 00:16:12,641 It was just nice to be able to call and hear a friendly voice on the other end. 264 00:16:12,724 --> 00:16:14,809 'Cause I, you know, I was still in love with him, of course. 265 00:16:15,393 --> 00:16:17,729 Um, but I kept thinking maybe we'll get back together. 266 00:16:17,812 --> 00:16:20,649 And he was like, "Well, you ought to just come out here and visit." 267 00:16:26,655 --> 00:16:29,866 I remember the first time I ever went to a game in LA, 268 00:16:30,408 --> 00:16:35,080 and I remember sitting in the seat going, "Oh, my God." 269 00:16:35,664 --> 00:16:40,710 I've never seen dresses so tight or so short. 270 00:16:40,794 --> 00:16:44,673 Heels so high. Clothes so see-through. 271 00:16:44,756 --> 00:16:47,342 I never saw that before. It was crazy. 272 00:16:48,343 --> 00:16:50,637 For the most part, when I came to visit him, 273 00:16:50,720 --> 00:16:54,015 we just quietly stayed in his apartment a lot. 274 00:16:54,099 --> 00:16:55,642 Because I worked so hard, 275 00:16:56,434 --> 00:16:59,646 I don't like to do nothing… [chuckles] …you know, after I'm done. 276 00:16:59,729 --> 00:17:03,567 So we don't have to go out somewhere to have a good time. 277 00:17:04,651 --> 00:17:07,946 [Cookie] You know, when he was playing, he was very intense. 278 00:17:08,530 --> 00:17:10,824 You know, being the top player on the Lakers, 279 00:17:10,907 --> 00:17:14,703 and they were a very tight-knit unit. 280 00:17:16,246 --> 00:17:20,708 Pat Riley's rules were that the family couldn't travel with the team 281 00:17:20,792 --> 00:17:25,045 during the playoffs or during championships. The players would get fined 282 00:17:25,130 --> 00:17:28,675 if one of their wives were caught on the road with them. 283 00:17:29,509 --> 00:17:33,847 Pat told me that, you know, we're 12 plus two plus one. 284 00:17:33,930 --> 00:17:38,226 We're 12 players, two coaches, and me. 285 00:17:38,310 --> 00:17:41,771 Everyone else is a peripheral opponent 286 00:17:42,606 --> 00:17:45,859 who could distract you from your job. 287 00:17:47,485 --> 00:17:49,237 That included your family. 288 00:17:49,321 --> 00:17:52,073 You take responsibility for your greatness 289 00:17:52,157 --> 00:17:55,076 by making sure that these things aren't going to get in the way. 290 00:17:56,661 --> 00:18:01,374 [Magic] I don't like to be bothered during game days. I'm moody. I'm cranky. 291 00:18:02,542 --> 00:18:09,090 So, how do I give her all of me when I'm giving basketball all of me? 292 00:18:10,842 --> 00:18:14,679 That's when I started seeing, like, there-- there was a difference. 293 00:18:15,847 --> 00:18:18,433 And basically, he-- From the time he started playing with the Lakers, 294 00:18:18,516 --> 00:18:23,480 he had a split kind of personality. There was Magic, and then there was Earvin. 295 00:18:25,148 --> 00:18:28,526 I met Earvin. And that's the one that I fell in love with. 296 00:18:28,610 --> 00:18:29,861 And that's the one I knew. 297 00:18:30,362 --> 00:18:32,280 How do you keep those feet on the ground out here? 298 00:18:32,364 --> 00:18:34,324 -Well, um… -[Snyder] Uh, you're a movie star. 299 00:18:34,407 --> 00:18:35,408 [laughs] 300 00:18:35,492 --> 00:18:38,870 You know, it's fun being Magic Johnson for eight months. 301 00:18:38,954 --> 00:18:42,082 And then it's great being Earvin Johnson for the other three. 302 00:18:47,921 --> 00:18:51,216 [Thomas] Every summer, Magic came back to Lansing 303 00:18:51,925 --> 00:18:55,637 to be around his family, his friends. 304 00:18:56,221 --> 00:19:00,684 And it was like, you know, "Man, that's-- that's Magic." You know? 305 00:19:01,977 --> 00:19:05,939 And I'll never forget, Earvin had this gold Benz. 306 00:19:07,440 --> 00:19:11,987 Tires, Armor All. The tinted blue windows. 307 00:19:12,070 --> 00:19:15,031 And I was like, "Wow." 308 00:19:16,283 --> 00:19:20,287 I looked at Magic Johnson as someone who made it. 309 00:19:22,581 --> 00:19:27,669 [Magic] He used to come from Chicago to hang out, train. 310 00:19:28,253 --> 00:19:32,382 I mean, we loved to hoop. [laughs] 311 00:19:32,465 --> 00:19:35,844 We would hoop all day to 2:00 in the morning. 312 00:19:36,720 --> 00:19:40,390 Get up. Run. Work out. Hoop some more. 313 00:19:41,266 --> 00:19:44,060 Get something to eat. Take a nap. Go hoop some more. 314 00:19:44,144 --> 00:19:48,773 I mean, we would just play basketball, and that's what I needed. 315 00:19:48,857 --> 00:19:54,696 I needed this friend that, uh, loved the game as much as I did. 316 00:19:54,779 --> 00:20:00,869 [commentator] At guard. 6'1". 185. From Indiana. Number 11. Isiah Thomas. 317 00:20:00,952 --> 00:20:02,871 He ends up getting drafted by the Pistons. 318 00:20:03,747 --> 00:20:06,583 So now we're in the NBA together. 319 00:20:06,666 --> 00:20:09,586 -[laughs] -He's one of the greatest point guards 320 00:20:09,669 --> 00:20:10,670 to ever play this game. 321 00:20:11,463 --> 00:20:15,175 [Thomas] Coming into the league, um, my team was starting at the bottom, 322 00:20:15,842 --> 00:20:17,594 and his team was on-- on top. 323 00:20:18,178 --> 00:20:21,765 And fortunately enough for me, you know, and Magic was so open. 324 00:20:22,515 --> 00:20:24,100 Seeing how they did things. 325 00:20:24,184 --> 00:20:27,395 They're in the championship world of the NBA. 326 00:20:28,521 --> 00:20:34,945 And also as friends. As brothers. Those Midwest values that people talk about. 327 00:20:35,445 --> 00:20:40,450 That trust. You know, it's like your word really is like your bond. 328 00:20:40,533 --> 00:20:43,161 If I give you my word, okay, we good. You know? 329 00:20:43,245 --> 00:20:45,580 Yeah, that-- that was-- that was there. 330 00:20:46,164 --> 00:20:49,918 We both needed each other because he's the only one 331 00:20:50,001 --> 00:20:51,586 could understand what I was going through. 332 00:20:51,670 --> 00:20:54,923 I'm the only one could understand him at the same time too. 333 00:20:55,924 --> 00:20:59,928 [Thomas] When you talk about Black men and Black boys, you know, in America, 334 00:21:00,011 --> 00:21:03,640 in the game of basketball, that was the pathway out. 335 00:21:04,474 --> 00:21:09,813 And Earvin and I just-- We had a pretty good understanding of that. 336 00:21:22,450 --> 00:21:27,581 Sexton High School was right in the Black community on the west side. 337 00:21:27,664 --> 00:21:32,502 I knew all the players because I played against them since I was a young kid. 338 00:21:32,586 --> 00:21:35,881 And I wanted to be a Sexton Big Red. 339 00:21:37,465 --> 00:21:41,970 Sexton was dominant. That's all we knew growing up was Sexton High School. 340 00:21:42,053 --> 00:21:43,763 And knowing all those players, 341 00:21:43,847 --> 00:21:46,725 'cause a lot of 'em stay-- played in-- lived in our neighborhood. 342 00:21:46,808 --> 00:21:52,230 The gym was packed. The band went... [scatting] ...and you be like-- 343 00:21:53,273 --> 00:21:57,736 [scatting] 344 00:21:57,819 --> 00:22:02,657 I wanted to-- I wanted to come out... [chuckles] ...into that music, you know? 345 00:22:02,741 --> 00:22:03,825 The kid's coming up. 346 00:22:03,909 --> 00:22:07,746 You want him to go to that neighborhood school to keep that tradition going. 