Splitting hairs a little but most people referred to him as a "point forward" in 1996. The ball fake he put on Latrell Sprewell was epic. I almost cried when it happened.
Fat Magic was a top 50 player after being away for 4 1/2 years. 14/7/6 in 30 minutes a game off the bench on 47/38/86 shooting during THAT ERA is pretty remarkable in hindsight.
those numbers in any era back then, to modern days now are lucrative. He was playing Point Forward, at the Power Forward slot, off the bench... he could have put up his 17 13 7 had he started
Magic would have no problem in the NBA if you was in his prime healthy and free of the stigma surrounding his illness. A six foot nine point guard with his handles makes any team better.
I remember this. He came back out of shape but he still had that Magic touch that only he had. It was a real treat for us fans to get to see him go out on his own terms. The two MJ’s coming out of retirement within a few years of each other made me forget all about Penny and Grant Hill lol.
the greatest playmaker (floor general) of all time. Magic is definately the 2nd greatest player of all time. 9 trips to finals against elite players (Bird 3x, Dr J 3x, I. Thomas 2x and Jordan). Magic was still young enough to lead his Lakers back to the finals.
Disagree! To all due respect to magic he would have had to play another 7 plus seasons stay healthy all year and average 10 assists a game. I don't think people understand the feat of John Stockton records. But it's something only people in Utah understand. The dude almost went 20 years without missing a single game and the dude is the poster child of consistency! John Stockton the motha lovin point God!
@@lonniethompson758 With all due respect to Stockton, Magic was a much better passer PG leader and player, and part of the reason Stockton lasted 20yrs is because the Jazz's seasons didnt extend into June more than twice during that entire 20yr span...Not as hard to play 20seasons when its only an 85 game season most of the time, a whole different task when youre asking someone to play 100+games per yr every yr- with the last 4-7 of them being against Drjs76ers the Bad Boys Birds Celtics, or Mjs Bulls...
@@dp233332 you have no clue what you're talking about. Jazz had one of the record for most consecutive years for making the playoffs. 1984 to 2003. Magic was the better player but Stockton was the better floor general. Magic played in a run and gun system and Stockton played in a half court set. Which makes Stockton's record even more amazing. Here's a link if you don't believe me. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_NBA_franchise_post-season_streaks
Celtics fan here. I remember being very exited that Magic was coming back. I'm glad that he did great that year and was able to go out on his own terms.
A couple suggestions for videos Tom Chambers The 1994 Nba season-crazy season because so many teams felt like they had a chance. 1994 Atlanta Hawks: 1 seed in the east trades its best player and blows it in the playoffs. Derrick Coleman: so much promise and then nothing.
he was actually incredible at his age and being away for so long. 6.9 ast! that's a starting PG number. I remember it too and it was kind of weird, but he held his own out there. His shot, vision, pass and ball fakes were still there. And then the next year they signed Shaq and drafted Kobe.
Magic Johnson is definitely one of the top three players of all time. Magic could beat you at playing and starting forward playing and starting center playing and starting guard. All around best basketball player ever at starting any position. magic was magic, ask Bo Jackson, Bo knows
I was a huge Magic fan since 79. I never thought Magic should have retired the second time after the Olympics. The 96 comeback revealed how much the NBA needed him. He was one the ambassadors that left too early in his career.
I was so excited when I heard this!That 96 Lakers team was actually pretty good!Cebollas, Van Excel, Jones, Divac, and Magic off the bench, they couldve won one!
@@nihongochopsocky808, everything worked out very well for the Lakers. If Earvin stayed another year. Jerry West would never traded for Kobe Bryant in the draft. Also, the Lakers were not a good defensive transition team in 96. This is one of the main reasons the Lakers lost to Houston in the first round of the playoffs. I do believed if Earvin would have gotten himself into shape over the summer and accepted his role as a back up point guard. The Lakers would have beaten the Jazz in the West Conference Finals and played the Bulls for a championship. I had the Lakers in 7 games. Ceballos or Divac winning the finals MVP
oh man if he stayed for one more year with Shaq and Kobe, that would be insane, but Kobe was still developing, but still had Eddie Jones and a young team to run with him
@Alecsander Hamilton there’s always been a conspiracy that Magic never actually had HIV and they were using him basically as a spokesman. In exchange he would be given lucrative business opportunities. Could have very well been a setup to place Jordan were he is. You have to remember all these guys are members of fraternities and secret societies.
I’ll never forget that move he put on Latrell Sprewell in his first game back against Golden State, made him look silly. I’m glad that was in the video as it just shows how great Magic still was at 36.
+Erwin Chan:the NBAs foundation was built by George the Iceman Gervin, Tiny Archibald,World B. Free,Dr.J,Moses Malone,Kareem,Bird and Bill Walton!! Jordan does not belong IN that group!! Jordan came when competition was sparse,the 70s and 80s stars had grown old and corporate GREED overshadowed competitive play!! Actually had Magic never contracted .I.V and been forced to retire,and Kareem continued a few more years,Jordan would NEVER have won a title!! Birds physical breakdown,Mahorn being torn from Detroit,James Edwards being traded from the Pistons,the retirement of Kareem and Magic all contributed to Jordan finally winning a title!!
