Magic Johnson

22 years ago, Magic Johnson announced to the world that he had tested positive for HIV. It was a moment that shook basketball fans and left news anchors speechless. While many believed this meant his life was a ticking time bomb, Johnson has continued to successfully “battle this deadly disease.” In the process, Magic has built an empire which now includes being a part owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers. For an individual like Magic whose life became such an open book at that November 7, 1991 press conference and the subsequent years afterwards, there are still some facts you may not know about Earvin. From how he became good friends with on-court rival Larry Bird to his words of discouragement that eventually motivated Dwight Howard to make it in the NBA, here are 20 Things You Didn’t Know About Magic Johnson. Magic has been a champion on every level possible. He won an NCAA national title with Michigan State in 1979, his first NBA championship as a rookie with the Lakers in 1980, and a gold medal with the the Dream Team at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. The only other NBA players in this exclusive club are Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, K.C. Jones, Jerry Lucas, Quinn Buckner, and Clyde Lovellette. As longtime Lakers fans, the Red Hot Chili Peppers paid homage to Magic with the song “Magic Johnson” off their 1989 album Mother’s Milk. And while the song is mostly about Johnson, RHCP does shout out his teammates, like Byron Scott “Scott stops pops and drops it in/On his way back, gets a little skin”, A.C. Green “From the hand of a man named A.C. Green/Slam so hard, break your TV screen”, James Worthy “Worthy’s hot with his tomahawk Take it to the hole, make your mamma talk” and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar “The one and only know if his kind sits in a throne Not for the records that he holds but for being bald and bold Kareem Abdul-Jabbar all-time great super superstar”.

Julius Erving

“Julius Winston Erving II born February 22, 1950, commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is an American retired basketball player who helped launch a modern style of play that emphasizes leaping and play above the rim.” Erving helped legitimize the American Basketball Association ABA, and was the best-known player in that league when it merged with the National Basketball Association NBA after the 1975–76 season. Erving won three championships, four Most Valuable Player Awards, and three scoring titles with the ABA’s Virginia Squires and New York Nets now the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets and the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers. He is the fifth-highest scorer in ABA/NBA history with 30,026 points NBA and ABA combined. He was well known for slam dunking from the free throw line in Slam Dunk Contests and was the only player voted Most Valuable Player in both the American Basketball Association and the National Basketball Association. Erving was inducted in 1993 into the Basketball Hall of Fame and was also named to the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time team. In 1994, Erving was named by Sports Illustrated as one of the 40 most important athletes of all time. In 2004, he was inducted into the Nassau County Sports Hall of Fame. Most observers[who?] consider him one of history’s most talented players; he is also widely acknowledged as one of the game’s best dunkers. While Connie Hawkins, “Jumping” Johnny Green, Elgin Baylor, and Gus Johnson performed spectacular dunks before Erving’s time, “Dr. J” brought the practice into the mainstream. His signature dunk was the “slam” dunk, since incorporated into the vernacular and basic skill set of the game in the same manner as the “cross-over” dribble and the “no look” pass. Before Julius Erving, dunking was a practice most commonly used by the big men usually standing close to the hoop to show their brutal strength which was seen as style over substance, even unsportsmanlike, by many purists of the game. However, the way Erving utilized the dunk more as a high-percentage shot made at the end of maneuvers generally starting well away from the basket and not necessarily a “show of force” helped to make the shot an acceptable strategy, especially in trying to avoid a blocked shot. Although the slam dunk is still widely used as a show of power, a method of intimidation and a way to fire up a team and spectators, Dr. J demonstrated that there can be great artistry, and almost balletic style, to slamming the ball into the hoop, particularly after a launch several feet from that target.

