The opening night of the 2024-2025 NBA season started with a blast as the Boston Celtics bested the newly revamped roster of the New York Knicks (132-109). And why wouldn’t they give such a terrific performance? The Celtics had their legends Bob Cousy, Cedric Maxwell, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce present in the arena to support them. On the other hand, the Los Angeles Lakers had a similarly wonderful opening, beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 110–103, but the absence of Lakers legend Magic Johnson from the game, who is customary to be present at L.A.’s opening games, has caused several questions on fans’ minds on where could the 65 years old be.

However, the fans didn’t need to wait for long to know about the whereabouts of the legend as the $1.2 billion former point guard himself later revealed through an Instagram post that he hosted an exclusive gathering which he dubbed as ‘Champions’ Soirée’.

“Tonight, I hosted a Champions’ Soirée along with my portfolio companies SodexoMagic and Atlanta Life Insurance Company at the historic Fox Theatre in Atlanta, GA! It was amazing to celebrate the power of diversity with clients, partners, potential clients, and movers and shakers in Atlanta and across the country. We had some awesome guests including Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, Ambassador Andrew Young, Atlanta Falcons Owners Rosalind Brewer and Will Packer, Steve Smith, Eric Benet, Jeezy, Jerome Bettis, and so many more! We capped off the event with a surprise guest performance from Charlie Wilson who tore the house down and had us dancing all night!” wrote Johnson in the caption.

This is a big deal for Johnson, whose decision to fly to Georgia for this business engagement, instead of appearing on Wednesday for the NBA’s opening night, speaks volumes about what he is putting at the top of his post-basketball — priorities. His food service and facilities management company, SodexoMagic, which serves businesses, healthcare facilities, schools, and universities has become a cornerstone of his business portfolio. While Atlanta Life Insurance Company represents his strategic investment in one of the country’s most historic Black-owned insurance companies.

The timing could not be more perfect, because it coincides with this NBA opener, and symbolizes Johnson’s evolution from athlete to businessman. His jerseys still hang in the rafters of the Crypto.com Arena, but his business blueprint is being taught in the boardrooms of America. In addition to the ones mentioned above, his portfolio includes ownership stakes in parts of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Sparks, Washington Sparks, and Washington Spirits as he prefers taking on sports investments from the owner’s box rather than the player’s bench.

As the NBA’s opening night unfolded in Los Angeles, Johnson’s absence from the basketball court highlighted a different kind of victory – one measured not in points scored but in jobs created, communities transformed, and wealth generated. Last month as well, Johnson gave an insight to his fans regarding another event that was another close story.

Magic Johnson’s ’emotional’ Brazil conference

Recently, during his appearance on the Jimmy Kimmel Live Show, Johnson revealed that he has been on vacation with his wife Cookie Since May. But however, amidst his holidays, the 65-year-old didn’t forget about his duty to inspire new entrepreneurs.

Just last month, Johnson took to his Instagram story to reveal that he was a guest speaker for the XP Brazil performance in Sao Paulo where he gave advice regarding entrepreneurship, leadership, and personal development. “The energy was incredible, and it was touching to see some attendees get emotional during our meet and greets from meeting me!” read the caption of the story that the billionaire posted. Most importantly, this conference garnered a total of 8000 entrepreneurs in the event.

The Expert XP was the largest investment festival that took place on August 30 and 31 at the Sao Paulo Expo in Brazil. The Lakers legend even posted stories to show his gratitude to the Banco XP founders Guilherme Benchimol and Gabriel Lead, and the CEO Jose Berenguer for inviting him to the conference. The conference and the investors’ night before serve as a powerful reminder that Johnson is continuing with his disciplinary routine of engaging in business similarly as he followed a strict routine when he played in the league, even if he can no longer attend each and every opener.