Magic. The Life of Earvin “Magic” Johnson. Roland Lazenby.
Many superstar athletes
are given nicknames. Magic Johnson is
one of the most recognizable sobriquets in all sport. By now his basketball playing career,
television appearances and successful business ventures have made him a
well-known and even popular sports figure and personality spanning more than
four decades. There is no paucity of written
content pertaining to Johnson, whose own mother did not readily accept the newly
coined handle in his youth. With that
said author Roland Lazenby spent many years compiling his notes, findings and
observations to put together a lengthy book, Magic published in
2023.
As the byline suggests
this is a book about the life of one Earvin “Magic” Johnson. This is a lengthy story in which Johnson
declined to participate according to the author. That did NOT seem to matter much, though,
as Lazenby discussed every detail, faucet and tidbit he could find and included
it in this biography of nearly eight hundred pages. The
author breaks the story into three sections.
The first section is connected to his youth in Michigan including
middle, high school and college experiences.
The second stage reports his phenomenal career with the Los Angelos
Lakers and how he helped bolster a sagging professional sport with his unique
brand of play. The third and final act
of the book addresses his life beyond basketball.
My early interest in this
book was to explore more about his prep days at both middle and high school in Lansing,
Michigan and college experience at Michigan State University. What I came to find, and undoubtedly so
will other readers, is that Johnson was a complex individual of many
sensibilities, intelligences and uncanny natural abilities that were seemingly
not readily evident from afar. While a
school district administrator was quoted in describing Johnson as one who
lacked “diction” in his youth, it became apparent that over time Johnson was
special in his own way. Lazenby
portrays Magic as a people person due to his infectious smile and effervescent
attitude. Magic is characterized by an
innate ability to galvanize. This was
evident as a high school student where he was forced to attend a high school
twenty minutes from his home. The school
administrators at Everett High School realized early on that this tall, influential
athlete could help ease the racial tensions that were common in the 1970’s as a
result of government ordered bussing of students.
Beyond Johnson’s prep and
collegiate days, Lazenby, who has authored books about Michael Jordan and Kobe
Bryant, wrote about how this budding superstar enveloped in a power forwards
body with the skills of a high functioning point guard changed the way the game
was played and altered the stereotype of how bigger players could impact the sport.
Johnson wanted to entertain by playing fast, making spectacular passes, and
win. According to the author this is
where “Showtime” transcended within the dynastic franchise. Another interesting character introduced in
the second act of this manuscript was former Laker’s owner Jerry Buss. Lazenby firmly documented how the new owner
of the Lakers provided a large platform for Magic, and his teammates, to
showcase their talents along the way of winning NBA championships. Of course,
as the author reported, this also boosted the value of the franchise immensely
while bringing greater popularity to the league.
Even Johnson’s business
interests and aptitude were noteworthy in this book. While not all of his ventures were
successful many were including the idea of promoting theaters and commerce in
underserved but willing black communities around the nation. For many readers they may come way surprised
or amazed how Johnson has used his many talents to amass such a fortune despite
his humble beginnings. Lazenby also
points out how Johnson found a calling to help support the black communities of
America through his business efforts and many foundations. It was noted that Magic even became a
national spokesperson for AIDS upon his stunning public announcement in
November of 1991 that he had tested positive for HIV.
Now the book is
chronologically sound in the way the chapters and content are presented. Lazenby broke it down in three parts. The first part was three hundred and forty
pages. An argument could be made that
this act of the story could have been published as its own book. As Johnson left the conservative mid-west
for the fun, sun and more liberal west coast the tone of the book changed
almost abruptly with little connection to the first part. In the latter stages of the book, the author
evoked a melancholy vibe emanating from the main character. Upon Johnson’s permanent retirement from
playing professional basketball, the book makes it appear that Magic surprisingly
struggled for a while to establish a new purpose in life.
While this was a fascinating book about an intriguing and multifaceted person it is hard to recommend an opus of this length and magnitude to the casual sports fan. For those that are Magic Johnson, Laker, Michigan State, ardent basketball fans and aficionados, this book is likely worth the time and commitment. It is never unfashionable to read about one of the nations’, if not global, icons. Magic’s captivating story continues to evolve amid the ever-changing sports landscape of the twenty-first century and mesmerize his many legions of admirers.
Suggested discussion
questions for this book:
What are the many talents
of Earvin Johnson jr.?
How does the author
portray the subject?
How did Johnson
revolutionize or change the way the game of basketball is played?
What makes Magic Johnson
an interesting person on and off the court?
Describe the relationship
between Magic and the owner of the Lakers.
- You might like to read this book if want to read more about Earvin “Magic” Johnson jr..
- You might like to read this book if you enjoy reading biographies of sports figures.
- You might like to read this book if you are a high school, college or professional basketball fan.
- You might like to read this book if you are relish stories of how athletes find additional success beyond their playing days.
Read more about the author
on X: https://x.com/lazenby
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