@@SuperDetroit9 I agree that the players you mentioned were legends in their own rights and because of them, NBA started to have loyal followings. But please bear in mind that the NBA was struggling even with these mentioned players. That's why I specifically mentioned Magic and Bird. When these 2 arrived, they became the PRIME movers of the NBA in the 80's and eventually became the pillars and framework of the foundation of the NBA of today. I purposedly included Jordan because he was the one who sustained what Magic and Bird did. Metaphorically, Jordan can be described as the concrete which covered and strengthened the pillars and framework (Magic and Bird) of the NBA foundation of today. These 3 legends are the main reasons why we are enjoying the present NBA. I and many basketball fans would consider these 3 as the forefathers of the modern NBA.👍👍👍
Well said Erwin. The NBA was faltering when Bird and Magic arrived and took the league by storm. Jordan deserves to be at the top of this list because he's the best ever... but he had to wrench that title away from Magic. The torch was passed during the Dream Team practices, there's great video of Magic describing what went down.
Yup. There are two things that I vividly remember in terms of 'events' that happened during my childhood. The first was the 1986 Challenger explosion, which we saw in SCHOOL. Our school actually had us sent home because it was so traumatic. And then, coming home and finding out that Magic Johnson had HIV. Cried my eyes out. Because my idol was gonna die of AIDS. I mean, it was a death sentence in 1991. No question. So to see him basically meme'd more for tone deaf/Captain Obvious tweets and not sick or dead is just remarkable to me.
Awesome Wells was in a commuter rail station in Boston - hundreds huddled around the TVs - lots of tears. We hated the Fakers but respected the hell out of Earvin
Me too. "They killed Kennedy" moment is the perfect way to describe it. I was ten years old, sitting in my living room, with my old man. Him and my mom were still together and were on their way out to dinner. I was crying (I thought my idol was going to die) and begging him to stay in with me. I couldn't imagine watching basketball without Magic.
I can definitely relate to how you say you felt when "Magic" came back against the Warriors and when he and the Lakers played vs. Jordan and the Bulls. Hell, I videotaped both matches from beginning to end! I was so excited I watched those two games over and over and over again for weeks. Keep up the good work man, lovin' your videos.
Another thing to mention at the end was the fact that he had to fit into an already established team. His numbers were not quite at the place they were when he was in his prime in large part because he needed to let the younger guys have their moments and not take the spotlight too much from them. So of course, the most unselfish player ever did not take the reins nearly as much as he did in the prime of his career...Plus he came off the bench.… He wasn’t getting near as much playing time
I remember that. Magic had a different body mass than he did during Showtime. I also remember the Lakers were mediocre at best before he came back. He turned that team to a good competitive playoff team.
That’s the only year in the 90s they missed the playoffs. The vlade /van exel team wasn’t a champion contender. But they made the playoffs except that Magic year. Magic one of my favorite players, but aside of a few great plays, overall it took away from the team and made them worse. Mentally he was still Magic but he could only do it every once in a while.
@@teamcaveman You are wrong,they had 22-10 since Magic's comeback,53-29 overall and of course they made the playoff,but lost to the Rockets 1:3 in the 1 round,Magic led them in their only playoffs win with 26 points,the game is available here on tube.
@@aleksthegreat4130 you’re right. I was mistaken. It was the year magic coached that they missed the playoffs, it when he played. Magic is my favorite laker of all time. I’ve seen him since his rookie year, the time I got into basketball as a kid. I was in denial that he was better than Jordan. I wanted Jordan to fail, but instead he impressed me even more making me a fan. I blame Karl Malone and Isaiah Thomas for forcing magic out of the league in his prime. The world missed several more years of his greatness. I’ve seen the magic/Kareem lakers, Kobe/shaq, and Lebron/Davis lakers all live. None compare to what I’ve seen when magic was live.
I was 15 and this was my first time really being able to see Magic play sadly, at least to the point where I understood the game a little bit. Magic was dope! That pass fake on Spree was timeless and tbh he's the only guy who has mixtapes of JUST passes that I want to watch. I hope Lebron turns into that as he slows down with age.
Absolutely no question. Nobody want to admit, but it was in their heads and they were playing him soft. He was still good, but he was definitely being given more space by many (not all) defenders. And I don't blame them tbh.
Shall I remind everyone that in the 91 finals both Scott and Worthy were injured? Or else the Lakers would not have lost in 5, may have been a closer series.
Jimmy Gonzales Yes, Magic is so disrespected in the GOAT conversation. He won championships in high school and NCAA, then NBA. Lost 4 times in the finals to 4 different teams with all time greats on them, Bird, Dr J, Isaiah Thomas and MJ. No shame in those defeats at all.
With Scott and Worthy, the Lakers may well have won that series. Scott could defend Jordan and make him less efficient, while Worthy would have made the offense much more dynamic and wouldn't have allowed Pippen and Jordan to basically switch off guarding Magic
Since I fist seen Magic play back in 1979, I said if I could start an all time NBA team, I always thought I would start with my point guard, Earvin “Magic” Johnson. That young buck was the man, he was a phenomenon, he could easily play 4 positions. Yes he was that good and he got the whole team involved and started Showtime.
I loved the old blazers with Kersey, Duckworth, Drexler, Porter, and Buck Williams. Talk about run and gun I believe that year that you're talking about was their best year to beat the Bulls. They should've kept Drouzen Petrovic letting him go was a big mistake
When he shook Latrell Sprewell out of his shoes in his first game back I knew he would be just fine. We'll see his old self? Of course not but he was still very effective and help that team out that Year. I wish she had a hung around another year actually when the diesel got there.
