“Rookie Go Sit Down”: Magic Johnson Admits Taking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s Seat On the Plane that Led to a Legendary Night

Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson had one of the best rookie seasons in the NBA. With a mentor like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar playing alongside him, Johnson was able to unlock his true potential. The Lakers reached the NBA Finals that year and faced a formidable opponent in the Philadelphia 76ers. All was going great for the Lake Show but unfortunately, Kareem injured himself in Game 5. 

Naturally, everyone was distraught over this news. However, that did not apply to Magic. He was confident the team would beat the 76ers and in a recent interview on The All The Smoke podcast. Johnson revealed how he got the team morale up by simply sitting in Kareem’s usual seat on a flight.

Magic Johnson boosted the team morale with a hilarious antic

Five-time NBA champion Magic Johnson is widely regarded as one of the greatest point guards ever. Interestingly, in the 1980 NBA Finals, he played out of his usual position. Due to the problems posed by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s injury, Johnson played center!

After Kareem was injured, the Lakers led the series 3-2. However, the team was certain they couldn’t handle the 76ers without Abdul-Jabbar. That’s when Magic stepped in.

Johnson said, “So, Kareem gets hurt in game 5 so I get to the airport, everybody’s head is down because Kareem can’t play. I said, “so what Kareem can’t play, we still gonna win.” They looked at me like, “Rookie, go sit down. We can’t beat Philadelphia without Kareem. I said man, we gonna win this game.”

Not only did he assert that the team is going to win the game, but he also occupied Abdul-Jabbar’s seat on the flight! Johnson occupied seat 1A, which was Kareem’s seat before everyone else and whenever a player walked in, Johnson shouted, “never fear, Magic is here.”

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This was apparently done to boost the team’s morale. Safe to say, Johnson’s antics worked out as the Lakers dominated the 76ers in Game 6 and claimed the NBA title.

Johnson put on a show in the NBA Finals in his rookie season

Former MVP Magic Johnson reached the NBA title in just his first season in the league. The two finalists for the 1979-80 NBA season finals were the Lakers and the 76ers.

The then-20-year-old Magic averaged 21.5 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 8.7 assists in the finals. Moreover, he played as a center in Game 6 and dropped a masterclass. Owing to such performances, he was awarded the Finals MVP award and he still happens to be the only rookie ever to win it.

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What is your favorite memory of Magic Johnson? Let us know in the comments below.