Home

NBA

Millionaire Lakers Legend Magic Johnson Was Mad at Kareem Abdul Jabbar for Never Paying Him Back

Published 04/24/2022, 7:30 PM EDT

Follow Us

via Imago

While Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar might have formed one of the deadliest duos the NBA has ever seen, Johnson is mad at Kareem.

The reason being? While in his rookie year, Magic bought two hot dogs for Kareem whenever they were at the airport. But Kareem never paid him back. This made Magic mad.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Talking about this hilarious incident on the Jimmy Kimmel Live show, Magic reveals further details regarding his relationship with the great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar during Johnson’s rookie year.

The reason Magic Johnson is mad at Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the greatest franchises in NBA history. They have 17 NBA titles and are tied with the Boston Celtics for the same.

Trending

Get instantly notified of the hottest NBA stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

Out of the 17 NBA titles, the duo of Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul Jabbar won 5 NBA titles. They formed a formidable duo, both on and off the court that led the Lakers to greater heights.

When Magic entered the Lakers as a rookie, Kareem was already an established star. Using this to his advantage, Kareem made Johnson do all of his work.

via Getty

Some of the work included getting newspapers in the mornings, refreshments during training, and hot dogs while in airports.

Talking on the Jimmy Kimmel Live show, Magic revealed how Abdul-Jabbar never paid him back despite being one of the best stars in the league and earning a fortune.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

WATCH THIS STORY: WATCH: Fan Invades Timberwolves Game as Protest while security forced to intervene

Magic said, “I was Kareem’s Rookie. So, I did everything for Kareem. And I loved every minute of it. But, what I was mad at was this. Every time I bought him those hot dogs when they did have beef, he didn’t pay me! He made more money than me! I was only a rookie on a rookie salary.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Kareem was already a huge star even before Magic made his debut in the NBA. Interestingly enough, Jabbar already had a ring before Magic’s rookie year i.e 1979.

The two were a defender’s nightmare on the court. While playing with Kareem, Magic Johnson averages 19.4 points, 11.2 assists, and 7.4 rebounds in 685 games with Abdul-Jabbar. (Source: Statmuse)

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

Written by:

Abhinava Ghosh

1,823Articles

One take at a time

Abhinava is an NBA writer for EssentiallySports. He is currently pursuing his Bachelor's in Journalism and Mass Communication. Abhinava has been following NBA for the past 6 years and is a huge fan of the Golden State Warriors and Stephen Curry.
Show More>

Edited by:

Ajinkya Aswale