As a kid I really enjoyed his comeback! I look at Magic as my "Basketball Dad" lol cause he taught me so much by watching him play as I'm sure as he's taught all of us! Now as a man, we know the backstory about how his teammates such as Cedric Ceballos thought Magic was stealing his shine and a few others on the team thought it wasn't exactly a good fit. His comeback had its pros and cons of course! But if you have a player like Magic on your team and the ultimate goal is to play for the championship and win, you should want to buy in. That team could've went further than that if they would have let their egos outside the Fourm and bought in to what Magic brought to the table which was a winning mentality! And if he played with Shaq and Kobe that following season......................mannnnnnnnnnn!!!
dannyLEE Lol,, it’s funny how some people look like other people. So I work for FedEx but I UBer on the weekends also. So about 3 weeks ago I am driving in Chicago and I go to pick up this lady. I am in the middle of the block and looking across the street at the lady, she doesn’t realize that I am across the street. I am looking at her and thinking in my head that the lady looks so much like Lori Loughin. She notices my car and starts walking towards it. I look at my phone to see what her name is and it shows that her name is Lori. So she gets in the car and I told her that I was looking at her before I saw her name and thinking that she looks like Lori Loughin and then I see she has the same name and she says she gets that all the time. Lol
It's dazzling to see Magic play at 36 years old after being retired for 3 years. I badly wish I saw him play in the 80s. I'm searching the internet for full games, I'm not content with highlights.
It was horrible. Nobody wanted to guard him because they thought they could become infected, he got fat, he was a shell of his former self, and took play time from Nick at Night.
finally someone agrees that he had no business coming back he could have given someone else the HIV if he had bled or something so people were afraid to guard him. Not hard to have a good comeback when no one wants to get too close to you.
@quinton cornelius easily?? You must not have watched the series. Also that Lakers squad was a player or 2 away from being a legit contender and really should not have been in the finals 91 in the first place. Magic doesn't retire, the Lakers make a move for a big time scorer and Jordan is down a ring.
Very moving. Had we only known in ‘91 what we know today about the HIV virus. Truly one of sports history’s most beautiful moments when Magic entered the court again in ‘96
+JP Jr. LOL!! I thought I was the ONLY one who noticed it!! A few chicks have told me I had a magic johnson that made climaxes appear in them,out of thin air!!
And make no mistake, I mean Magic accepted it gratefully. But what MJ was doing with that game was sending a strong message. And the message was this is MY LEAGUE now. And don’t even think that you can come back and challenge me with your team.
The part when the lakers were 6-1 in 7 games i couldnt help but think "Well thats what happens when you have a generational talent usually who is a great all around talent."
It was really weird because one of the Lakers strongest players was PG Nick Van Exel. They both would run to the outlet spot at the same time, I think Magic only retired (for the 3rd time) to let Nick have the spot to himself.
People forgot he signed a 25 year contract in '79. Had he never got the HIV he would got 6 rings. When he came back he actually revolutionize (along with Bob McAdoo in the 80's and Scottie Pippen of the 90's) the "Point Forward" position and would've retired at 40 with 6 rings with Kobe and Shaq
Note that he shot 38% from 3 that year. If he played in the modern era and practiced 3s from childhood like today's players I think we can assume 38% is a much better estimate as to his shooting potential than his career % which was very low until the 89-90 season.
Man if only he played a few games in the 1997 season. Even though none of them were in their prime the idea of Shaq, Magic & Kobe playing together would have been dope.
I don't think his comeback was much of one. If my memory serves me correctly didn't the NBA palyers complain that they didn't want Magic on the floor in case he might get cut and start bleeding? I don't mean this in a bad way but the ignorance of HIV was rampid back in the 90's. The information just wasn't out there like it is now. It wasn't until Magic getting infected did we as a whole start taking it seriously. Because Magic was a House hold Name. I don't care if you root for Boston or NY, you did not want to see that happen to him. How could you not LOVE the guy with his Remarkable showmanship on the floor and his GREAT HUGE SMILE.
Man Magic was barely over 30 when he had to retire. Imagine the assist totals if he had been able to play all those 4 seasons he was away! Stockton might not be the all time assist leader if Magic played 4-5 more full seasons...
He would not have passed Stockton. Stockton passed him while they were still playing and Stockton kept playing those same years and put up more assists per year than Magic did when they were both playing. I love Magic, he's my favorite player; but Stockton is the assist king.
Not trying to nitpick to death here but almost a minute of intro(s) contain repeated information is getting hard to sit thru every time you wanna see one of your videos .... Add in the commercial and that's a wrap for me... I love your stuff but I really hope you can cut your into down or lose the long intros and multiple commercials Sean... Maybe go back to how you used to do them (before the green screen) and start after 20 seconds of info.. Or a absolutely fantastic template would be Andy Hoops. His videos start immediately and are informative from the opening second. Any additional stuff is toward the close. Just trying to help man..
If memory servers his 96' comeback had mixed results. On one hand people were happy to have him back. But on the other hand he was older. Trying to fit into a young Lakers team with an attitude problem. Also the Lakers were doing good in the standings, but magic coming back disrupted the chemistry of the team. They got knocked out in the first round by the rockets.
