For EJ Johnson, the ‘nepo baby’ label is a double-edged sword, and he’s calling out an industry he says both glamorizes and ‘demonizes’ the children of legends.

Opening up about the complexities of growing up in Magic Johnson’s shadow, Earvin “EJ” Johnson III explained how he built his own identity while being constantly linked to his father’s legacy.

“It’s very difficult to be born in someone’s shadow,” EJ said on Carlos King’s Reality with the King podcast. “It really is. And no one talks about that right now. It’s like, the industry is glamorizing the nepo babies and at the same time demonizing them too because then everyone is mad that they think that we all have like a leg up or something.”

Magic and Cookie welcomed their son Earvin “EJ” Johnson III on June 4, 1992. EJ was named after his father and grandfather. While many expected EJ to follow his father’s legacy on the hardwood, this assumption created a unique and difficult pressure.

“A lot of that is trying to put me in that box as trying to make us like one unit. I think I used to get really annoyed with that. And I hear about a lot of that, you know, too, from other kids who are in the same predicament. It was definitely like I was brought up to believe that, but I definitely ripped myself away from that and let him do him, and I’m doing me.”

Not following the legacy was a choice that EJ made. It was no disrespect towards the Lakers icon, but rather a freedom of choice to live their lives. The spotlight of scrutiny didn’t end on just basketball-related questions. When EJ came out in 2013, it came with a lot of media scrutiny. But the family had known for several years and was supportive of him.

In 2014, EJ told PEOPLE that his mother wanted to shield him from any public scrutiny. “My mom didn’t want me to be scrutinized,” he explained. “I just told them I’m going to do what I want regardless of what people say.” Magic Johnson told Ellen DeGeneres that he was “so happy” about the decision, and since then, his son has starred on two reality shows: Rich Kids of Beverly Hills and EJNYC.

While EJ did not choose the basketball legacy, his father remained happy. “He is courageous and strong enough to let the world know who he is,” Magic Johnson had said in another interview.

EJ Johnson on not following the path of Magic Johnson

From an early age, playing basketball was never a consideration. EJ Johnson on the Kings podcast pointed to Bronny James’ career path as a real example of how difficult it is to follow the legacy.

“I’ve always thought that was just stupid that they thought that I was supposed to be playing basketball or something. I’m sure LeBron James’ son has been playing his entire life, and now he’s in the NBA. But that’s something you would decide very early on in life. If I wanted to do that, then I would have done it. But why are we even having this discussion? It’s just so ignorant. It’s so you have to put in a lot of work to do all of that.”

EJ Johnson made it clear that it was no shade at Bronny or LeBron James. But just a comparison to help understand the complexity of truly living up to the father’s name. It requires a lot of patience, and even then, the critics don’t make it easier. Bronny entered the 2024 NBA Draft after a challenging journey that included intense scrutiny.

The fact that he was a second-round and 55th overall pick should have lessened that pressure. But it only gave the critics another reason to question the decision of the James family. EJ wanted no part of it, especially after what his father, Magic Johnson, had built.