347 00:22:07,829 --> 00:22:11,374 I mean, I was waiting for my turn. It was my turn. 348 00:22:11,458 --> 00:22:15,337 And all of a sudden they said, "No, you can't go. 349 00:22:15,420 --> 00:22:18,423 You can't walk ten, 15 minutes from your house. 350 00:22:19,299 --> 00:22:22,844 You've got to get bused across town to go to Everett High School." 351 00:22:22,928 --> 00:22:26,765 A unanimous Supreme Court today affirmed the principle of busing 352 00:22:26,848 --> 00:22:29,351 school children to desegregate school. 353 00:22:29,434 --> 00:22:33,438 The busing issue that has Americans in an uproar, pro and con, across the country 354 00:22:33,521 --> 00:22:37,734 is perhaps nowhere more dramatically present than in Michigan. 355 00:22:40,111 --> 00:22:44,449 I was so mad, I cried for two, three straight weeks. 356 00:22:44,532 --> 00:22:48,370 That I had-- now had to catch a bus across town 357 00:22:48,453 --> 00:22:50,914 to a school that wasn't known for basketball either. 358 00:22:56,086 --> 00:22:59,548 [Larry] That bus would pull up. They was throwing rocks and sticks at our bus. 359 00:22:59,631 --> 00:23:01,967 [crowd clamoring] 360 00:23:03,802 --> 00:23:05,929 They didn't want us. They were calling us names. 361 00:23:08,056 --> 00:23:10,141 That just added fuel to the fire. 362 00:23:10,225 --> 00:23:13,937 When I got to Everett the fights were starting right-- Day one. 363 00:23:14,020 --> 00:23:16,773 There was a couple kids on the basketball team. 364 00:23:16,856 --> 00:23:21,152 The white kids didn't really accept this as well as I thought they should've. 365 00:23:22,362 --> 00:23:26,157 [Magic] That third week our principal was waiting for the bus as we pulled up. 366 00:23:26,741 --> 00:23:29,160 He just said, "Earvin Johnson, come to my office." 367 00:23:29,244 --> 00:23:31,204 I thought I had gotten into trouble or something. 368 00:23:31,288 --> 00:23:32,998 I didn't know what was going on. 369 00:23:33,081 --> 00:23:38,253 So he said, "Listen, you're gonna stop the Black kids from fighting." 370 00:23:38,336 --> 00:23:43,758 I said, "Wait a minute. I'm-- I'm 15 years old. I just got here." 371 00:23:44,885 --> 00:23:46,094 He said, "No… 372 00:23:48,179 --> 00:23:49,472 They will follow you." 373 00:23:51,683 --> 00:23:56,438 I was just like, "I wanna fight." I'm-- You know, I'm gonna get my respect. 374 00:23:56,521 --> 00:23:59,858 He did it the other way. He did it on the basketball court. 375 00:23:59,941 --> 00:24:02,068 [people cheering] 376 00:24:11,119 --> 00:24:13,079 [reporter] It is the Boston Celtics and Larry Bird 377 00:24:13,163 --> 00:24:15,498 against Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers. 378 00:24:15,582 --> 00:24:20,045 It is a confrontation that basketball fans have been waiting a long time for 379 00:24:20,128 --> 00:24:22,505 in the NBA, and now it is here. 380 00:24:22,589 --> 00:24:27,802 The attitude of the country was, the Lakers were Black America's team, 381 00:24:27,886 --> 00:24:30,138 and the Celtics was white America's team. 382 00:24:30,222 --> 00:24:34,184 My advice to the Lakers is, "Beware. Watch out." 383 00:24:34,267 --> 00:24:36,436 You're just gonna get a beating. I-- I'm a Boston guy. 384 00:24:36,519 --> 00:24:38,230 Just gonna get the beating of your life. 385 00:24:38,313 --> 00:24:41,107 I hated Boston. Hated Boston. 386 00:24:41,191 --> 00:24:43,026 Where did this come from? Where'd it come from? 387 00:24:43,109 --> 00:24:45,028 It came from people having bricks thrown 388 00:24:45,111 --> 00:24:48,031 through their windows. It came from the busing footage you see 389 00:24:48,114 --> 00:24:51,034 in the late '60s and early '70s. It came from all that shit. 390 00:24:51,117 --> 00:24:56,790 I knew I had that anger and hate built up in me 391 00:24:56,873 --> 00:25:00,460 for the Celtics. So I w-- I was--I was ready to go. 392 00:25:01,169 --> 00:25:04,339 And Bob McAdoo gave me a Malcolm X tape. 393 00:25:04,422 --> 00:25:07,175 Malcolm's speech, "The Ballot or the Bullet." 394 00:25:07,259 --> 00:25:10,470 That's the truth. You know, I wanted the other guys to hear it. 395 00:25:10,554 --> 00:25:13,765 So what you and I have got to do, is get involved. 396 00:25:13,848 --> 00:25:16,851 You and I have to be right there breathing down their throat. 397 00:25:16,935 --> 00:25:20,480 Every time they look over their shoulder, we want them to see us. 398 00:25:21,940 --> 00:25:25,485 [Magic] Bob McAdoo rebelled against racism and he-- 399 00:25:25,569 --> 00:25:28,113 he wanted you to be proud that you were Black 400 00:25:28,196 --> 00:25:32,993 and stand up for other Black athletes, just like all those before you. 401 00:25:33,076 --> 00:25:36,246 And he stayed on me about it. 402 00:25:36,329 --> 00:25:39,416 He said, "Earvin, you're in such a unique position. 403 00:25:39,499 --> 00:25:43,628 Everything that you do, you've gotta be a proud Black man." 404 00:25:44,671 --> 00:25:48,216 On top of that, damn it, I was playing Larry Bird. 405 00:25:48,300 --> 00:25:52,637 He was put up by the media as "the white savior." 406 00:25:53,513 --> 00:25:57,434 And all the fans and everybody that worked 407 00:25:57,517 --> 00:26:01,563 for the Laker organization reminded us that we hadn't beat the Celtics 408 00:26:02,272 --> 00:26:04,190 ever in the NBA Finals. 409 00:26:04,274 --> 00:26:08,528 So, you know, you got all this pressure. 410 00:26:08,612 --> 00:26:10,906 [Celtics fans chanting] Beat LA! 411 00:26:10,989 --> 00:26:14,117 Already they're starting to chant, "Beat LA." 412 00:26:14,200 --> 00:26:16,328 [chanting continues] 413 00:26:20,749 --> 00:26:23,919 The buzz and electricity going into them games was 414 00:26:24,711 --> 00:26:26,379 as high as I've ever seen it. 415 00:26:28,465 --> 00:26:33,094 I wanted to shut the crowd up. I wanted to beat them in Boston Garden. 416 00:26:33,178 --> 00:26:36,264 I wanted to beat Larry Bird in Boston Garden. 417 00:26:36,348 --> 00:26:39,392 [commentator] Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, they are battling it out. 418 00:26:40,644 --> 00:26:44,648 Magic's been successful so far hitting from outside, and he continues to be so. 419 00:26:44,731 --> 00:26:46,566 It's been all Los Angeles so far. 420 00:26:47,067 --> 00:26:48,151 [buzzer sounds] 421 00:26:49,319 --> 00:26:52,781 [Magic] In Boston, we won that first game, and we've-- Man, we said, 422 00:26:52,864 --> 00:26:55,617 "Okay, we know we can beat this team." 423 00:26:55,700 --> 00:26:57,953 [commentator] The Celtics will be in white with Kelly green, 424 00:26:58,036 --> 00:27:01,539 and the Lakers in their-- They call Forum blue with gold. 425 00:27:03,583 --> 00:27:05,335 Magic. 426 00:27:05,418 --> 00:27:07,629 Cooper and the fast break. Going to town and-- 427 00:27:07,712 --> 00:27:10,048 and they are running the Celtics, at this point, 428 00:27:10,131 --> 00:27:11,550 off the Boston Garden court. 429 00:27:11,633 --> 00:27:15,387 We were about ready in game two to go up 2-nothing. 430 00:27:15,470 --> 00:27:17,514 I think it was about ten seconds to go. 431 00:27:17,597 --> 00:27:20,809 [commentator] You watch the clock at the lower part of your screen. 432 00:27:20,892 --> 00:27:22,561 They're looking for Kareem. 433 00:27:22,644 --> 00:27:24,980 Magic Johnson keeps looking inside. 