Blake Griffin

Blake Griffin has an older brother, Taylor Griffin, taken as a second round draft pick by the Phoenix Suns.Phoenix Suns was his favorite NBA team growing up.Averaged 25.8 points and 16.5 rebounds in the NCAA tournament.Blake Griffin’s zodiac sign is Pisces.Blake is on the cover of NCAA Basketball 10 video game from EA Sports.His father was his basketball coach in high school.Blake was homeschooled by his mother up until the eighth grade level.Blake liked to climb trees as a kid.Griffin was named best prankster and best impersonator in a player’s poll in college.As part of the hazing ritual in his rookie year with the Clippers, Blake had to wear a Dora The Explorer backpack.Blake loves to eat and go to different restaurants.Blake have said he would like to develop his game over time like Amare Stoudemire who came into the league using his speed and power but can now hit mid range jump shots.Was a fan of Michael Jordan and Shaq as a kid.Blake can bench press 185 pounds.Blake’s favorite baseball team are the Chicago Cubs.His favorite baseball player is Sammy Sosa.When Blake started his NBA career, he said the player he most wanted to dunk on was Dwight Howard. The all-time player he’d like to dunk on is shot-blocking sensation Dikembe Mutombo.As part of a team rookie ritual, Blake had to carry a Dora the Explorer book bag with him on road trips in 2009–10.Blake is a clever practical joker and a first-rate mimic.Blake’s dream job would be to host “Saturday Night Live.” He is a huge fan of sketch comedy.Blake donates $100 per dunk toward childhood obesity as part of the Dunking for Dollars fundraiser.Blake scored 20 points and pulled down 14 rebounds against the Portland Trailblazers in his NBA debut in 2010-11.Blake is one of only three players to have 47 points and 13 rebounds in an NBA game before the age of 22. The others are Rick Barry and Michael Jordan.

Russell Westbrook

Born November 12, 1988, Russell Westbrook was selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Seattle Supersonics.This turned out to be the very last lottery pick by the Sonics before the franchise relocated to Oklahoma City and became the Thunder.Westbrook was considered a controversial pick at the time, having been selected ahead of touted college stars such as Arizona guard Jerryd Bayless, Stanford center Brook Lopez, Indiana guard Eric Gordon and fellow UCLA teammate, center Kevin Love.However, the gamble paid off as Westbrook averaged an impressive 15.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 5.3 assists to finish fourth in Rookie of the Year voting behind Derrick Rose (Chicago), OJ Mayo (Memphis) and Brooke Lopez (New Jersey).Westbrook was also named Western Conference Rookie of the Month for the months of December 2008 and February 2009.Russell Westbrook is one of the NBA’s hottest rising stars playing for the up-and-coming Oklahoma City Thunder.This season, the high flying Westbrook is averaging 16.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game as the perfect complement to superstar Kevin Durant.Even though Westbrook is primarily known for his athleticism and defensive prowess, having been born and bred in California, his favorite player growing up was Magic Johnson.At 6’3″ and 187 pounds, Westbrook is a completely different player than his childhood idol. However, this doesn’t mean that Westbrook can’t pass the ball like Magic.While Westbrook still relies on his freakish 6’7 ¾” wingspan and 36-inch vertical to dominate opponents, he has shown promising passing abilities too. His 7.9 assists per game currently ranks seventh in the NBA this season.

Scottie Pippen

Scottie Maurice Pippen was born on, 09/25/1965, Hamburg, AR. Named to the NAIA All-America Team in his junior and senior years at Central Arkansas.Taken fifth overall by the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1987 NBA draft, but was traded to the Chicago Bulls for Olden Polynice.Sat out Game 7 of the 1990 Eastern Conference finals against the eventual NBA champion Detroit Pistons due to severe migraines.Was selected for the U.S. National Team, dubbed the Dream Team, in the 1992 Summer Olympics.Along with Michael Jordan, was a crucial part of the Bulls in their NBA title “threepeats” in the 1990s 1991-93; 1996-98.Wrote Reach Higher, a children’s book, in 1997.His No. 33 jersey was retired by the Bulls in 2005.Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.Reportedly has lost $120 million in career earnings through poor financial planning and bad investments.Pippen is remembered as one of the most versatile and agile players, and perhaps most notably as one of the greatest defenders ever. Much like fellow Chicago Bull Michael Jordan, he provided tenacious on-the-ball perimeter defense, or tough interior defense, and was particularly effective as a help defender. He was gifted with extraordinary athleticism, even compared with other professional athletes, and skills in areas that bode well for basketball.His unusually long arms 88 in 2.2 m wingspan and jumping agility helped him clog the passing lanes on defense, to block shots from behind on players that had managed to pass by him, to grab out-of-reach rebounds, to make unusual plays in mid-air, and to make passes around defenders that most players are physically unable to make. He often led the Bulls in assists and blocks as a result. Pippen was also a selfless player. His team-focused approach to the game was a key component in the Bulls’ championships. Pippen’s career assists total of 6,135 5.2 per game is a testament to that approach. It was 23rd all-time among all players when he retired.His intense work ethic and athletic physique gave him the ability to consistently make highlight-reel plays, such as applying defensive intensity, forcing a turnover, stealing the ball and starting a one-man fast break that he would finish with a thunderous slam dunk. As Pippen himself has attested, he and Jordan would compete to see who could force more turnovers and produce more offense from defense in each game (fast break points). During the 1990 Slam Dunk Contest, Scottie exhibited his leaping ability with a dunk from the free throw line. He was an athletic finisher at the rim, both with dunks and a skillful finger roll that he added to his skill set over time. He was also a prolific perimeter shooter, taking about three thousand and making almost one thousand three-pointers in his career.

