“He Was Special Because My Father, We Used to Go to the Theater…”: Magic Johnson Shares His Fondest Muhammad Ali Memories

Muhammad Ali is one of the greatest athletes in American sporting history. Ali moved almost every American athlete with his sheer greatness including the Los Angeles Lakers legend, Magic Johnson. Besides winning bouts in the ring, the boxing legend inspired the American youth in the 60s through his activism for African American rights. The 5x NBA Champion, who played his rookie season for the Lakers in 1979, shared his golden memories with The People’s Champion in a recent interview.

Magic Johnson played his entire NBA career for the Lakers. The NBA world considered him a generational talent. He had his fair share of bumps on his way. Johnson’s NBA career came to a standstill after he contracted HIV in 1991. But, the Lakers legend returned to the court in 1995.

Magic Johnson reminisce his fond Muhammad Ali moment

In the recent episode of All The Smoke show, Magic Johnson revealed the memories he held of Muhammad Ali. He said, “Man, he [Muhammad Ali] was special because my father, we used to go to the theater…watch Ali fight or listen to it on the radio with my father.” He further revealed his wish to watch Ali fight after signing his contract with the Lakers. Eventually, he watched Ali’s fight right after his rookie season, and most notably, Johnson met Ali.

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Magic further went on to talk about Ali’s achievements outside the boxing ring as he described him, “He was a proud black man.” He felt a sense of pride in Ali’s contributions to society as he said, “What he was able to do not only in the boxing ring but outside of it too was amazing.” 

Johnson’s hard lesson in his childhood

Johnson always considered his father his first hero for his sacrifices and contribution to the family. Before his NBA career, Magic had a very humble background living with his parents. Once as a young boy, he helped his father haul trash in extremely cold weather but a young Johnson would often run back inside the house before completing the work.

That’s when his father called him back for a life lesson. He said, “If you do your life halfway, that’s how you’ll practice basketball, that’s how you’ll do your homework—you’ll always be a person who doesn’t finish the job.” However, Johnson took the advice seriously and went on win five championships during his illustrious career.

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What do you make of Magic Johnson’s statement on Muhammad Ali? Let us know in the comments.