434 00:27:25,063 --> 00:27:28,108 [Maxwell] I was the guy guarding him. Like, "What is this fucking guy doing?" 435 00:27:28,191 --> 00:27:31,736 I'm looking at the clock and looking at him. He's just dribbling. 436 00:27:31,820 --> 00:27:35,156 [commentator] Two seconds. One second. And they don't get it off. 437 00:27:36,032 --> 00:27:37,492 The Lakers don't get it. 438 00:27:38,868 --> 00:27:40,453 We didn't even get a shot off. 439 00:27:42,956 --> 00:27:46,167 And we end up losing that game in overtime. 440 00:27:46,251 --> 00:27:47,961 A game that we should've won. 441 00:27:50,088 --> 00:27:53,633 They should have been up 2-0, and we should have been down. 442 00:27:53,717 --> 00:27:55,427 And probably the series would have been over. 443 00:27:56,011 --> 00:27:59,222 [Maxwell] But instead, we were going back to LA for game three. 444 00:27:59,306 --> 00:28:01,725 [people cheering] 445 00:28:03,476 --> 00:28:06,146 [commentator] They call it "Showtime" here in Los Angeles, 446 00:28:06,229 --> 00:28:07,689 and the Lakers are putting one on. 447 00:28:08,690 --> 00:28:10,984 He's the magic man, Earvin Johnson. 448 00:28:11,067 --> 00:28:12,694 And the Lakers want more. 449 00:28:14,863 --> 00:28:17,699 So we go out to LA, and they blow us out. 450 00:28:17,782 --> 00:28:18,992 [Magic] Put it in. 451 00:28:21,995 --> 00:28:24,789 [commentator] Magic Johnson has set a championship series record 452 00:28:24,873 --> 00:28:26,458 with 21 assists. 453 00:28:27,083 --> 00:28:29,169 [Bird] Our mentality was, "we gotta do whatever we can 454 00:28:29,252 --> 00:28:30,587 to change the tempo of this game." 455 00:28:30,670 --> 00:28:33,173 And, uh, that's probably playing a little more physical 456 00:28:33,256 --> 00:28:35,050 and doing some things they didn't like. 457 00:28:35,133 --> 00:28:37,260 [Ainge] And I remember Kevin McHale and Larry said, 458 00:28:37,344 --> 00:28:39,512 "We've gotta take these guys out. 459 00:28:39,596 --> 00:28:43,058 Someone's gotta take a really hard foul." And I said to Kevin, 460 00:28:43,141 --> 00:28:46,895 "Why don't you foul somebody hard one time? 461 00:28:46,978 --> 00:28:50,273 Like, I do that every game and I'm booed in every city in America." 462 00:28:51,900 --> 00:28:56,154 So what they decided to do, was body slam you and hard foul you, 463 00:28:56,238 --> 00:28:58,448 and play physical and mean. 464 00:28:58,531 --> 00:29:00,992 We gotta wipe that smile off his fucking face. 465 00:29:01,076 --> 00:29:02,452 That's what we have to do. 466 00:29:03,620 --> 00:29:05,914 [commentator] Cooper to Kareem to Worthy to Rambis. 467 00:29:05,997 --> 00:29:08,041 He should go the distance. Oh! Look out. 468 00:29:08,124 --> 00:29:10,835 McHale clotheslines him and takes him out. All hell breaks loose. 469 00:29:12,337 --> 00:29:14,214 [commentator] And now the bench is empty. 470 00:29:15,465 --> 00:29:19,928 That's just a dirty play. I was going to find a way to kill him. 471 00:29:20,011 --> 00:29:22,639 [Magic] When Kevin McHale took Kurt out, 472 00:29:22,722 --> 00:29:25,100 we started fighting instead of playing. 473 00:29:25,892 --> 00:29:29,229 [commentator] Bird fights. Kareem swings the elbow 474 00:29:29,312 --> 00:29:31,022 and now is yelling at Larry Bird. 475 00:29:31,106 --> 00:29:33,858 "White boy, I'll kick your ass," and-- [talks gibberish] 476 00:29:33,942 --> 00:29:36,903 If we could have clotheslined every l-- last one of them, 477 00:29:36,987 --> 00:29:37,988 we would have done it. 478 00:29:38,071 --> 00:29:41,658 [commentator] We're in overtime. Tied at 123. 479 00:29:46,204 --> 00:29:47,205 He misses the first. 480 00:29:49,082 --> 00:29:50,417 [commentator] Johnson misses them both. 481 00:29:55,255 --> 00:29:56,840 My whole life, 482 00:29:57,799 --> 00:30:02,679 I had performed well under pressure, in every championship moment. 483 00:30:03,805 --> 00:30:08,268 And I just don't know what happened. 484 00:30:08,351 --> 00:30:10,186 [people cheering] 485 00:30:11,271 --> 00:30:13,106 We went back and they won game five. 486 00:30:13,189 --> 00:30:17,152 [commentator] The Lakers look like they're exhausted. 487 00:30:17,235 --> 00:30:19,237 Game six, we came home and won. 488 00:30:19,321 --> 00:30:24,367 [commentator] …to Boston for game seven. That is going to be Magic and Larry Bird. 489 00:30:29,956 --> 00:30:31,249 [commentator] Larry Bird. 490 00:30:31,333 --> 00:30:33,168 The man the Celtics will live or die with. 491 00:30:33,251 --> 00:30:34,961 With a minute and a half now remaining. 492 00:30:37,088 --> 00:30:39,216 Magic Johnson goes up but lost the ball. 493 00:30:40,967 --> 00:30:45,305 Uh, Cedric Maxwell steals the ball from me, knocks it away, 494 00:30:45,388 --> 00:30:47,474 now they go down and score, 495 00:30:47,557 --> 00:30:50,727 and so it just took the air out of the Lakers. 496 00:30:50,810 --> 00:30:53,688 It just really hurt our team. 497 00:30:53,772 --> 00:30:57,067 [commentator] Now Johnson with the ball. The Lakers try to cut him to one. 498 00:31:00,028 --> 00:31:01,321 And he loses it. 499 00:31:01,404 --> 00:31:02,864 Final seconds. 500 00:31:04,950 --> 00:31:06,451 Cooper going for three. 501 00:31:06,534 --> 00:31:07,535 It's over. 502 00:31:12,207 --> 00:31:14,584 Man, you talking about devastation. 503 00:31:15,418 --> 00:31:18,797 I cost us that series. Tragic. 504 00:31:19,965 --> 00:31:21,716 We really relished that, 505 00:31:21,800 --> 00:31:25,053 the fact that we gave him that label at that time. 506 00:31:25,136 --> 00:31:28,807 To hear "Tragic Magic," to see that in the newspaper, 507 00:31:28,890 --> 00:31:33,228 to see "I don't compare to Larry Bird," "he's a better player." 508 00:31:33,311 --> 00:31:35,480 It was just a huge disappointment. 509 00:31:36,147 --> 00:31:39,526 The trophies and the-- [chuckles] and the rings and all that didn't matter. 510 00:31:39,609 --> 00:31:41,653 It was all about beating the Lakers and Earvin. 511 00:31:41,736 --> 00:31:43,280 That's all that mattered. 512 00:31:43,863 --> 00:31:48,827 For me not to execute, not to play well, I'm still mad. 513 00:31:48,910 --> 00:31:53,248 Even as I sit here talking to you about it right now, I'm just upset, 514 00:31:53,331 --> 00:31:57,961 replaying all those moments that I normally excel at, 515 00:31:58,044 --> 00:31:59,963 and I didn't for some reason. 516 00:32:00,839 --> 00:32:03,675 [Thomas] And after losing that game-- I'll never forget, 517 00:32:03,758 --> 00:32:08,972 we were just in the hotel room, and you could hear him crying and sobbing. 518 00:32:09,556 --> 00:32:14,644 And we were just sitting on the floor in silence for, you know, 519 00:32:14,728 --> 00:32:16,313 literally the whole night. 520 00:32:16,396 --> 00:32:18,064 [Magic] I was devastated. 521 00:32:18,148 --> 00:32:21,026 That was probably one of my darkest moments 522 00:32:21,109 --> 00:32:22,736 as a basketball player. 523 00:32:23,737 --> 00:32:25,572 [Thomas] Emotionally, man, 524 00:32:25,655 --> 00:32:29,326 he was in one of his most vulnerable and weakest positions. 525 00:32:39,878 --> 00:32:42,923 [Magic] I was first introduced to basketball by my father. 526 00:32:43,006 --> 00:32:47,052 Uh, watching games with him on Saturdays and Sundays. 527 00:32:47,636 --> 00:32:51,473 If four games came on on Saturday, we watched all four together. 