@@raurman4946 True but it was still an issue for a lot of players in 96 like when he got a minor scratch during a game and it was nearly the top news in sports.
If you've watched "They call me Magic" on Apple TV, you'll see he doesn't view his comeback as a success. Even the clips from Rambis and Jordan talk about how he was just 2 steps slower and was just a shell of himself.
Magic Johnson return was a huge Success. He may not have played like a Super Star, but he definitely played like an All star. 6.9 Assist per game was very high, despite playing less than 30 minutes and not playing Point guard. Almost 15 Point per game, that would translate to almost 18 ppg if he played 36 minutes a game, very good numbers. 117 Offensive rating vs 107 defensive rating, very good. And 22.1 PER. That team was very good, but they weren't contenders. 61% true shooting was the best of that lakers team, even higher than Michael Jordan True shooting percent.
Splitting hairs a little but most people referred to him as a "point forward" in 1996. The ball fake he put on Latrell Sprewell was epic. I almost cried when it happened.
Me too
To be off for 5 years and come back like that, Magic is the offensive GOAT 🐐 as far as I’m concerned
Fat Magic was a top 50 player after being away for 4 1/2 years. 14/7/6 in 30 minutes a game off the bench on 47/38/86 shooting during THAT ERA is pretty remarkable in hindsight.
those numbers in any era back then, to modern days now are lucrative. He was playing Point Forward, at the Power Forward slot, off the bench... he could have put up his 17 13 7 had he started
Would have been cool to see him play with Kobe and Shaq for a couple years
Lonnie Thompson I wanted to see that so bad.
Not possible. Salary cap limitations.
@@JustInCASE326 depends. Kobe would have been on his rookie deal
Lonnie Thompson maybe.
That would have guaranteed championships
Magic would have no problem in the NBA if you was in his prime healthy and free of the stigma surrounding his illness. A six foot nine point guard with his handles makes any team better.
@LycanVonWolf Point taken
I remember this. He came back out of shape but he still had that Magic touch that only he had. It was a real treat for us fans to get to see him go out on his own terms. The two MJ’s coming out of retirement within a few years of each other made me forget all about Penny and Grant Hill lol.
Magic was and is the greatest floor general of all time
Please...
Aaron Garnett Agreed! 👌
the greatest playmaker (floor general) of all time. Magic is definately the 2nd greatest player of all time. 9 trips to finals against elite players (Bird 3x, Dr J 3x, I. Thomas 2x and Jordan). Magic was still young enough to lead his Lakers back to the finals.
Aaron Garnett I love basketball. I’m just like Magic
Aaron Garnett It’s hard to sit and watch, you want to play
If Magic had never left the NBA in 92. He would’ve played into his late 30’s and had the all time assist record.
Disagree! To all due respect to magic he would have had to play another 7 plus seasons stay healthy all year and average 10 assists a game. I don't think people understand the feat of John Stockton records. But it's something only people in Utah understand. The dude almost went 20 years without missing a single game and the dude is the poster child of consistency! John Stockton the motha lovin point God!
Jimmy Gonzales yeah that would be a long shot for Johnson to have the assist record
@@justthisguy1948 Umm no Magic rarely struggled with injuries or missing games at all throughout his career.
@@lonniethompson758 With all due respect to Stockton, Magic was a much better passer PG leader and player, and part of the reason Stockton lasted 20yrs is because the Jazz's seasons didnt extend into June more than twice during that entire 20yr span...Not as hard to play 20seasons when its only an 85 game season most of the time, a whole different task when youre asking someone to play 100+games per yr every yr- with the last 4-7 of them being against Drjs76ers the Bad Boys Birds Celtics, or Mjs Bulls...
@@dp233332 you have no clue what you're talking about. Jazz had one of the record for most consecutive years for making the playoffs. 1984 to 2003. Magic was the better player but Stockton was the better floor general. Magic played in a run and gun system and Stockton played in a half court set. Which makes Stockton's record even more amazing. Here's a link if you don't believe me. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_NBA_franchise_post-season_streaks
Celtics fan here. I remember being very exited that Magic was coming back. I'm glad that he did great that year and was able to go out on his own terms.
Magic Johnson IS showtime! His comeback game says it best. An after 4-year returning 36-year old ruling that floor. Unbelievable.
Michael Jordan return was way better than this HIV dude.
A. K. 36 wasn’t old at all.
He stunk in the comeback ESPECIALLY attitude wise
A couple suggestions for videos
Tom Chambers
The 1994 Nba season-crazy season because so many teams felt like they had a chance.
1994 Atlanta Hawks: 1 seed in the east trades its best player and blows it in the playoffs.
Derrick Coleman: so much promise and then nothing.
Tom Chambers before the injuries. Man, I still have never seen a dunk like that one Chambers had where he floats to the basket like a ghost.
Danny Manning didn't do a damn thing for Atlanta. Smh I remember that season well
he was actually incredible at his age and being away for so long. 6.9 ast! that's a starting PG number. I remember it too and it was kind of weird, but he held his own out there. His shot, vision, pass and ball fakes were still there. And then the next year they signed Shaq and drafted Kobe.
*Traded for Kobe
Magic made Robert Horry look outright stupid in his comeback game.
