The 1980 NBA Finals was a significant event, especially for Hall of Famer Magic Johnson. Having been drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1979, Johnson became an NBA champion in his rookie season. However, this would not have happened if Johnson hadn’t rung up a certain NBA legend when he was anxious about leaving his collegiate basketball career to join the league. Not only is the former basketball superstar his idol, but Magic also believed that he was the first player who had the ability to leap high up in the air and not Michael Jordan.

Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan got the nicknames ‘Air Jordan’ and ‘His Airness’ for his extraordinary skill of jumping high up above the ground while shooting hoops. While fans believe Jordan was one of a kind, it seems like Magic Johnson has a different opinion.

Magic Johnson credits Julius Erving for his ‘sky-high’ abilities

In an episode of ALL THE SMOKE for SHOWTIME basketball , Magic Johnson recalled his first-ever NBA finals where he had to face his idol and 1983 NBA champion Julius Erving. The 5x NBA champion is an ardent fan of Dr. J but when the Philadelphia 76ers faced the Los Angeles Lakers for the finals, Magic wanted nothing more than to eliminate his opponents.

However, 12x NBA star couldn’t help but watch Dr. J in awe while the Sixers legend was seemingly flying around scoring one shot after the other.

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“He came down the right side and he jumped out of bounds and he started walking in the air. Fro going back, bought it against the glass, it’s good! I said, ‘Man, this dude is too much’. See, he was doing that that Jordan stuff before Michael and people forget that. He was the first dude walking in the air,” Magic told the hosts and former NBA stars Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson.

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Magic led the Lakers to victory over Dr. J’s 76ers, dropping 42 points, 15 rebounds, and seven assists. The Lakers defeated the Sixers in four out of six games. As if winning his first NBA championship in his rookie season was not enough, Johnson also became the first rookie in the league’s history to be named the Finals MVP.