 

Bill Russell

“Bill” Russell born February 12, 1934 is a retired professional basketball player from the United States. Russell played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association NBA from 1956 to 1969. A five-time NBA Most Valuable Player and a twelve-time All-Star, Russell was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty, winning eleven NBA championships during his thirteen-year career. Along with Henri Richard of the National Hockey League’s Montreal Canadiens, Russell holds the record for the most championships won by an athlete in a North American sports league. Before his professional career, Russell led the University of San Francisco to two consecutive NCAA championships 1955, 1956. He also won a gold medal at the 1956 Summer Olympics as captain of the U.S. national basketball team.Russell is widely considered one of the best players in NBA history. He was listed as between 6 ft 9 in and 6 ft 10 in, and his shot-blocking and man-to-man defense were major reasons for the Celtics’ success. He also inspired his teammates to elevate their own defensive play. Russell was equally notable for his rebounding abilities. He led the NBA in rebounds four times, had a dozen consecutive seasons of 1,000 or more rebounds, and remains second all-time in both total rebounds and rebounds per game. He is one of just two NBA players the other being prominent rival Wilt Chamberlain to have grabbed more than 50 rebounds in a game. Though never the focal point of the Celtics’ offense, Russell also scored 14,522 career points and provided effective passing.Playing in the wake of pioneers like Earl Lloyd, Chuck Cooper, and Sweetwater Clifton, Russell was the first African American player to achieve superstar status in the NBA. He also served a three-season 1966–69 stint as player-coach for the Celtics, becoming the first African American NBA coach.For his accomplishments in the Civil Rights Movement on and off the court, Russell was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama in 2011.

Larry Bird

“Larry Joe Bird born December 7, 1956 is an American former professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association NBA.” Since retiring as a player, he has been a mainstay of the Indiana Pacers organization, currently serving as team president. Drafted into the NBA sixth overall by the Boston Celtics in 1978, Bird started at small forward and power forward for thirteen seasons, spearheading one of the NBA’s most formidable frontcourts that included center Robert Parish and forward Kevin McHale. Bird was a 12-time NBA All-Star and was named the league’s Most Valuable Player MVP three times. He played his entire professional career for Boston, winning three NBA championships and two NBA Finals MVP awards.Due to chronic back problems, he retired as a player in 1992. He was a member of the 1992 United States men’s Olympic basketball team “The Dream Team” that won the gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics. Bird was voted to the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1996 and inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame2 in 1998 and was inducted again 2010 as a member of the “Dream Team”.He served as head coach of the Indiana Pacers from 1997 to 2000. In 2003, he assumed the role of president of basketball operations for the Pacers, holding the position until retiring in 2012.After a year away from the position, he announced he would return to the Pacers as president of basketball operations in 2013.In addition to being part of the 50–40–90 club, he is the only person in NBA history to be named Most Valuable Player, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the Year.

Lebron James

LeBron was an All-State wide-receiver in high school.LeBron’s mother, Gloria, had him when she was 16. LeBron’s surrogate father, Eddie Jackson, spent three years in jail for cocaine trafficking charges. LeBron unsuccessfully petitioned to be allowed to declare for the NBA Draft after his junior year of high school.During his senior year, tickets to St. Vincent — St. Mary games he was playing in would routinely go for $100-$120.LeBron became friends with Jay-Z around the same time that Kanye West did.LeBron’s a part-owner of English Premier League club Liverpool FC.In high school, LeBron was part of a group that called themselves the “Fab Four.” They passed over mostly black Akron school Buchtel to attend St. Vincent — St. Mary, which made them cover their tattoos during games.LeBron donated $20,000 to Barack Obama’s campaign in 2008.Despite growing up in Ohio, LeBron is a Yankees, Bulls, and Cowboys fan.Even though “The Decision” was a widely reviled event, it produced $2.5 million in charity for the Boys & Girls Club of America. Also Kanye West was there.When LeBron left Cleveland for Miami, Cavs owner Dan Gilbert, who also plays a role in the company that produces Fatheads, cut the price of LeBron’s fathead to $17.41, the year of Benedict Arnold’s birth. LeBron Raymone James born December 30, 1984,and is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA).Standing at 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) and weighing 250 lb (113 kg), he has started at the small forward and power forward positions. James has won two NBA championships, four NBA Most Valuable Player Awards, two NBA Finals MVP Awards, two Olympic gold medals, an NBA scoring title, and the NBA Rookie of the Year Award. He has also been selected to ten NBA All-Star teams, nine All-NBA teams, and five All-Defensive teams, and is the Cleveland Cavaliers’ all-time leading scorer.

