Trash-Picker Magic Johnson Was Once Ruthlessly Dragged Across the Street by His Father: “You Did a Halfway Job”

Magic Johnson became a sensational legend in the NBA with the Los Angeles Lakers, establishing himself as arguably the greatest point guard in the history of the league. However, Johnson had to go through tough things early in his life in order to achieve such amazing feats. Magic Johnson was born into a big family with nine siblings. As a result, his father and mother both worked hard to support their massive family. Johnson’s father worked a second job as a trash collector and the children also had to help out their father at the job. In fact, during a very cold winter morning, a very young Magic Johnson was ruthlessly dragged across the street by his father for a very specific reason.

Johnson was hailed for his brilliance on the court that helped the Lakers win six championships. His work ethic and ability to play with the team made him an invaluable asset. The three-time Finals MVP once revealed how his father imbibed that incredible work ethic in him through a tough lesson.

Magic’s father once dragged him through the snow to pick up trash

During an appearance on Beyond The Boardroom, host Jonathan Tisch asked Magic Johnson if the work ethic of his parents got passed down to him and his siblings. Johnson responded affirmatively by claiming that his father worked a second job as a trash hauling service provider with his own truck.

Johnson shared that he and his siblings would go door-to-door to pick up people’s trash with their father. The Lakers legend revealed that his job was to pick up all the loose trash from the ground. Meanwhile, Magic shared an instance when it was extremely cold outside on a Saturday morning due to the snow. 

Therefore, Johnson decided to rush through his job. He picked up every piece of trash he could grab and threw it at the back as quickly as possible, and jumped inside the truck to avoid the cold. Meanwhile, Magic’s father was not impressed by his lousy job and decided to teach him a lesson.

Magic Johnson stated, “By the time I got in and the door shut, my father opened it back up, grabbed me and dragged me through the snow back to the barrels and said, ‘Son, you did a halfway job. And if you do this job in a halfway manner, you’re gonna be a halfway basketball player, you’ll put in half the time.'”

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Johnson’s father ordered him to finish the job in a proper manner. He instructed the 12-time All-Star to chop the ice with a shovel and pick up all the trash stuck in the ice and bring it back to the truck. 

Magic Johnson credits his father for his commitment to the game

Johnson reckoned that his father’s harshness inspired him to be more serious about his responsibilities. Magic Johnson stated, “So he taught me how to be a perfectionist and do everything the right way.” After that, Magic proceeded to detail how his mother also contributed in his overall development as a person.

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