Continuing our countdown of the 20 greatest figures in L.A. sports history, as chosen in voting by our online readers, with No. 2, Magic Johnson.
No. 2 Magic Johnson (230 first-place votes, 8,389 points)
When Magic Johnson sold his 4.5% share of the Lakers in October of 2010, he called it a "bittersweet business decision."
Now free to pursue another sports franchise, maybe even help bring an NFL team back to Los Angeles, Johnson wanted to make one thing clear.
"I am and will always be," he said, "a Laker for life."
Perhaps the greatest Laker ever. At the very least, the most popular Laker ever.
For few people have had more impact on the Lakers and the NBA than Earvin "Magic" Johnson, who along with the Boston Celtics' Larry Bird, is widely credited with reviving the league and setting the stage for Michael Jordan to take the game to unprecedented heights.
Not that Johnson didn't scale some pretty big mountains himself.
Using his 6-foot-9 frame and superior passing skills, Johnson directed the Lakers' "Showtime" era that dominated the NBA in the 1980s. From his rookie season in 1979-80 to his final full season (1990-91), Johnson helped the Lakers win five NBA championships and nine conference titles. The Lakers won at least 54 games in each season in that span.
No comments:
Post a Comment