528 00:32:52,807 --> 00:32:55,393 I'm getting four hours with my hero, 529 00:32:55,477 --> 00:32:58,688 with the guy that I always wanted to be like. 530 00:32:58,772 --> 00:33:03,985 He would always explain why the play happened 531 00:33:04,611 --> 00:33:07,739 and why the guy made that decision. 532 00:33:07,822 --> 00:33:11,493 So he wanted me to be smart at the game of basketball. 533 00:33:11,576 --> 00:33:14,871 [reporter] As a kid, was your dream to play someday in the NBA? 534 00:33:14,955 --> 00:33:17,165 Oh, yeah. The biggest dream. 535 00:33:17,249 --> 00:33:21,253 And also my father's dream for me being here. So it's nice. 536 00:33:23,046 --> 00:33:24,965 [Magic] My father's from Mississippi, 537 00:33:25,048 --> 00:33:29,427 and when I went down south to the place that everybody hung out, 538 00:33:29,511 --> 00:33:31,346 in the city that he grew up in, 539 00:33:32,180 --> 00:33:36,977 these guys were sitting there telling me, "Your father was really good." 540 00:33:37,060 --> 00:33:42,190 And they would tell me the stories of, you know, how he used to score 541 00:33:42,274 --> 00:33:45,902 and he was a pretty good player and-- 542 00:33:45,986 --> 00:33:48,989 So all of them said, "That's why we knew 543 00:33:49,072 --> 00:33:53,076 when you started playing and you were good, 544 00:33:53,159 --> 00:33:55,245 we already knew the reason that you were good. 545 00:33:55,328 --> 00:33:56,705 It's because of your father." 546 00:33:57,205 --> 00:34:01,918 And I was like-- I started looking at him, like, "Dad, you didn't tell me." 547 00:34:02,002 --> 00:34:06,965 He said, "Boy, I-- you know, I didn't-- I-I couldn't continue to play. 548 00:34:07,048 --> 00:34:09,800 I had to work in the fields to support my family. 549 00:34:09,885 --> 00:34:11,928 I had to quit basketball." 550 00:34:14,931 --> 00:34:17,559 And that just tore me up. That just tore me up. 551 00:34:20,811 --> 00:34:22,521 [exhales deeply] 552 00:34:26,276 --> 00:34:28,945 Then '84, I wasn't ready. 553 00:34:29,653 --> 00:34:32,907 Mentally, I wasn't tough enough and that's why we lost that series. 554 00:34:33,909 --> 00:34:37,287 But I'm not going to come back and repeat the same mistake twice. 555 00:34:38,246 --> 00:34:42,626 I had to redeem myself, I had to get back to being Magic again. 556 00:34:45,253 --> 00:34:46,588 [Thomas] That summer... 557 00:34:47,547 --> 00:34:53,135 [whistles] ...he was on a hundred every single workout. 558 00:34:54,471 --> 00:34:57,349 "I got to work on this shot, I got to work on this shot. 559 00:34:59,226 --> 00:35:01,770 Throw it to me again, right here. No, no, that ain't good enough. 560 00:35:01,853 --> 00:35:03,688 Throw it to me again." It's like, "Damn, man, 561 00:35:03,772 --> 00:35:05,732 we've been out here three hours." 562 00:35:05,815 --> 00:35:09,319 He was just like, "I'm not giving up. I'm not quitting. 563 00:35:09,402 --> 00:35:10,695 I'm coming back." 564 00:35:11,196 --> 00:35:14,366 And finally, you know, one time, you know, we were playing 565 00:35:14,449 --> 00:35:19,496 and he shot me with the ball, and I was like, "Look, I wear number 11. 566 00:35:19,579 --> 00:35:22,582 I don't wear number 33. I don't play for the Celtics. 567 00:35:22,666 --> 00:35:25,585 I don't have on a green jersey right now." [laughs] 568 00:35:25,669 --> 00:35:28,296 [reporter] Boston once again hosts Los Angeles 569 00:35:28,380 --> 00:35:29,714 in the NBA finals starting today. 570 00:35:29,798 --> 00:35:32,884 Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics has the ultimate perch, 571 00:35:32,968 --> 00:35:34,844 he's won his second straight MVP award. 572 00:35:34,928 --> 00:35:37,222 This is a great honor for me. I can't say it's better 573 00:35:37,305 --> 00:35:39,724 than the one last year, because I guess they're all the same. 574 00:35:40,308 --> 00:35:44,646 Only thing I wanted to do was beat him. Get back at him in '85. That was it. 575 00:35:44,729 --> 00:35:48,191 [commentator] They call this one of the greatest rivalries in all of sports, 576 00:35:48,275 --> 00:35:49,401 the Celtics and the Lakers. 577 00:35:49,484 --> 00:35:52,737 It is the most one-sided rivalry in all of sports. 578 00:35:52,821 --> 00:35:55,365 There was an albatross that we were carrying on our back. 579 00:35:55,448 --> 00:35:57,367 The Lakers had never beaten the Celtics. 580 00:35:57,450 --> 00:35:58,994 Eight consecutive losses. 581 00:35:59,077 --> 00:36:00,412 Okay, come on. Bring it on. 582 00:36:00,495 --> 00:36:03,790 [commentator] We're underway. The championship on the line. 583 00:36:07,419 --> 00:36:09,462 Everything that could go wrong went wrong. 584 00:36:09,546 --> 00:36:12,090 Game one, they get the shit beat out of them. 585 00:36:12,757 --> 00:36:15,135 We get killed. We got beat by 34 points. 586 00:36:15,218 --> 00:36:18,221 It's known today as the Memorial Day massacre. 587 00:36:18,305 --> 00:36:23,018 [Magic] The media, The Boston Globe, all of the Boston papers were blasting us. 588 00:36:24,603 --> 00:36:27,105 I just have to say we just wasn't ready to play. 589 00:36:31,276 --> 00:36:35,322 And the next day, it's, like, you know, two minutes before 6:00, 590 00:36:35,405 --> 00:36:36,740 and Kareem's not on the bus. 591 00:36:36,823 --> 00:36:41,703 Here comes Kareem, and behind him is Mr. Alcindor, 592 00:36:41,786 --> 00:36:42,996 Kareem's father. 593 00:36:43,079 --> 00:36:44,623 His dad gets on. 594 00:36:45,290 --> 00:36:48,418 And the bus, that's sacred. 595 00:36:48,501 --> 00:36:51,046 Can't nobody get on that bus. 596 00:36:51,129 --> 00:36:54,090 Like, that's a Pat Riley rule, like, 597 00:36:54,174 --> 00:36:57,427 don't even think about entering that bus. 598 00:36:57,510 --> 00:36:59,137 It was an accident, you know. 599 00:37:01,431 --> 00:37:03,934 At the time, my father was dealing with dementia, 600 00:37:04,017 --> 00:37:05,644 it was just starting. 601 00:37:05,727 --> 00:37:08,813 And I saw my Dad wandering around in the lobby. 602 00:37:09,522 --> 00:37:11,233 "What are you doing here?" I went and got him 603 00:37:11,316 --> 00:37:13,109 and put him on the bus. 604 00:37:13,193 --> 00:37:15,820 He looked at Riles and said, "Can my dad ride the bus?" 605 00:37:15,904 --> 00:37:17,239 I said, "Sure, absolutely." 606 00:37:17,322 --> 00:37:19,908 If he needed the solace of his father, 607 00:37:20,492 --> 00:37:23,119 I ain't going to say, "No…" [chuckles] …to your dad. 608 00:37:26,248 --> 00:37:29,084 [Vitti] When we finally got to the arena, 609 00:37:29,167 --> 00:37:32,212 Riley was working on his pre-game talk. 610 00:37:33,213 --> 00:37:35,507 Kareem getting on the bus with his father, 611 00:37:36,758 --> 00:37:39,636 that changed my thought process about what I wanted to talk about. 612 00:37:41,596 --> 00:37:43,306 My father said to me, 613 00:37:44,057 --> 00:37:46,434 "When it gets tough, you know, when it gets really tough, Pat, 614 00:37:46,518 --> 00:37:49,813 and it will get tough, you know, you've got to plant your feet, stand firm, 615 00:37:49,896 --> 00:37:52,232 make a point about who you are and what you believe in. 616 00:37:52,315 --> 00:37:54,317 And when that time comes, son, you do it." 617 00:37:55,694 --> 00:37:57,445 Those were the last words 618 00:37:57,529 --> 00:38:02,409 that basically I had heard my father say to me. 619 00:38:02,492 --> 00:38:04,160 You know, I think we all felt it. 620 00:38:04,244 --> 00:38:07,330 And we all wanted to go out there and play for Cap's dad, 621 00:38:07,414 --> 00:38:09,916 play for our dads, you know, play for Riles's dad. 622 00:38:10,625 --> 00:38:14,629 I owe everything that I am as a man to my father. 