Net worth: $500 millionSource of wealth: Restaurants, real estate, investments
Residence: Beverly Hills, Calif.
Age: 49
Basketball player, businessman, author. Born Earvin Johnson, Jr. on August 14, 1959, in Lansing, Michigan. For 12 years, Earvin "Magic" Johnson dominated the court as one of America's best basketball players. He has since then built up a business empire, which includes real estate holdings, several Starbucks franchises, and movie theaters.
From a large family, Johnson grew up with nine brothers and sisters. Both of his parents worked—his father for the General Motors plant in town and his mother for as a school custodian. He had a passion for basketball, and would start practicing as early as 7:30 a.m. At Everett High School, Johnson earned his famous nickname, "Magic," after a sportswriter witnessed him score 36 points, 16 rebounds, and 16 assists in a single game.
Johnson continued to play in college for Michigan State University. Standing at 6 feet 9 inches tall, he made for an impressive point guard. Johnson excelled during his freshman year, helping his team, the Spartans, clinch the Big Ten Conference title. The following year, he played an important role in taking the Spartans all the way to the NCAA Finals. There they faced off against the Indiana State Sycamores. In one of the most famous match-ups in college basketball history, Johnson went head-to-head with Indiana's star forward, Larry Bird. The Spartans proved victorious, and the Johnson-Bird rivalry would follow the players to their days with the NBA.
Leaving college after two years, Johnson was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1979. He did well in his first season with the team, averaging 18 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game. Johnson won the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player award for his efforts in leading the Lakers to victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. The team also included such strong players as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jamaal Wilkes, and Norm Nixon.
During his third season with the team, the Lakers made the NBA finals again. This time they were defeated by the Philadelphia 76ers, but Johnson still performed well enough to earn his second NBA Finals MVP award. In the 1984 NBA finals, Johnson again encountered rival Larry Bird, who had signed with the Boston Celtics. This was the first of several match-ups between the two teams. The Celtics beat the Lakers in a tight competition—four games to three—for the 1984 championship. The Lakers, however, took down the Celtics the following year in the finals.
Johnson and his team continued to be one of the NBA's top teams through the rest of the 1980s. In the 1987 finals, they again defeated the Boston Celtics. Johnson received the NBA Finals MVP Award for the third time in his career. During this remarkable season, Johnson did his personal best in terms of average points per game, with a remarkable 23.9. He received his first NBA MVP award for his performance on the court—an honor he would receive again in 1989 and once more in 1990.
In November 1991, Johnson retired from the Lakers after revealing that he had the AIDS virus, which he believed he contracted through unprotected sexual activity. The AIDS diagnosis was especially hard for Johnson. At the time he learned he had the disease, his wife Cookie was pregnant with their first child. Both his wife and son, Earvin III, turned out to not have HIV.
From a large family, Johnson grew up with nine brothers and sisters. Both of his parents worked—his father for the General Motors plant in town and his mother for as a school custodian. He had a passion for basketball, and would start practicing as early as 7:30 a.m. At Everett High School, Johnson earned his famous nickname, "Magic," after a sportswriter witnessed him score 36 points, 16 rebounds, and 16 assists in a single game.
Johnson continued to play in college for Michigan State University. Standing at 6 feet 9 inches tall, he made for an impressive point guard. Johnson excelled during his freshman year, helping his team, the Spartans, clinch the Big Ten Conference title. The following year, he played an important role in taking the Spartans all the way to the NCAA Finals. There they faced off against the Indiana State Sycamores. In one of the most famous match-ups in college basketball history, Johnson went head-to-head with Indiana's star forward, Larry Bird. The Spartans proved victorious, and the Johnson-Bird rivalry would follow the players to their days with the NBA.
Leaving college after two years, Johnson was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1979. He did well in his first season with the team, averaging 18 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game. Johnson won the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player award for his efforts in leading the Lakers to victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. The team also included such strong players as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jamaal Wilkes, and Norm Nixon.
During his third season with the team, the Lakers made the NBA finals again. This time they were defeated by the Philadelphia 76ers, but Johnson still performed well enough to earn his second NBA Finals MVP award. In the 1984 NBA finals, Johnson again encountered rival Larry Bird, who had signed with the Boston Celtics. This was the first of several match-ups between the two teams. The Celtics beat the Lakers in a tight competition—four games to three—for the 1984 championship. The Lakers, however, took down the Celtics the following year in the finals.
Johnson and his team continued to be one of the NBA's top teams through the rest of the 1980s. In the 1987 finals, they again defeated the Boston Celtics. Johnson received the NBA Finals MVP Award for the third time in his career. During this remarkable season, Johnson did his personal best in terms of average points per game, with a remarkable 23.9. He received his first NBA MVP award for his performance on the court—an honor he would receive again in 1989 and once more in 1990.
In November 1991, Johnson retired from the Lakers after revealing that he had the AIDS virus, which he believed he contracted through unprotected sexual activity. The AIDS diagnosis was especially hard for Johnson. At the time he learned he had the disease, his wife Cookie was pregnant with their first child. Both his wife and son, Earvin III, turned out to not have HIV.
