Magic Johnson revolutionized the point guard position. He was a floor general who was 6’9 and gave pin-point passes to his teammates. This is one reason he won the NBA Finals MVP award in his rookie season. Over the years, Magic learned more about basketball and leadership as he played under the great Kareem Abdul Jabbar.

In 1990, Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers were facing the Charlotte Hornets in a regular-season match. But the 3x champion, James Worthy, was not playing to his true potential. Being the leader that he is, Magic got Worthy back on track with a mere 8 words.

Magic Johnson was a vocal leader

In a recent video by NBC Sports News Chicago, former Charlotte Hornets player Kendell Gill talked about facing the Los Angeles Lakers in his rookie season. The game was close, in the early stages.

Magic Johnson was being his usual self. But his running mate, James Worthy, on the other hand, was not performing to the best of his abilities. Worthy was struggling early on, and this made Magic do his work as the leader of the team.

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When Charlotte was shooting a free throw and Magic and Worthy were on either side of the line, Magic had eight words for Worthy, and that was enough for him to get back on track. Magic asked Worthy, “Is that all you gonna give me tonight?” Right after the free throw was done, Worthy took over the game, and the Lakers blew out the Charlotte Hornets.

When Kendall was asked why he didn’t take on the responsibility of guarding Worthy, he said that he was just a guard and Worthy was a forward who was way taller than him. But when the other hosts asked who was guarding Magic, Kendell hilariously replied that it was Muggsy Bogues, the shortest player in NBA history.

Magic never changed for anyone

 Magic played under Kareem Abdul Jabbar when he just got into the NBA. In his first game for the Lakers, Magic witnessed Kareem hitting a game-winner at the buzzer. Magic celebrated the win by jumping and hugging Kareem, but KAJ was not so impressed with the celebration. When he later asked Magic to not repeat it, Magic stood his ground and said that he would do it every time Kareem made a shot like that.

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Magic has always been himself. He played with his emotions on his sleeve and always demanded the best from his teammates. You need someone like Magic on your team that everyone respects. This is one of the main reasons why the Lakers were as successful and dominant as they were.

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What do you think of Magic Johnson’s leadership? Let us know in the comments!