623 00:38:14,713 --> 00:38:19,384 Because of what he gave up for me, and I'm living for him. 624 00:38:19,467 --> 00:38:22,971 [commentator] Rebounds to McHale, stolen by Magic. Underneath, slam dunk. 625 00:38:23,054 --> 00:38:24,055 [crowd cheering] 626 00:38:24,139 --> 00:38:27,684 McHale and Magic going at it. McHale and Magic going at it. 627 00:38:27,767 --> 00:38:32,522 And then that's when I start playing Magic Johnson basketball. 628 00:38:32,606 --> 00:38:33,732 Fearless. 629 00:38:33,815 --> 00:38:37,777 [commentator] Four on one, to Magic. Magic to Kareem. Slam dunk. 630 00:38:40,697 --> 00:38:42,240 [commentator speaks indistinctly] 631 00:38:42,324 --> 00:38:46,202 It is 3-2 in favor of Los Angeles as we go back to Boston. 632 00:38:47,454 --> 00:38:49,664 By the time we went, uh, to game six 633 00:38:49,748 --> 00:38:51,750 and we're heading back to Boston, 634 00:38:51,833 --> 00:38:53,543 there was tremendous confidence. 635 00:38:53,627 --> 00:38:55,629 We're gonna win. I told the team, 636 00:38:55,712 --> 00:38:59,633 "Pack one suit. There's not going to be game seven." 637 00:38:59,716 --> 00:39:01,718 [reporter] The Lakers are one victory away 638 00:39:01,801 --> 00:39:05,222 from a world championship and ending one of the longest jinxes 639 00:39:05,305 --> 00:39:06,765 in the history of professional sport. 640 00:39:06,848 --> 00:39:08,892 I knew we were better than them. 641 00:39:09,601 --> 00:39:11,686 I knew it. We just had to go out and prove it. 642 00:39:16,191 --> 00:39:19,903 [commentator] Two-man game. Magic and Kareem. Inside. Kareem. 643 00:39:20,487 --> 00:39:21,571 Well, Magic Johnson. 644 00:39:23,573 --> 00:39:24,991 Magic sees an opening. 645 00:39:25,075 --> 00:39:27,327 And the Lakers can smell it right now. 646 00:39:27,410 --> 00:39:30,747 And their bench is up. The Lakers are winning it. 647 00:39:31,373 --> 00:39:32,916 Three in six years. 648 00:39:32,999 --> 00:39:35,752 LA comes to Boston and wins the world title. 649 00:39:39,881 --> 00:39:42,509 Wow, we finally-- We finally did it. 650 00:39:43,093 --> 00:39:46,429 [Scott] Beat them on their home court and to celebrate in their city. 651 00:39:46,513 --> 00:39:48,223 One of the greatest feelings in the world. 652 00:39:48,306 --> 00:39:51,226 You came out here early today ahead of all your teammates, 653 00:39:51,309 --> 00:39:53,645 and you were out taking jump shots, set shots. 654 00:39:53,728 --> 00:39:55,689 The look of determination on your face. 655 00:39:55,772 --> 00:39:58,108 No question about it. It's a long year last year 656 00:39:58,191 --> 00:39:59,859 to wait for this moment right now. 657 00:39:59,943 --> 00:40:03,780 What a great moment for me to redeem myself, 658 00:40:04,614 --> 00:40:07,701 to beat my rival, to do it in Boston Garden. 659 00:40:07,784 --> 00:40:12,122 No team has ever won a championship on that parquet floor. 660 00:40:12,831 --> 00:40:14,249 [chanting indistinctly] 661 00:40:14,332 --> 00:40:15,959 [McAdoo] We're never going to forget that, 662 00:40:16,042 --> 00:40:18,795 'cause we were in that together as brothers. 663 00:40:18,879 --> 00:40:19,880 [Vitti] The run is over, 664 00:40:19,963 --> 00:40:24,009 and that's when Dr. Buss held up the trophy and he said-- 665 00:40:24,092 --> 00:40:25,886 It can never again be said 666 00:40:25,969 --> 00:40:28,805 that the Lakers have never beaten the Celtics. 667 00:40:28,889 --> 00:40:31,933 Ah, you couldn't tell me nothing, man. 668 00:40:32,017 --> 00:40:34,394 I mean, I was-- I was too happy. 669 00:40:36,021 --> 00:40:39,983 [Reagan] Some may have thought that the Celtics title was an immovable object, 670 00:40:40,066 --> 00:40:43,445 but does America believe in magic? You bet we do. 671 00:40:47,073 --> 00:40:49,409 ["Let's Groove" playing] 672 00:40:49,492 --> 00:40:52,913 After we won that championship, I went to his birthday party. 673 00:40:53,496 --> 00:40:54,497 [applause] 674 00:40:54,581 --> 00:40:57,459 [Magic] I hope everybody has a good time and enjoy themselves. 675 00:40:57,542 --> 00:40:59,502 He had Luther Vandross come sing. 676 00:41:02,672 --> 00:41:05,258 [Magic] You ask anybody they'll tell you, 677 00:41:05,342 --> 00:41:08,553 you come to a Magic party it's going to be beautiful people, 678 00:41:08,637 --> 00:41:10,597 we're gonna be having a good time. 679 00:41:10,680 --> 00:41:13,391 Mr. Dark Gable, Michael Cooper. 680 00:41:13,475 --> 00:41:14,476 [cheering] 681 00:41:14,559 --> 00:41:17,771 I go, "Earv, um, why don't you have Cookie out?" 682 00:41:17,854 --> 00:41:22,484 He said, "Coop, she's allowing me to be me, but that's where my heart is." 683 00:41:23,818 --> 00:41:27,030 I mean, he's my brother, so I just had to make sure that, 684 00:41:27,113 --> 00:41:31,701 you know, he's with someone who cares about him and who loves him. 685 00:41:31,785 --> 00:41:34,996 So I invited her to the party. 686 00:41:35,580 --> 00:41:38,375 [Cookie] I went to the party and, you know, I remember him, 687 00:41:38,458 --> 00:41:41,920 when I walked in, he goes, "What are you doing here?" 688 00:41:42,003 --> 00:41:44,923 You know, kind of like, "How did you even get here?" [laughs] 689 00:41:45,006 --> 00:41:49,010 And that whole night it's like he came over and danced with me. 690 00:41:49,094 --> 00:41:51,096 That ignited it again. 691 00:41:51,805 --> 00:41:54,808 I would see him more and more, and spend a little more time with him. 692 00:41:55,934 --> 00:41:58,353 And he would come and visit in the summer. 693 00:41:58,436 --> 00:41:59,729 And that was nice. 694 00:42:00,564 --> 00:42:03,733 That summer, we would go to Cedar Rapids. 695 00:42:03,817 --> 00:42:05,527 To the amusement park. 696 00:42:06,027 --> 00:42:07,445 You know, just like kids. 697 00:42:07,529 --> 00:42:10,240 You know, we-- we wanted to ride the roller coaster… 698 00:42:12,951 --> 00:42:17,247 and then we wanted to win as many stuffed animals 699 00:42:17,330 --> 00:42:18,707 for our girls as we could. 700 00:42:18,790 --> 00:42:20,125 [laughs] You know? 701 00:42:20,208 --> 00:42:23,169 [Cookie] It was just a lot of joking and fun, 702 00:42:23,253 --> 00:42:26,006 and it was just really us just getting back together 703 00:42:26,089 --> 00:42:29,551 and kind of rekindling, you know, our relationship. 704 00:42:30,135 --> 00:42:33,388 [Magic] Isiah, uh, got married, and not just Isiah, 705 00:42:33,471 --> 00:42:36,308 all our friends were married, the circle, 706 00:42:36,391 --> 00:42:39,060 and I was the only one that was not married. 