The ‘Magic’ began at the Everett High School. 5x NBA Champion Earvin Johnson Jr. was given the nickname Magic for his magical basketball skills when he was just 15 years old. But two people who never call him Magic are Johnson’s mother and Shaquille O’Neal‘s mother, Lucille O’Neal. Although she doesn’t call the 64-year-old by the name that was given to him for this impact, O’Neal expressed gratitude to Johnson for how it impacted her son and other basketball players’ lives. 

“You have poured into our sons more than you know, and we’ve even been watching you and praying for you as well but we ( O’Neal and Sonya Curry) just thank you. It’s important that we say thank you, thank you, thank you,” Shaq’s mother said to Johnson in the third episode of Raising Fame by O’Neal and Sonya Curry.

As O’Neal’s mother explained, Johnson had an influence on Shaq’s life, particularly in terms of business. When Johnson first met O’Neal, he advised the four-time NBA champion to start investing alongside his career. He suggested that O’Neal would need alternative ventures to rely on after his NBA career.

“The first time I met Magic Johnson, he pulled me to the side, and he said, ‘It’s ok to be famous, but you want to start owning things. 19 years old, I’m like, ‘What the hell are you talking about? But then as I watched him and I studied him, I was like, ‘Okay, this is what it means,” O’Neal said during an interview with Graham Bensinger.

Further, Shaq’s mother confessed after Johnson’s mother admitted that she prefers to call her son by his born name ‘Earvin’ and not ‘Magic.’ “I don’t call him magic, to be honest. I call him Earvin sometimes I say Earvin Magic Johnson. I say the whole name,” O’Neal said.

Even after all these years, Johnson’s mother Christine likes to call her son Earvin and added, “I see Earvin that was his born name, and that to me will always be his name.”

Even though his mother was never a fan of his nickname, the Los Angeles Lakers legend continued to gain popularity as Magic. So, how did Johnson become Magic, and who gave the name to the Lakers star? 

Earvin Johnson Jr. became Magic Johnson

HBO’s Winning Time episode, The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, portrayed this significant part of Johnson’s early career. Earvin “Magic” Johnson first gained attention during his sophomore year at Everett High School in Michigan.

Even at such a young age, he was phenomenal, often posting triple-doubles. His dominant performance, including 36 points, 16 rebounds, and 16 assists in a game, caught the attention of Fred Stabley Jr., a sportswriter for the Lansing State Journal.

This is when he gave him the nickname Magic. Johnson then joined Michigan State University, leading them to the NCAA championship in 1979, and went on to dominate in the NBA. Johnson led the Los Angeles Lakers to five championship titles.

Therefore, the 5x NBA champ Magic Johnson truly had a massive impact on aspiring basketball players both in terms of the gameplay and their conduct off-court.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting pilot episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and SEC All-Freshman Team Selection, Silas Demary Jr.