Spartan Profiles: Earvin Johnson
IT'S STILL WINNING TIME
Once upon a time, he led fast breaks that swarmed end to end in the time it took one to blink. Today, after retiring from basketball in 1991, he's still in a fast break mode, but instead of no-look passes, he's making multi-million-dollar deals from coast to coast.
Blink, he's added six more movie complexes to those in L.A., Houston and Atlanta. Look, there's his first Starbucks in L.A. and his first TGI Friday's in Atlanta, both in under-served neighborhoods. What about that new $100 million retail plaza in L.A.'s Crenshaw District? Yep, another Magic-partnered venture.
It's still 'winning time' for Earvin 'Magic' Johnson, only the action now takes place in the boardroom. From his base, Magic Johnson Enterprises, Inc., Magic has spread from theaters, restaurants and retail complexes to all kinds of areas in entertainment. For example, he has a joint record label with MCA, a management group representing actors like Vivica Fox and Dorian Gregory, and a film and TV unit that recently co-produced a movie, Passing Glory, for TNT. As fast as Mike Tyson can throw an uppercut, you could see Magic promoting boxing matches.
Much of Magic's business empire, reports USA Today (cover story, Dec. 30, 1998), 'is dedicated to serving inner-city neighborhoods and tapping into the estimated $385 billion spending power of African-Americans.'
So is his charity work, which, through the Magic Johnson Foundation, has raised more than $15 million to help inner-city children. 'We're trying to hit every major city,' he told the Lansing State Journal in December. 'We're really looking forward to coming to Detroit. We're trying to hit Atlanta hard. You've got Houston. You've got Dallas. You've got Washington D.C., where we just announced a deal. You've got New York, Chicago . . . Then, we'll hit what we call secondary markets. That's where Lansing fits in.'
Indeed, although his zipcode is 90210, Magic says his heart remains in Lansing and Michigan State University. In January, he joined his 1979 teammates for the 20th anniversary celebration of their NCAA title. During halftime of the Michigan game, he told the crowd at Breslin Center why he chose MSU and how one can win a national championship at MSU. He enjoyed his gathering with former teammates so much that he extended his stay.
Those who saw Magic at Breslin noticed that at 39, Magic is big, robust, and amazingly healthy-looking for someone who tested HIV-positive in 1991. He attributes his health to God, his doctors, his wife Cookie, and to his own habits and frame of mind. 'I always thought I would beat it,' he says. 'I love challenges. I've got to have challenges to go on.'
Johnson has met every possible challenge in basketball and secured his place in the sport's all-time pantheon. He led Everett to the state title, MSU to its only NCAA title, the Los Angeles Lakers to five NBA titles and 'showtime' fame in the 1980s, and the U.S. 'Dream Team' to Olympic gold in 1992. Some argue that Michael Jordan may be the greatest player ever; Michael might be the most talented player ever to play basketball, but Magic remains the greatest achiever in basketball. And no one can surpass Magic as a winner. With his new business challenge, he's off and running again. It's winning time again. Don't blink.