Kind of like Lebron missing MJ by 1 year when he was in Washington
Magic Johnson is definitely one of the top three players of all time. Magic could beat you at playing and starting forward playing and starting center playing and starting guard. All around best basketball player ever at starting any position. magic was magic, ask Bo Jackson, Bo knows
offensively
I was a huge Magic fan since 79. I never thought Magic should have retired the second time after the Olympics. The 96 comeback revealed how much the NBA needed him. He was one the ambassadors that left too early in his career.
I was so excited when I heard this!That 96 Lakers team was actually pretty good!Cebollas, Van Excel, Jones, Divac, and Magic off the bench, they couldve won one!
@@nihongochopsocky808, everything worked out very well for the Lakers. If Earvin stayed another year. Jerry West would never traded for Kobe Bryant in the draft. Also, the Lakers were not a good defensive transition team in 96. This is one of the main reasons the Lakers lost to Houston in the first round of the playoffs. I do believed if Earvin would have gotten himself into shape over the summer and accepted his role as a back up point guard. The Lakers would have beaten the Jazz in the West Conference Finals and played the Bulls for a championship. I had the Lakers in 7 games. Ceballos or Divac winning the finals MVP
Should've played in 96 with Shaw, Kobe, van excel and Jones
Shaq and Kobe joined the year afterwards.
oh man if he stayed for one more year with Shaq and Kobe, that would be insane, but Kobe was still developing, but still had Eddie Jones and a young team to run with him
@Trzn I'm sure that was doctor advice for HIV back then
@Trzn yes , what did doctors tell a person to do in 91 for HIV ?
Derek Fisher was a rookie that season, too.
I remember that first game that magic came back. It was good to see him back out there on the basketball court again
Underrated comeback and truly makes you what if? Magic from 92-96
@Alecsander Hamilton almost feels like it was “planned” 🤔
Magic1992-1996 absents might have created jordans legacy
@@JayBelafonte no
@@trustydavis4882 yes
@Alecsander Hamilton there’s always been a conspiracy that Magic never actually had HIV and they were using him basically as a spokesman. In exchange he would be given lucrative business opportunities. Could have very well been a setup to place Jordan were he is. You have to remember all these guys are members of fraternities and secret societies.
I’ll never forget that move he put on Latrell Sprewell in his first game back against Golden State, made him look silly. I’m glad that was in the video as it just shows how great Magic still was at 36.
I remember that watching that game live, I would try to watch all the big games back then. That move on Sprewell was so nasty
That move was on Joe Smith...
Is it just me or does anyone else like the videos when you just heard his voice over? He has a unique voice
Ugh this video makes me miss the 90's.
Why not the 80s?
@@lonniethompson758 because the 80s are full of drugs
@@Mr-kh7endrugs? Wtf there are always drugs. Great thing about drugs is you don't have to do them if you don't want to
Magic is what legend is made of. NBA's foundation was built on 3 players. Magic, Jordan, and Bird.
Magic, bird, isiah barkley dominates the 80's era and was the foundation. 90's is Jordan.
+Erwin Chan:the NBAs foundation was built by George the Iceman Gervin, Tiny Archibald,World B. Free,Dr.J,Moses Malone,Kareem,Bird and Bill Walton!! Jordan does not belong IN that group!! Jordan came when competition was sparse,the 70s and 80s stars had grown old and corporate GREED overshadowed competitive play!! Actually had Magic never contracted .I.V and been forced to retire,and Kareem continued a few more years,Jordan would NEVER have won a title!! Birds physical breakdown,Mahorn being torn from Detroit,James Edwards being traded from the Pistons,the retirement of Kareem and Magic all contributed to Jordan finally winning a title!!
@@SuperDetroit9 I agree that the players you mentioned were legends in their own rights and because of them, NBA started to have loyal followings. But please bear in mind that the NBA was struggling even with these mentioned players. That's why I specifically mentioned Magic and Bird. When these 2 arrived, they became the PRIME movers of the NBA in the 80's and eventually became the pillars and framework of the foundation of the NBA of today. I purposedly included Jordan because he was the one who sustained what Magic and Bird did. Metaphorically, Jordan can be described as the concrete which covered and strengthened the pillars and framework (Magic and Bird) of the NBA foundation of today. These 3 legends are the main reasons why we are enjoying the present NBA. I and many basketball fans would consider these 3 as the forefathers of the modern NBA.👍👍👍
And Dr.J..
Well said Erwin. The NBA was faltering when Bird and Magic arrived and took the league by storm. Jordan deserves to be at the top of this list because he's the best ever... but he had to wrench that title away from Magic. The torch was passed during the Dream Team practices, there's great video of Magic describing what went down.
I remember exactly where i was when i heard this news about Magic's HIV. My "they killed Kennedy" moment...
Yup. There are two things that I vividly remember in terms of 'events' that happened during my childhood. The first was the 1986 Challenger explosion, which we saw in SCHOOL. Our school actually had us sent home because it was so traumatic. And then, coming home and finding out that Magic Johnson had HIV. Cried my eyes out. Because my idol was gonna die of AIDS. I mean, it was a death sentence in 1991. No question. So to see him basically meme'd more for tone deaf/Captain Obvious tweets and not sick or dead is just remarkable to me.