Kobe Bryant

Did you know like 3 years ago Kobe Bryant dropped 81 points against the Raptors. Bryant, who is on a quest to win his sixth championship ring and tie his idol Michael Jordan, is currently being pursued by an Italian basketball team to play for them if the NBA season is locked out. Right before his birth, Kobe Bryant’s parents were at a Philadelphia restaurant named after the high quality beef steak, Kobe, and they decided that would be the name of their son. Kobe develops new moves in the off-season by playing against his shadow.Kobe develops new moves in the off-season by playing against his shadow. Had the Bryants remained in Europe, Kobe says he would have gone into pro soccer. He rooted for AC Milan while living in Italy. Kobe’s favorite video as a kid was “NBA Showmen,” which highlighted some of basketball’s all-time greats Kobe tookstar Brandy to his senior prom. He later played the role of a basketball star on her show, “Moesha.”Speaks fluent Italian, having spent eight childhood years in Italy.In 2006, his daughter Gianna Maria-Onoro was born six minutes before the daughter of Bryant’s former teammate, Shaquille O’Neal.At the age of 17, he was the first guard to be drafted directly out of high school. Surprisingly, Kobe Bryant’s middle name is Bean. More than likely, Bean has to do with his basketball-playing father’s nickname, which was Jellybean. Kobe “bean” Bryant was born August 23, 1978. Kobe Bryant main position is shooting guard. He went to Lower Merion high school in Ardmore, Pennsylvania. Kobe was normally selected by the Charlotte Hornets, but was later traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. He won a NBA championship 2000-2002, then won it from 2009-2010. He won NBA finals MVP 2009-2010. He was the Lakers all time leading scorer. He also participated in the Olympics on team USA, and won a gold medal in 2008 in Beijing, and in London 2012.

Michael Jordan

American basketball star Michael Jordan was born on February 17, 1963, in Brooklyn, New York. Jordan left college after his junior year to join the NBA. Drafted by the Chicago Bulls, he helped the team make it to the playoffs. For his efforts there, Jordan received the NBA Rookie of the Year Award. With five regular-season MVPs and three All-Star MVPs, Jordan became the most decorated player in the NBA.Professional basketball player, Olympic athlete, businessperson, actor. Born on February 17, 1963, in Brooklyn, New York. Considered one of the best basketball players ever, Michael Jordan dominated the sport from the mid-1980s to the late 1990s. He led the Chicago Bulls to six national championships, and earned the National Basketball Association’s Most Valuable Player Award five times.Growing up in Wilmington, North Carolina, Jordan developed a competitive edge at an early age. He wanted to win every game he played. As his father James later noted, “What he does have is a competition problem. He was born with that … the person he tries to outdo most of the time is himself.”Jordan enrolled at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1981 and soon became an important member of the school’s basketball team. His team won the NCAA Division I championships in 1982 with Jordan scoring the final basket needed to defeat Georgetown University. He was also singled out as the NCAA College Player of the Year in 1983 and in 1984.During the summer of 1984, Jordan made his first appearance at the Olympic Games as a member of the U.S. Olympic basketball team. The team won the gold at the games that year, which were held in Los Angeles. Jordan later helped the American team bring home the gold medal at the 1992 Olympic Games, held in Barcelona, Spain.Jordan left college after his junior year to join the NBA. Drafted by the Chicago Bulls, he soon proved himself on the court. He helped the team make it to the playoffs and scored an average of 28.2 points per game that season. For his efforts, Jordan received the NBA Rookie of the Year Award and was selected for the All-Star Game.In 1985, he finished his bachelor’s degree in geography and continued to play basketball professionally. While his second season was marred by injury, Jordan was breaking new ground on the court during the 1986-1987 season. He became the first player since Wilt Chamberlin to score more than 3,000 points in a single season. The following season, Jordan received his first Most Valuable Player Award from NBA—an honor he would earn four more times in 1991, 1992, 1996, and 1998.By the late 1980s, the Chicago Bulls was quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with, and Jordan was an instrumental part of the team’s success. The Bulls made it to the Eastern Conference Finals in 1990 and won their first NBA championship the following year by defeating the Los Angeles Lakers.