As A Laker fan, I'm a biased opinion. I love Magic Johnson. If you are my age or older Magic was a player you had never seen before. With handles like the best point guard in the league, at six foot nine he could also battle with bigger guys in the middle. A rebounding big man that could handle the ball and shoot? To me it was bigger than that. He embodied the excitement and fun that basketball should be. But, little did I know that this was only the beginning of his genius.
November of 1991 still rings a bell in my head. I remember where I was that afternoon. I had got home from school and on the radio, which was a Kenwood system my parents had bought announced a press conference. Earvin Magic Johnson was retiring from the game of basketball because he had contracted the HIV virus. As a basketball fan and after watching the Lakers lose to the Bulls in the Finals, I was devastated! He had discussed retirement but my entire basketball world was Magic Johnson and the Lakers.
Fast forward from 1991 to 2017 and I'm in shock. I'm not a person who gets involved with drama. But, in 2017 life has become, well let's say extreme. People watch other people as a reality show. Magic Johnson was hired a few days ago as the President of basketball operations. This is an entire new reality for me. I'm used to these days that Magic is a successful businessman where as in post basketball 1992 after All Star game appearance he's going to die! Where has that fear and Magic Johnson's successful defeat of that disappeared to where people now are not satisfied that not only is his successful defeat of HIV that in addition his business success is also not enough?
I don't want to focus on Magic Johnson's successes, to me, those are obvious. I want to focus on why people tend to gloss over his successes to accentuate his failures. I do it too. I have witnessed Magic's successes. He's owned many Starbucks and sold those for a piece of the Dodgers. 100 million! That's a lot of cash. Now, he's the Laker's boss.
This is where I worry. Magic is a great businessman. But, winning in sports is not a business. It's almost as much skill as it is luck. Golden State is a great example. Are Klay and Steph examples of shrewd business or lucking pickings? Now, Magic will be making the decisions for the Lakers. I thought Mitch was doing a great job with talent. Beating the Warriors isn't going to happen so why not prepare for post GS Warrior basketball. Beating them is slim to none.
Personally, I believe people's expectations are too high. Magic has a better chance of winning a championship with the Lakers as their future point guard as he does as their President. Ok, maybe I'm wrong about the odds. But, either way Magic johnson better find the magic or he'll be watching the NBA Finals like everyone else. As a outsider looking in.
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