@@manuginobilisbaldspot424 It goes to show what having a squillion dollars can do for u. Still, other rich dudes died ... so i dunno how he did it
Awesome Wells was in a commuter rail station in Boston - hundreds huddled around the TVs - lots of tears. We hated the Fakers but respected the hell out of Earvin
Me too. "They killed Kennedy" moment is the perfect way to describe it. I was ten years old, sitting in my living room, with my old man. Him and my mom were still together and were on their way out to dinner. I was crying (I thought my idol was going to die) and begging him to stay in with me. I couldn't imagine watching basketball without Magic.
I can definitely relate to how you say you felt when "Magic" came back against the Warriors and when he and the Lakers played vs. Jordan and the Bulls. Hell, I videotaped both matches from beginning to end! I was so excited I watched those two games over and over and over again for weeks. Keep up the good work man, lovin' your videos.
He came back as a power forward, shooting threes and running the offense when needed. He basically invented small ball and positionless bball of now
Another thing to mention at the end was the fact that he had to fit into an already established team. His numbers were not quite at the place they were when he was in his prime in large part because he needed to let the younger guys have their moments and not take the spotlight too much from them. So of course, the most unselfish player ever did not take the reins nearly as much as he did in the prime of his career...Plus he came off the bench.… He wasn’t getting near as much playing time
I remember that. Magic had a different body mass than he did during Showtime. I also remember the Lakers were mediocre at best before he came back. He turned that team to a good competitive playoff team.
That’s the only year in the 90s they missed the playoffs. The vlade /van exel team wasn’t a champion contender. But they made the playoffs except that Magic year. Magic one of my favorite players, but aside of a few great plays, overall it took away from the team and made them worse. Mentally he was still Magic but he could only do it every once in a while.
@@teamcaveman You are wrong,they had 22-10 since Magic's comeback,53-29 overall and of course they made the playoff,but lost to the Rockets 1:3 in the 1 round,Magic led them in their only playoffs win with 26 points,the game is available here on tube.
@@aleksthegreat4130 you’re right. I was mistaken. It was the year magic coached that they missed the playoffs, it when he played. Magic is my favorite laker of all time. I’ve seen him since his rookie year, the time I got into basketball as a kid. I was in denial that he was better than Jordan. I wanted Jordan to fail, but instead he impressed me even more making me a fan. I blame Karl Malone and Isaiah Thomas for forcing magic out of the league in his prime. The world missed several more years of his greatness. I’ve seen the magic/Kareem lakers, Kobe/shaq, and Lebron/Davis lakers all live. None compare to what I’ve seen when magic was live.
The aliases they gave players back then was earned now they just hand them out like candy on Halloween
ROKK STAR another cry baby on the “old times”
I almost cried looking at this game man, Magic is a legend
You forgot to mention he was the Lakers coach before the comeback. Probably need a video on that.
He did that as a favor for Jerry Buss who had fired Randy Pfund
I was 15 and this was my first time really being able to see Magic play sadly, at least to the point where I understood the game a little bit. Magic was dope! That pass fake on Spree was timeless and tbh he's the only guy who has mixtapes of JUST passes that I want to watch. I hope Lebron turns into that as he slows down with age.
LeBron still on top of his game!
You can tell guys still weren't comfortable guarding him back then
Kevin Lowe Lol what the hell are you talking about bruh??? I’m a huge Magic fan and wasn’t cheapening his accomplishments... just stated the obvious.
But Rodman, the Worm, didn't give a shit.
duprez2 aint no reason for him to be scared since he was living a life that he was lucky he didnt get it...that hoing will get ya
Absolutely no question. Nobody want to admit, but it was in their heads and they were playing him soft. He was still good, but he was definitely being given more space by many (not all) defenders. And I don't blame them tbh.
Shall I remind everyone that in the 91 finals both Scott and Worthy were injured?
Or else the Lakers would not have lost in 5, may have been a closer series.
Jimmy Gonzales Yes, Magic is so disrespected in the GOAT conversation.
He won championships in high school and NCAA, then NBA. Lost 4 times in the finals to 4 different teams with all time greats on them, Bird, Dr J, Isaiah Thomas and MJ.
No shame in those defeats at all.
The Bulls still would of won, it was Jordan’s league at the time.
With Scott and Worthy, the Lakers may well have won that series. Scott could defend Jordan and make him less efficient, while Worthy would have made the offense much more dynamic and wouldn't have allowed Pippen and Jordan to basically switch off guarding Magic
That Lakers team suddenly started passing the ball more when Magic came back.
Love it when MJ share microphone with MJ.......
He was over weight and slower... But was still a baller
The first sports dad bod.
If Magic prime was in this era. He will make Ben Simmons looks like an average player.
Sakura Low Tier Brave Fighter he would make LeBron James look average.
He benched 135lbs when he played. When he came back he benched 300lbs
Magic wasn't really overweight at 6'9". He was actually pretty jacked.
Since I fist seen Magic play back in 1979, I said if I could start an all time NBA team, I always thought I would start with my point guard, Earvin “Magic” Johnson.
That young buck was the man, he was a phenomenon, he could easily play 4 positions. Yes he was that good and he got the whole team involved and started Showtime.
If it wasn’t for this man, no big man would dare to run a fast break.
You think you are safe using a condom?
omar arreola laughs in Bill Russell
Really? Unless you have some contact with jail you won’t get HIV? Yeah, I don’t buy it.