707 00:42:39,144 --> 00:42:41,271 And I used to say to Earvin all the time, 708 00:42:41,354 --> 00:42:43,440 "I know there's a lot of other people out here, 709 00:42:43,523 --> 00:42:48,153 but ain't no one ever going to love you like this woman here." 710 00:42:49,571 --> 00:42:54,117 [Cookie] He was at his parents' house and, uh, I came up, um, 711 00:42:54,200 --> 00:42:55,827 to spend some time with him. 712 00:42:57,245 --> 00:43:00,373 And I walk in, you know, talking to the family and everything, 713 00:43:00,457 --> 00:43:03,168 and then Earvin leaves, 'cause he does that a lot. 714 00:43:03,251 --> 00:43:05,629 He'll just leave and come back, and I'm-- I-- You know, 715 00:43:05,712 --> 00:43:08,798 I'm best friends with one of his sisters and I love his mother, so I'm-- 716 00:43:08,882 --> 00:43:11,760 I'm just, you know, visiting with them. 717 00:43:11,843 --> 00:43:14,346 Uh, and then he comes back and he gets out the car, 718 00:43:14,429 --> 00:43:15,889 and this little boy is with him. 719 00:43:16,932 --> 00:43:19,601 He came in with the little boy and-- and, 720 00:43:19,684 --> 00:43:23,271 uh, the little boy's looking terrified. 721 00:43:23,355 --> 00:43:24,940 He's standing there, like… 722 00:43:25,649 --> 00:43:28,026 And they're all like, "This is Andre." 723 00:43:28,109 --> 00:43:31,696 And I'm looking at Earvin, I'm looking at Andre, 724 00:43:31,780 --> 00:43:35,075 and then finally he goes, "Yep, it's my son." 725 00:43:35,992 --> 00:43:38,578 [Magic] And I said, "It was just a night. 726 00:43:38,662 --> 00:43:41,915 We slept together and I-- I just had never thought, 727 00:43:41,998 --> 00:43:44,918 you know, that, uh, she was pregnant." 728 00:43:45,502 --> 00:43:49,172 And so I found out later, and he was mine. 729 00:43:50,298 --> 00:43:52,842 That was important for her to meet Andre. 730 00:43:53,593 --> 00:43:57,514 Um, you know… [chuckles] 731 00:43:57,597 --> 00:44:00,767 …it's always still awkward and tough, no matter what. 732 00:44:00,850 --> 00:44:04,813 I was shocked. It was-- It was shocking for a minute. 733 00:44:04,896 --> 00:44:06,189 And I told her, I said, 734 00:44:06,273 --> 00:44:09,317 "One thing I'm going to always do is be in his life, 735 00:44:09,401 --> 00:44:12,320 and I'm going to always take care of my son." 736 00:44:13,071 --> 00:44:15,782 [Cookie] And again, this was the point where we were, 737 00:44:15,865 --> 00:44:17,867 you know, just getting back together. 738 00:44:19,077 --> 00:44:21,204 The second thought was, 739 00:44:21,288 --> 00:44:25,292 "Well… [chuckles] …he is his son, what can you do?" You know? 740 00:44:26,293 --> 00:44:30,088 You just-- I just decided to see how this plays out. 741 00:44:33,300 --> 00:44:37,220 Right before he was about to go back to go to LA 742 00:44:37,304 --> 00:44:41,474 and get ready for training camp, we were in the-- in the living room, 743 00:44:41,558 --> 00:44:42,726 you know, saying goodbye, 744 00:44:42,809 --> 00:44:45,645 'cause I was going to drive back to Toledo. 745 00:44:45,729 --> 00:44:50,692 And he-- he was-- I noticed he was a little nervous-y. 746 00:44:51,276 --> 00:44:52,485 He said, 747 00:44:53,111 --> 00:44:58,617 "Cookie, I love you and I-- I want to marry you." 748 00:44:58,700 --> 00:45:00,285 And I'm thinking, "What?" 749 00:45:00,869 --> 00:45:02,746 You know, and it came out of nowhere. 750 00:45:02,829 --> 00:45:06,291 You know, like he wanted to do it, he didn't know if he wanted to do it, 751 00:45:06,374 --> 00:45:07,542 and then he just did it. 752 00:45:07,626 --> 00:45:09,669 -And we was all geeked and gung ho. -Absolutely. 753 00:45:09,753 --> 00:45:13,757 Like, "Oh, this is great. Finally came around and saw what he had." 754 00:45:17,135 --> 00:45:19,387 [Cookie] And then he left the next day. 755 00:45:19,471 --> 00:45:22,807 We know-- We talked on the phone, we talked about planning the wedding. 756 00:45:22,891 --> 00:45:25,227 "Oh, my God, I've got to plan the wedding, I'm so excited." 757 00:45:25,310 --> 00:45:29,689 And that's when he told me, "I can't do it. I tried. I can't do it. 758 00:45:29,773 --> 00:45:32,108 It's too much pressure on me. It's just too much pressure." 759 00:45:32,192 --> 00:45:37,155 I could, uh, get engaged to her, 'cause was the easy part. 760 00:45:37,239 --> 00:45:38,907 The hard part was following through. 761 00:45:38,990 --> 00:45:42,827 And he said, "I just can't do it, 762 00:45:42,911 --> 00:45:44,788 and I just want to break the engagement." 763 00:45:44,871 --> 00:45:48,959 And I thought-- I said, "Well, you know, after all we've been through, 764 00:45:49,042 --> 00:45:50,627 that's not-- I can't do that. 765 00:45:50,710 --> 00:45:53,129 So if you're gonna break the engagement, we're breaking up." 766 00:45:53,213 --> 00:45:55,090 ["Everybody Have Fun Tonight" playing] 767 00:45:55,173 --> 00:45:56,466 [people cheering] 768 00:45:56,550 --> 00:45:57,759 Here's Magic Johnson. 769 00:45:59,719 --> 00:46:01,930 Is there a special lady in your life yet? 770 00:46:02,013 --> 00:46:04,349 Uh, no. Not anymore. Remember the last time, 771 00:46:04,432 --> 00:46:06,601 we talked about how I was thinking about getting married, 772 00:46:06,685 --> 00:46:08,687 -but I took your advice. -[all laugh] 773 00:46:09,688 --> 00:46:12,524 [Carson] What are you going to do now, with time now, before the next season? 774 00:46:12,607 --> 00:46:15,986 [Magic] I'ma relax. Just have some fun. Party. 775 00:46:16,069 --> 00:46:18,446 -Why not? Fun, party. -Yeah. 776 00:46:18,530 --> 00:46:20,824 [music continues] 777 00:46:33,003 --> 00:46:36,798 In sports, this year's MVP award in basketball goes to Magic Johnson 778 00:46:36,882 --> 00:46:37,924 of the LA Lakers. 779 00:46:38,008 --> 00:46:42,596 Johnson averaged a career-best 23.9 points a game and led the league in assists. 780 00:46:42,679 --> 00:46:44,472 -[audience cheers] -[Magic] This is a special award, 781 00:46:44,556 --> 00:46:49,102 and I dedicate it to my dad, and I hope he's as proud and happy as I am tonight. 782 00:46:49,811 --> 00:46:52,814 [reporter] The Lakers are looking for their third title of the past five years. 783 00:46:52,898 --> 00:46:56,067 The Celtics are making their fourth consecutive appearance in the finals. 784 00:46:56,151 --> 00:46:59,946 [commentator] First time in ten years, the Celtics have not had a home-court edge 785 00:47:00,030 --> 00:47:01,031 in the playoff series. 786 00:47:01,114 --> 00:47:04,618 Eighty-seven. It was nothing they can do with us. 787 00:47:04,701 --> 00:47:08,455 [commentator] Five seconds left. Magic Johnson… a hook shot at 12. Yes! 788 00:47:08,538 --> 00:47:13,293 The Lakers take the lead on Magic Johnson's stunning sky-hook. 789 00:47:13,376 --> 00:47:16,588 It was the baby sky-hook. The invention, they said, of the baby sky-hook. 790 00:47:16,671 --> 00:47:19,674 [commentator] …Pat Riley, as the Lakers dance off the court. 791 00:47:20,258 --> 00:47:23,929 [Magic] One of us was gonna take the Championship lead over each other. 792 00:47:24,012 --> 00:47:27,849 [laughs] That's between Larry and I, right? 793 00:47:27,933 --> 00:47:32,312 And I had to make sure that was going to be my team being up 2-1. 794 00:47:32,395 --> 00:47:35,023 'Cause I had to have the edge. 795 00:47:35,106 --> 00:47:37,442 [cheering] 796 00:47:48,745 --> 00:47:54,084 Man, we were a fine-tuned machine. 797 00:47:54,167 --> 00:47:56,628 -[shouts] -[cheering] 798 00:47:56,711 --> 00:48:02,008 And that was our best team, if not the greatest team ever in NBA history. 