June 4 is an occasion of a celebration in the Johnson family and neither Magic nor Cookie are holding back. Cookie Johnson’s eldest son with Magic Johnson, turned 32 this Tuesday. The LA Lakers star shared a heartfelt message for his middle child (he has an elder son from his ex-girlfriend) through his social media handles. Meanwhile, Cookie also took the opportunity to share a dedicated birthday post for EJ Johnson on Instagram.

The post featured a series of EJ’s photos, including one from his childhood with his parents. “Happy Birthday my EJ! Wishing you the best birthday ever. Continue to be your most fabulous self!! I love and admire you so much…” read the caption to the post. Meanwhile, Magic also took to his IG account and shared the family photos from EJ’s birthday dinner. “What a fabulous dinner to celebrate EJ’s birthday tonight! As a parent, it’s always a joy to see my kids happy!” he wrote in the caption. 

A reality television personality and a socialite with $10 million net worth — EJ is much more than just being the son of 5x NBA champ. And this is something even Magic Johnson has himself taken pride in. In a 2023 interview with People, the former Lakers star had doted over EJ’s path. “I think that EJ is really taking charge of his career and making his own decisions. And he knows how and what he wants to get into,” he said. Apart from this, the 12x All Star also emphasized how his son is loved around the world, not just as a television personality, but as an LGBTQ+ community icon as well.

So it’s obvious Magic was not missing the opportunity to express his admiration for his son on his birthday. In a dedicated birthday post, the former NBA star spotlighted his son as an amazing and intelligent human being, who has helped other people live life as their authentic selves. “… Never forget I will always be here to support, guide, and love you because I’m your biggest fan!” read the post. However, it turns out that despite all this support, being an NBA icon’s son is difficult in certain aspects.

EJ reveals dating struggles because of Magic Johnson’s popularity

During his appearance in an episode of ‘Red Table Talk’ in 2018, EJ sat down with the show hosts Jada Pinkett Smith, Adrienne Banfield-Jones and Willow Smith, and discussed the challenges in figuring out people who want to be with him just because of his father’s popularity.

“It’s always been a struggle. There’s so many factors. First of all, the celebrity thing — who are you here for? Are you dating me or are you trying to date my dad?” EJ said on the talk show. He further shared his issue of encountering men who don’t want to stay for the real relationship part, often times concerned about the media attention.

Nonetheless, both EJ and Mike Johnson have presented their immaculate love and respect for each other. Though Magic Johnson took some time to process his son’s expression, he has come to be the biggest supporter. “We are the most alike,” EJ admits of his father and him, ensuring their bond it tight as ever.