@Daveed da sick I'm pretty sure you don't have sex. Period.
Magic ripped my trailblazer heart out in the forum when I was a kid, and it still stings. He was such a heady and imaginative player. One of a kind.
I loved the old blazers with Kersey, Duckworth, Drexler, Porter, and Buck Williams. Talk about run and gun I believe that year that you're talking about was their best year to beat the Bulls. They should've kept Drouzen Petrovic letting him go was a big mistake
@Jimmy Gonzales never thought of him because he was putting up numbers while he was on his way out of the league. Good point
He was great I remember those games, his team couldn’t keep up.
When he shook Latrell Sprewell out of his shoes in his first game back I knew he would be just fine. We'll see his old self? Of course not but he was still very effective and help that team out that Year. I wish she had a hung around another year actually when the diesel got there.
Magic Johnson deserves a 30 for 30
As a kid I really enjoyed his comeback! I look at Magic as my "Basketball Dad" lol cause he taught me so much by watching him play as I'm sure as he's taught all of us! Now as a man, we know the backstory about how his teammates such as Cedric Ceballos thought Magic was stealing his shine and a few others on the team thought it wasn't exactly a good fit. His comeback had its pros and cons of course! But if you have a player like Magic on your team and the ultimate goal is to play for the championship and win, you should want to buy in. That team could've went further than that if they would have let their egos outside the Fourm and bought in to what Magic brought to the table which was a winning mentality! And if he played with Shaq and Kobe that following season......................mannnnnnnnnnn!!!
Great memories. The reason I started watching Bball was Magic's comeback. Fun team!
Magic comeback was the best thing for this country dealing with the virus. This man is a Legend
Sean you look like Tony Parker.
Anthoni Gatlin I agree totally, I thought that too
@@reyjeff4297 Isn´t it Tony Parker without an accent? :D
Or does Sean play basketball with a fake accent as a disguise ...
dannyLEE Lol,, it’s funny how some people look like other people. So I work for FedEx but I UBer on the weekends also. So about 3 weeks ago I am driving in Chicago and I go to pick up this lady. I am in the middle of the block and looking across the street at the lady, she doesn’t realize that I am across the street. I am looking at her and thinking in my head that the lady looks so much like Lori Loughin. She notices my car and starts walking towards it. I look at my phone to see what her name is and it shows that her name is Lori. So she gets in the car and I told her that I was looking at her before I saw her name and thinking that she looks like Lori Loughin and then I see she has the same name and she says she gets that all the time. Lol
Lmao W
and kobe combined
Thanks for the memories bud & keep up the great work love ya posts 👍
I was lucky to see him in L.A. against The Bulls in '96. I was a Bulls fan, but I was beyond grateful to have seen Magic play.
It's dazzling to see Magic play at 36 years old after being retired for 3 years. I badly wish I saw him play in the 80s. I'm searching the internet for full games, I'm not content with highlights.
It was horrible. Nobody wanted to guard him because they thought they could become infected, he got fat, he was a shell of his former self, and took play time from Nick at Night.
finally someone agrees that he had no business coming back he could have given someone else the HIV if he had bled or something so people were afraid to guard him. Not hard to have a good comeback when no one wants to get too close to you.
Magics absents from 92-96 might have created jordans legacy
It really is unlikely that Magic sits around and lets Jordan 3peat
@quinton cornelius easily?? You must not have watched the series.
Also that Lakers squad was a player or 2 away from being a legit contender and really should not have been in the finals 91 in the first place.
Magic doesn't retire, the Lakers make a move for a big time scorer and Jordan is down a ring.
Now this is a good segment sean David
you just keep doing what your doing i love it thank you for your great work
Thank you whoever you are!...I really do appreciate it, have a good 1.
You make good content keep up the good work
7:21 is a past his prime magic Johnson capturing some of his youth. Even at the age he returned it was still a joy to watch.
Very moving. Had we only known in ‘91 what we know today about the HIV virus. Truly one of sports history’s most beautiful moments when Magic entered the court again in ‘96
No one wanted to play D against Magic in his comback game and I don't blame them.
that was a great fockin thumbnail, the flashbacks comes like crazy.
This channel should have ten times the subs!
Why does the footage of 1996 look like 1906?
I wish he would’ve still played, so great!
He's magic Johnson how do you think his comeback was?
I wished he finished the whole season.
9:36 Notice how MJ pats him in the gut after a friendly chat. MJ and his mind games.
7:22 the illest ball fake of all time
The irony of Magic Johnson's name has never been lossed on me.
JB PJr Irony?
@@facelessandnameless It's a dick joke
Julian Overton thanks. I was lost too at first lol
+JP Jr. LOL!! I thought I was the ONLY one who noticed it!! A few chicks have told me I had a magic johnson that made climaxes appear in them,out of thin air!!
Sean your videos are the best. 🏀🏀🏀❤️❤️❤️❤️
I love Magic
Thanks for video!
And make no mistake, I mean Magic accepted it gratefully. But what MJ was doing with that game was sending a strong message. And the message was this is MY LEAGUE now. And don’t even think that you can come back and challenge me with your team.
The part when the lakers were 6-1 in 7 games i couldnt help but think "Well thats what happens when you have a generational talent usually who is a great all around talent."
