To go down as one of the greatest to ever do in any field requires an other-worldly commitment to one’s craft. Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson achieved unprecedented success and ultimately cemented himself as one of the greatest basketball players of all time through his sheer dedication to the game. The Hall of Famer’s tenacity and ‘marriage’ to the game of basketball also gave birth to an alter ego that went above and beyond to achieve success. At the grand premiere of Johnson’s documentary, They Call Me Magic?a few months ago,?the 5x NBA champion harped on this alter ego and the insane dedication that won him all those championships with the Showtime Lakers.?
Magic Johnson’s marriage to basketball
Like his Hall of Fame counterparts, Magic Johnson came out with his docuseries dubbed?They Call Me Magic?on AppleTV. Needless to say, no docuseries can do justice to the eventful life of Earvin Johnson Jr. At the grand premiere of the show, Johnson and his wife braced the fateful evening with their presence. While doing so, the long-time couple agreed to give an interview together. Incidentally, in the interview, Johnson shed light on his alter ego, who went to great lengths to taste victory.
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During an interview with Access Hollywood, when asked about what’s the difference between ‘Magic Johnson’ and ‘Earvin Johnson’, he said, chuckling,?“It’s a big difference because, Magic was a guy on the basketball court who would take your head off, who would beat his mother, or his daugther or even cookie if she played me 1-on-1 right.”?
After lifting the veil of his ‘evil twin’, Johnson further described his intensity and hunger to win, “Magic was trying to win every game, every championship, and he was serious about his craft, he put a lot of time in becoming a champion, and he was intense.”
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Moreover, he also admitted to putting his engagement with Cookie Johnson on hold in order to focus on his ‘marriage’ with the NBA. When asked a similar line of questions, Earlitha Cookie Johnson gave her side of the equation, explaining how Magic Johnson on the court was completely different from the kind, gentle, loving man she fell in love with in college. The couple further talked about their ‘secret’ to marriage, their son EJ Johnson, and their various philanthropic ventures.
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Magic and Cookie Johnson have one of the longest lasting relationships in US public life. The two have been together for over 40 years and are still going as strong as ever.