The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the most successful franchises in NBA history. They have won 17 NBA titles and have had several great players on their team. One of the most successful eras of the Lakers franchisee was the 2000s. They had all the big superstars of basketball then. Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, Gary Payton, Karl Malone, Pau Gasol, and more. If someone goes to the Lakers, they are a made man in the NBA. Magic Johnson was among them. He was a legendary point guard for the team when they won five titles in the 1980s.

Johnson’s picture

Lakers are still among the biggest NBA franchises in the world. But in the 2000s, there was an insane hype about them because of the players they had. Magic Johnson proved this when he was on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” yesterday. Kimmel shared a picture of Johnson alongside rappers Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube and Dr Dre. They were pictured because of the “Up in Smoke” tour that took place in 2000. This is still one of the highest grossing hip hop tours ever.

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One thing this picture proved was that the Lakers of his time and the 2000s were a team to be envied. Johnson epitomized Los Angeles. He was drafted by them in 1979 from Michigan State. Consequently, he is the Laker player everyone thinks about other than Shaq and Kobe. So, it’s not a surprise that he was always around celebrities from different fields, including rappers.

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Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers

Johnson was an artist himself. He was a 6’9 point guard; a rare sight to see. One reason Magic Johnson became so popular around the league was the style of play that he brought to the court. By running the “Showtime” offense, Magic Johnson led a fast-paced Lakers attack that often started with the 6’9 guard rebounding the ball and starting the break.

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By being that tall, he could see the defenders and open teammates. He used to see open spaces even before the opposing team did. His “no look passes” also were pin point and unexpected. Throughout his career, Magic Johnson led the league in assists four times and probably would have done so three other times if not for an injury during his sophomore year and having to share point guard duties early on with Norm Nixon.

He still has the highest career assists per game at 11.2. Johnson is also fourth in total career assists with 10,141. Furthermore, he also holds the record for most assists in a playoff game (24), in a Finals game (21) and in playoffs history (2,346).

This proves that Johnson was the man in Los Angeles. Everyone looked up to him for his bravery and courage. This made the Lakers brand even more legendary to kids back then.