There could have been two from the Johnson family in the NBA had it not been for the unfortunate habits of Magic Johnson’s elder brother. Yes, the LA Lakers icon’s elder brother Larry also wanted to be in the professional basketball world. However, a dispute regarding his playing style led him away from the sport and towards selling things he shouldn’t have, according to his 2020 interview with ‘Medium’. Nevertheless, with recovery and the will to do the right thing, Johnson Sr. not only worked on a better life for himself but is all set to make a positive impact on others as well.

“I was a drug addict, alcoholic. Had a dollar 450 a day habit. Overdosed twice, almost died. And so the last time I went to jail, I was facing 20 to 40 years in prison,” he recently told News 4 Tucson KVOA-TV. He further reminisced about his time in the prison. According to him, he saw young guys coming to jail, talking about how much money they were making, but they couldn’t buy themselves out. Larry soon realized he needed to get himself together so he could help other young people get away from drugs and alcohol. But how did the self-acclaimed talent find himself in this sticky situation?

Seeing his younger brother live his dream did not come easily for him. “I was thinking it could have been me. So, I used drugs and alcohol to medicate my pain,” Larry told ‘Medium’. But after all these years, Magic Johnson’s elder brother has managed to turn things around. In fact, he will be spreading awareness about substance abuse this weekend through his organization ‘Brotherhood Against Drugs’.

Want to hear something interesting though? It was Larry who taught Buck some of the basketball skills. “I was a pretty good young player too, and taught Earvin how to make no-look passes.” Who knows, maybe this is how Magic went on to become one of the greatest point guards in NBA history. And through all this, the 4x NBA champ did not lose faith in his brother.

Magic Johnson stayed by his brother despite all the odds