It was really weird because one of the Lakers strongest players was PG Nick Van Exel. They both would run to the outlet spot at the same time, I think Magic only retired (for the 3rd time) to let Nick have the spot to himself.
People forgot he signed a 25 year contract in '79. Had he never got the HIV he would got 6 rings. When he came back he actually revolutionize (along with Bob McAdoo in the 80's and Scottie Pippen of the 90's) the "Point Forward" position and would've retired at 40 with 6 rings with Kobe and Shaq
i know its not 90s basketball but you should do one on the 2004 lakers.
Note that he shot 38% from 3 that year. If he played in the modern era and practiced 3s from childhood like today's players I think we can assume 38% is a much better estimate as to his shooting potential than his career % which was very low until the 89-90 season.
Love Magic
Man if only he played a few games in the 1997 season. Even though none of them were in their prime the idea of Shaq, Magic & Kobe playing together would have been dope.
I don't think his comeback was much of one. If my memory serves me correctly didn't the NBA palyers complain that they didn't want Magic on the floor in case he might get cut and start bleeding? I don't mean this in a bad way but the ignorance of HIV was rampid back in the 90's. The information just wasn't out there like it is now. It wasn't until Magic getting infected did we as a whole start taking it seriously. Because Magic was a House hold Name. I don't care if you root for Boston or NY, you did not want to see that happen to him. How could you not LOVE the guy with his Remarkable showmanship on the floor and his GREAT HUGE SMILE.
Too bad magic had to retire early because he had four or five good years left in them
Almost a triple-double in his first game back. The guy was the man
Magic has maybe the highest basketball IQ ever, so he was always gonna be able to dominate the game.
Most retired by 36? Ewing, Stockton, Malone, Miller, Shaq, Jordan and Hakeem all retired well after that age.
You deserve millions of subscriber
Man Magic was barely over 30 when he had to retire. Imagine the assist totals if he had been able to play all those 4 seasons he was away! Stockton might not be the all time assist leader if Magic played 4-5 more full seasons...
He would not have passed Stockton. Stockton passed him while they were still playing and Stockton kept playing those same years and put up more assists per year than Magic did when they were both playing. I love Magic, he's my favorite player; but Stockton is the assist king.
@@Davivd2 what are you talking about ?? stockton passed him in 1995. magic missed 92,93,94,95. stockton had those four years to catch him.
Imagine if that Lakers 96 team went to the finals
Have you done a video on MJ's return with the Wizards?
Not trying to nitpick to death here but almost a minute of intro(s) contain repeated information is getting hard to sit thru every time you wanna see one of your videos .... Add in the commercial and that's a wrap for me...
I love your stuff but I really hope you can cut your into down or lose the long intros and multiple commercials Sean...
Maybe go back to how you used to do them (before the green screen) and start after 20 seconds of info.. Or a absolutely fantastic template would be Andy Hoops. His videos start immediately and are informative from the opening second. Any additional stuff is toward the close.
Just trying to help man..
For 4 years he play in the magic traveling team
He was very good from what I remember. It would have been something if he had stayed around when Shaq and Kobe joined the next year.
Kobe was on that 96 team he was low on the rotation behind Eddie Jones.
Legend 💛💜
If memory servers his 96' comeback had mixed results.
On one hand people were happy to have him back.
But on the other hand he was older. Trying to fit into a young Lakers team with an attitude problem.
Also the Lakers were doing good in the standings, but magic coming back disrupted the chemistry of the team. They got knocked out in the first round by the rockets.
what is that funky saxophone song
Why did he retire after that season? He should’ve stuck around.
Back then people like Karl Malone thought they could get aids by breathing the same air so they blocked him.
@@revelations118 that was in 92' when Malone said that not 96'
@@raurman4946 True but it was still an issue for a lot of players in 96 like when he got a minor scratch during a game and it was nearly the top news in sports.
the team had problems with magic. nick van exel etc wanted to run the show. So Magic didnt want to cause any trouble
BTM Basketball Time Machine weak! Lol . Thanks for responding. I like your old school videos.
If you've watched "They call me Magic" on Apple TV, you'll see he doesn't view his comeback as a success. Even the clips from Rambis and Jordan talk about how he was just 2 steps slower and was just a shell of himself.
Magic Johnson return was a huge Success. He may not have played like a Super Star, but he definitely played like an All star. 6.9 Assist per game was very high, despite playing less than 30 minutes and not playing Point guard. Almost 15 Point per game, that would translate to almost 18 ppg if he played 36 minutes a game, very good numbers. 117 Offensive rating vs 107 defensive rating, very good. And 22.1 PER. That team was very good, but they weren't contenders. 61% true shooting was the best of that lakers team, even higher than Michael Jordan True shooting percent.
That's after sitting out almost 6 seasons
@@krlm2280 that's even more impressive, to post those numbers after being away from professional basketball 6 years...
@@leonardoyi3183 💯
My FAVORITE player of ALL-TIME....SHOWTIME FOREVER #32
love ur vids but you need a proof reader during the editing process. you said "video" like 50 times in the 1st minute lols
Nobody was going to guard him and no teammate would try to sleep with his wife. 😂😂
I never knew he came back again!!
Great video
He was ranked 12th in MVP voting that year, not bad for 30 or 40 games.
It would have been Legendary if Magic kept playing, into 97,98, and Lakers add Shaq, Kobe. Superteam?