Winning Time: How & When Earvin Became Known As Magic Johnson
HBO's Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty focuses on Earvin Johnson's NBA career, but how and when did the legendary NBA player earn the nickname «Magic». The series focuses on the 1980s era for the Los Angeles Lakers, which saw the organization win multiple championships after drafting Earvin 'Magic' Johnson. New Lakers owner Jerry Buss (John C. Reilly) masterfully paired him with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to give the team a talented duo, with Magic encompassing a magnetic superstar personality.
Winning Time episode 1 covers the very beginning of the Los Angeles Lakers and Magic Johnson's fruitful partnership that lasted more than a decade. Although the series starts in 1991 at a life-changing doctor's appointment for Magic, the majority of Winning Time episode 1 covers the process of Jerry Buss buying the Lakers in 1979 and drafting the talented prospect from Michigan State. Earvin Johnson, as played by Quincy Isaiah, is already a star before he comes to Hollywood and was well known for his Magic nickname.
Related: Winning Time: Why Magic Johnson Is At The Doctor’s In 1991 & What Happened
The origins of Magic Johnson's nickname date back well before Winning Time episode 1's story, as it began when he was in high school. Earvin went to Everett High School in Michigan for the duration of his high school experience, despite their basketball team being a disaster, and quickly helped transform Everett into a more competitive program. The birth of «Magic Johnson» came during his sophomore year at Everett. Fred Stabley Jr., a sportswriter for the Lansing State Journal, is responsible for giving Earvin the nickname in 1974 after he recorded a dominant triple-double consisting of 36 points, 18 rebounds, and 16 assists.
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