Magic Johnson did not skip debate night. Kamala Harris and Donald Trump met head-to-head on ABC News’ Presidential Debate and it was intense as expected. From their views on burning issues to a simple handshake, everything elicited a reaction. Vice President Harris’ famous backers couldn’t hold back either. While supporting his longtime friend comes easy to Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Harris has major support from former POTUS Barack Obama, Taylor Swift, and more in the NBA community.

Magic watched the debate minutely and was left impressed. He hopped on to X to hail praise on the Democratic candidate, writing, “Vice President Kamala Harris did an excellent job of making her case on why she should be President of the United States tonight and I’m so proud of her!”

It was not superficial. He listed certain points that resonated with him. “Tonight, she laid out her vision for the American people. Her economic plan is about lifting up the middle class and working class Americans, creating a $25K homebuyer down payment assistance program, providing small businesses with a $50K startup expense deduction, defending a woman’s right to choose, and she won’t ban fracking, just to name a few.”

These are causes very close to the Lakers legend. Through his efforts at Magic Johnson Enterprises, he has done a lot to give jobs, boost small businesses, help minority-owned startups, and enable people to buy homes.

This was the first (and possibly the only) debate since President Biden handed over the campaign to his vice president. It was emboldening enough for Taylor Swift to openly declare her support to Harris.

“I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election,” Swift informed her 283 million Instagram followers in a post. “I’m voting for [Kamala Harris] because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them. I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos.”

Getting Swift’s support is equivalent to getting millions of Swifties behind you. Stephen A. Smith appropriately described the impact the “Bad Blood” hitmaker will have on X. “Talk about gaining momentum. ⁦ @taylorswift13 ⁩ timed this perfectly, revealing her endorsement right after the debate. Nearly 2 million likes in 21 min. If ⁦ @DonaldTrump ⁩ wasn’t in trouble, he sure is now. He should certainly want a 2nd debate.” 

With or without Swift and Magic’s impact, the VP won tremendous support after the debate.

NBA voices rally behind Kamala Harris

Barack Obama also hailed Harris in a statement, “Tonight, we saw firsthand who has the vision and strength to move this country forward instead of dividing us. @KamalaHarris will be a president for all Americans. Let’s get to work…” Former FLOTUS, Michelle Obama said, “After tonight’s debate there should be no doubt – no room for discussion – @KamalaHarris is the only candidate in this race who is ready to be President.”

But Harris’ views resonated beyond the political and entertainment fields. Like Magic, certain names in the NBA business showed their support.

Former Nuggets coach, George Karl has also been in Harris’ corner before she entered the presidential race. This time too, he said, “Kamala Harris demonstrated important facts and information tonight. Her intelligence and plans should win out over Trump’s anger and hate. We’re here to help you finish the job, Vice President Harris.”

Rex Chapman couldn’t contain his feelings in a single post. He stressed on that awkward exchange when the two candidates exchanged a handshake, writing, “He will NOT make eye contact with her. Hasn’t all night long. She looks him in the face when talking and listening. He’s scared.” A lot of viewers were left feeling that Trump was rattled by Harris. Chapman too reiterated, “If she hadn’t walked over to shake his hand before the debate started he wasn’t going to her. He. Will. Not. Look. At. Her.”