799 00:48:02,092 --> 00:48:06,179 Jerry, around the world more people saw this Finals than any other in our history. 800 00:48:06,263 --> 00:48:07,472 They saw quite a show. 801 00:48:09,099 --> 00:48:10,141 [cheering] 802 00:48:10,225 --> 00:48:16,856 And all I want you to do, like we've been doing, is just party and have a good time. 803 00:48:20,277 --> 00:48:23,029 And there aren't any more people in this world 804 00:48:23,113 --> 00:48:27,242 that deserve a World Championship again, 805 00:48:27,325 --> 00:48:29,286 more than the people in Inglewood here. 806 00:48:29,869 --> 00:48:34,457 And I'm guaranteeing everybody here, next year we're gonna win it again. 807 00:48:34,541 --> 00:48:36,293 [cheering] 808 00:48:37,961 --> 00:48:44,384 Magic was a champion. You know, the MVP of the league. He was the best player. 809 00:48:45,051 --> 00:48:47,470 And, for me as a friend, 810 00:48:47,554 --> 00:48:51,975 watching the championship path to winning 811 00:48:52,559 --> 00:48:57,647 confirmed in my mind, in '88 I-I wanted to win. 812 00:48:57,731 --> 00:49:02,319 [reporter] The Lakers and Detroit Pistons begin their NBA Championship series. 813 00:49:02,402 --> 00:49:04,487 [commentator] I think in the first game what we're going to see 814 00:49:04,571 --> 00:49:06,615 is going to be like a heavyweight championship fight. 815 00:49:06,698 --> 00:49:10,368 [commentator] …the fact that Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas are the best of friends, 816 00:49:10,452 --> 00:49:12,787 except when they compete against each other. 817 00:49:12,871 --> 00:49:14,039 Now, we saw you go over 818 00:49:14,122 --> 00:49:16,875 and give your good friend Isiah Thomas a little kiss on the cheek. 819 00:49:16,958 --> 00:49:20,503 Uh, is that-- is that kind of a ritual you guys have gone through. 820 00:49:20,587 --> 00:49:21,796 You've been friends for many years. 821 00:49:21,880 --> 00:49:25,008 [Magic] Yes, we always greet each other, any time we see each other, 822 00:49:25,091 --> 00:49:27,385 we greet each other with the kiss on the cheek. 823 00:49:28,094 --> 00:49:31,473 I don't think our players liked that. I know I didn't like it. 824 00:49:31,556 --> 00:49:34,267 I-- I don't like fraternizing or any of this stuff. 825 00:49:35,310 --> 00:49:37,312 [Scott] You have no other friends. 826 00:49:37,395 --> 00:49:40,398 If they don't have a purple and gold jersey on, you have no other friends. 827 00:49:40,482 --> 00:49:41,775 And he was serious about that. 828 00:49:42,943 --> 00:49:45,946 [Magic] Pat Riley did not like that friendship. 829 00:49:46,029 --> 00:49:47,072 He came to me, he said, 830 00:49:47,155 --> 00:49:53,286 "Hey," would I go after Isiah if that situation presented itself? 831 00:49:53,370 --> 00:49:58,792 And I remember everybody looking like, "We're going to see what he going to do." 832 00:49:58,875 --> 00:50:01,419 [commentator] They're friends before and after, not during. 833 00:50:02,796 --> 00:50:04,923 -Thomas… Magic Johnson. -[whistle blowing] 834 00:50:05,006 --> 00:50:07,717 [commentator] And Magic went after him there with the forearm. 835 00:50:07,801 --> 00:50:10,178 That was a bad play by Magic Johnson. 836 00:50:10,262 --> 00:50:12,472 Before I knew it, he was-- Boom. 837 00:50:12,556 --> 00:50:14,224 I was like, "Okay. All right." 838 00:50:14,307 --> 00:50:18,186 He jumps up and swung at me. So, that's when it started. 839 00:50:19,938 --> 00:50:22,482 [commentator] And now we see Magic Johnson getting an in-- 840 00:50:23,358 --> 00:50:26,111 [Thomas] When we talk about winning, we talking about dominance. 841 00:50:26,736 --> 00:50:28,363 Can I mentally break you? 842 00:50:29,281 --> 00:50:35,370 That elicits emotions and passion and love and hate. 843 00:50:43,628 --> 00:50:46,965 That was the start of us not being friends. 844 00:50:47,716 --> 00:50:51,219 And not, you know, really talking anymore. 845 00:50:54,097 --> 00:50:58,560 [Thomas] Our relationship, it came apart because, uh, 846 00:50:58,643 --> 00:51:02,147 the Championship journey is about 847 00:51:03,023 --> 00:51:06,526 the insatiable appetite for wanting to win. 848 00:51:08,570 --> 00:51:09,613 No mercy. 849 00:51:11,531 --> 00:51:13,325 -[whistle blows] -[commentator] The game ends. 850 00:51:13,408 --> 00:51:14,618 The Lakers have won it. 851 00:51:17,621 --> 00:51:21,333 [Magic] For me it's just-- it's always been winning at all costs. 852 00:51:22,876 --> 00:51:26,213 If it costs me friendships, uh, it just cost me that. 853 00:51:27,464 --> 00:51:29,799 It's party time once again. 854 00:51:31,676 --> 00:51:35,639 [Cookie] I always followed him, of course, and, you know, was always happy for him. 855 00:51:35,722 --> 00:51:37,307 How do you like us now? 856 00:51:38,558 --> 00:51:40,268 Whenever he won a Championship or something, 857 00:51:40,352 --> 00:51:42,312 I would call him and congratulate him. 858 00:51:45,315 --> 00:51:47,943 I started dating a guy in Chicago, 859 00:51:48,026 --> 00:51:51,279 but then Earvin was always in the back of my mind. 860 00:51:51,780 --> 00:51:54,658 By that time, we started talking a little more on the phone. 861 00:51:56,159 --> 00:52:00,247 One day he called and the guy was over, he was like, "Well why can't you talk?" 862 00:52:00,330 --> 00:52:03,583 I'm like, "'Cause I have company." He's like, "Why do you have company?" 863 00:52:03,667 --> 00:52:07,587 [laughs] I'm like, "What? We're not together, what are you talking about?" 864 00:52:08,088 --> 00:52:12,759 So, I think that really, kind of, snapped him back. 865 00:52:12,842 --> 00:52:14,177 Like, "Wait a minute, 866 00:52:14,261 --> 00:52:17,556 she might not just be sitting there waiting all this time for me." 867 00:52:17,639 --> 00:52:21,977 It's hard seeing somebody you love be with somebody else, right? 868 00:52:22,060 --> 00:52:24,104 And we got back together. 869 00:52:25,730 --> 00:52:27,190 [Winters-Gary] Their song was like-- 870 00:52:27,274 --> 00:52:30,652 -[Easley] "Reunited"? Was the-- -"Reunited." Yeah, yeah. 871 00:52:31,319 --> 00:52:33,572 Yeah, I think that was their make up song. 872 00:52:33,655 --> 00:52:35,156 [all laugh] 873 00:52:35,240 --> 00:52:37,534 I know I used it before, so-- 874 00:52:37,617 --> 00:52:40,495 -A lot of making up that went on too. -[both laugh] 875 00:52:40,579 --> 00:52:46,751 He rented out, like, this little soul food restaurant. The entire restaurant. 876 00:52:46,835 --> 00:52:50,255 He had all the family come. 877 00:52:51,673 --> 00:52:55,176 And I was trying to do the right thing. I'm always trying to do the right thing. 878 00:52:55,677 --> 00:52:59,806 Then he had this ring in his hand in the box, 879 00:52:59,890 --> 00:53:03,852 and he said-- He turned to me and he said, "Cookie, will you marry me?" 880 00:53:05,979 --> 00:53:10,483 I just jumped up and ran over and hugged him, and he gave me the ring. 881 00:53:11,151 --> 00:53:14,946 So part of me thought, "Is it the same ring?" [laughs] 882 00:53:15,030 --> 00:53:18,033 But it wasn't. It was definitely bigger. [laughs] 883 00:53:19,409 --> 00:53:21,661 [Webster] Engagement number two became 884 00:53:23,204 --> 00:53:26,791 planning the wedding around the season, 885 00:53:26,875 --> 00:53:32,464 practice, early practice, getting to-- getting ready for the season, the season. 886 00:53:33,006 --> 00:53:36,885 It just became, "Well I think-- Okay, we're going to do it this time, 887 00:53:36,968 --> 00:53:39,596 but I can only fit it in--" 888 00:53:39,679 --> 00:53:43,225 -[Winters-Gary] We had to get it in here. -"…this week or this week." 889 00:53:43,308 --> 00:53:47,103 I call it the roller coaster, because it was just up, you know. 890 00:53:47,187 --> 00:53:48,396 Up and it's like, "Whatever." 891 00:53:50,023 --> 00:53:55,278 And if I'm going to be completely honest, Earvin and I had had a conversation, 892 00:53:55,362 --> 00:54:00,867 and I don't know if he remembers this, but he was-- He wasn't sure. 893 00:54:00,951 --> 00:54:04,120 And I had told him, I said, "You know what, if you're not sure, don't do it." 894 00:54:04,204 --> 00:54:05,664 I didn't want him to hurt her. 895 00:54:07,040 --> 00:54:12,003 [Magic] Once I got the plan again, it just became hard 896 00:54:12,587 --> 00:54:17,759 to get me to the aisle and to the church, right? 897 00:54:17,842 --> 00:54:19,302 And walk down that aisle. 898 00:54:19,970 --> 00:54:22,639 After going back and forth, I said, "Well, I tell you what. 899 00:54:23,306 --> 00:54:27,060 We can postpone the wedding, but we're not breaking the engagement. 900 00:54:27,143 --> 00:54:28,562 So, we're staying engaged." 901 00:54:29,145 --> 00:54:31,481 "Cookie, you know, stop playing. Give me the ring." 902 00:54:32,566 --> 00:54:36,987 I opened the door at the same time and I said, "No, this time is different." 903 00:54:37,070 --> 00:54:38,530 And I just slammed the door. 904 00:54:40,574 --> 00:54:43,451 [Magic] I was getting ready for Isiah. 905 00:54:44,369 --> 00:54:49,291 The Pistons were so good, we had to be at full strength to beat them. 906 00:54:50,083 --> 00:54:52,627 So now we play them again in '89. 907 00:54:53,169 --> 00:54:55,422 [commentator] Magic Johnson may have pulled a hamstring. 908 00:54:58,300 --> 00:55:02,220 It was bad. I cried in the shower. 909 00:55:02,304 --> 00:55:05,849 They had to-- They had to basically pull me out of the shower. 910 00:55:06,725 --> 00:55:10,353 By the time we went home, he tried to play. He just couldn't play. 911 00:55:10,437 --> 00:55:14,274 [Cooper] It was like blood in the water and they just wore us down. 912 00:55:14,941 --> 00:55:21,197 We were a little beat-up, a little older and, you know, that era was over. 913 00:55:21,281 --> 00:55:23,241 Yeah, we ended up getting swept. 914 00:55:25,243 --> 00:55:29,664 For a long time I've always wanted to say, number one. [laughs] 915 00:55:30,665 --> 00:55:32,626 [Riley] You know, it was Kareem's last year. 916 00:55:32,709 --> 00:55:35,545 [reporter] One of the most memorable careers in American sports history 917 00:55:35,629 --> 00:55:38,381 ended last night when the Pistons beat the Lakers. 918 00:55:38,465 --> 00:55:41,134 It was the final game for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. 919 00:55:41,635 --> 00:55:45,096 That's when I kind of knew that the-- Like the Celtics had done, 920 00:55:45,180 --> 00:55:48,391 had made them early runs in '80, ours was just coming to an end. 921 00:55:49,434 --> 00:55:53,063 [Riley] In the next year, I could see this thing unwinding. 922 00:55:53,855 --> 00:55:57,150 And, uh-- And that was it. 923 00:55:57,234 --> 00:56:00,278 [reporter] Speculation laid to rest, Pat Riley, of his own doing, 924 00:56:00,362 --> 00:56:02,072 resigned as coach of the Lakers. 925 00:56:02,155 --> 00:56:05,659 Riley said he's ready for a new challenge after more than meeting the old one. 926 00:56:05,742 --> 00:56:09,704 I remember the day he came to my house to tell me that he was leaving, 927 00:56:10,372 --> 00:56:14,209 and I said, "No, you can't." And we both just started crying, 928 00:56:14,292 --> 00:56:20,549 and, uh, I told him, "I'm not going to be Magic without you." 929 00:56:21,550 --> 00:56:22,676 This is the Forum. 930 00:56:22,759 --> 00:56:26,179 You may not recognize it. The Lakers don't, but in fact, 931 00:56:26,263 --> 00:56:29,516 the Lakers are having a hard time recognizing themselves these days. 932 00:56:29,599 --> 00:56:32,936 The sounds of silence this time of year are rather eerie here. 933 00:56:33,019 --> 00:56:35,981 Showtime is gone, the magic is over. 934 00:56:36,064 --> 00:56:38,316 The real worry is, will it ever return? 935 00:56:39,025 --> 00:56:42,279 [Vitti] Riley's gone and Kareem's gone, 936 00:56:43,405 --> 00:56:46,783 and now '91, here come the Bulls. 937 00:56:46,866 --> 00:56:49,411 [commentator] Jordan to the hoop. Big in the air. Score! 938 00:56:49,494 --> 00:56:51,621 [Jordan] I got into the league in '84. 939 00:56:51,705 --> 00:56:55,417 In the '80s it was only the Celtics against the Lakers. 940 00:56:55,500 --> 00:57:00,964 As big a star as Magic Johnson was, Michael Jordan was coming on the scene. 941 00:57:01,047 --> 00:57:04,759 [Bird] Nobody like him. Point-blank, I never seen nobody play like he plays. 942 00:57:05,719 --> 00:57:09,431 He comes in and he got all the endorsement deals. 943 00:57:09,514 --> 00:57:13,518 [reporter] He's Air Jordan on the court and a bona fide commodity for brands. 944 00:57:13,602 --> 00:57:16,354 [reporter 2] Jordan now rakes in the richest commercial earnings 945 00:57:16,438 --> 00:57:18,023 in the history of team sports. 946 00:57:18,106 --> 00:57:19,316 You better eat your Wheaties. 947 00:57:19,858 --> 00:57:22,277 [Jordan] Magic Johnson should've had that way before me. 948 00:57:22,360 --> 00:57:24,738 You know, his personality, his-- his persona, 949 00:57:25,864 --> 00:57:28,992 and I think that's where the jealousy grew between me and him. 950 00:57:29,075 --> 00:57:31,828 Yes, I was mad. Yes, I was jealous, you know. 951 00:57:31,912 --> 00:57:33,580 Yeah, I'm a competitor, I'm gonna be mad. 952 00:57:34,956 --> 00:57:38,835 [Jordan] You know, I may have had my McDonald's commercial, Jordan brand, 953 00:57:38,919 --> 00:57:40,128 you know, blah, blah, blah. 954 00:57:40,629 --> 00:57:45,091 But in terms of winning, which is to me the most important part about it is, 955 00:57:45,175 --> 00:57:46,384 he had that. 956 00:57:46,468 --> 00:57:49,387 And I wanted it, and I wanted to go through him, 957 00:57:49,471 --> 00:57:51,890 I didn't want to go around him. I wanted to go through him. 958 00:57:52,807 --> 00:57:56,269 [Jeanie] We had heard a lot about Michael Jordan and what he was doing, 959 00:57:56,353 --> 00:58:01,441 but you want to take on Magic and you want to start winning championships. 960 00:58:01,524 --> 00:58:02,901 You're looking for rings? 961 00:58:02,984 --> 00:58:05,654 Okay, all right, let's see what you can do. 962 00:58:06,279 --> 00:58:10,992 [Magic] In '91, when people had doubted us, that got me motivated. 963 00:58:11,910 --> 00:58:15,580 [reporter] Without Riley and Abdul-Jabbar, the showtime era might be over, 964 00:58:15,664 --> 00:58:18,750 but Magic's leadership of the Lakers continues. 965 00:58:18,833 --> 00:58:21,920 The team has the best record in the league this year. 966 00:58:22,003 --> 00:58:24,589 [Magic] I wanted to prove to people that, you know, 967 00:58:24,673 --> 00:58:27,509 we could still be successful without Kareem. 968 00:58:29,803 --> 00:58:32,889 And I wanted to face the Chicago Bulls.