Magic Johnson was arguably one of the most talented basketball players of all time. His court awareness combined with his height and strength, made him both an incredibly tough offensive and defensive player. The Lakers legend was 6 feet 9 inches tall which was unusually tall for a point guard. He helped the Los Angeles Lakers to 5 NBA Championships, winning 3 out of 5 NBA Finals ‘Most Valuable Player’.

Recently, a former teammate of the 5x NBA champion talked about what it was like playing with Magic Johnson.

Former NBA champion’s stint with $6.44 Billion Team

In a recent podcast episode of “SHOWTIME Basketball”, 62-year-old NBA veteran James Worthy talked about what it was like getting drafted by the  $6.44 Billion team L.A. Lakers. He also talked about what it was like playing alongside the great Magic Johnson.

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He mentioned on the podcast, “That was the thing with that team. We knew how to monitor each other. Most guys knew their roles…you know when you got Kareem, Jamal (coming from Johnwood). You got myself, Dean Smith , Pat Riley…you know guys coming from good programs. So, we had guys who knew how to get over themselves and also, knew how to get out of trouble. Because we wanted to win.”. Former NBA Veteran Mat Barnes (host) then asks James Worthy, “How good was Magic Johnson during his time?”. James Worthy replies, “Still to this day, if I had to pick five players, I’d pick Magic first.”.

He smiled as he elaborated further, “His ability to make you win, not to will because you can will some games but he just makes you so much better. His fight, his face, and his cheering you on during the game and during the practice. Then his performance at 6’9, when he was humming. Yeah…he’s going to find a way to win. He was amazing man..”.

However, James Worthy’s time with Magic Johnson came to an abrupt end as Magic Johnson announced his “immediate retirement” from the NBA because of serious health issues. The 5x NBA champion tested positive for HIV AIDS, which was basically a ‘death sentence’ in the 1990s.

Magic Johnson’s Decision left James Worthy helpless

James Worthy is an NBA Hall of Famer and 2x NBA All-Star. He was a part of the iconic “Showtime Lakers” squad and helped them win 3 NBA Championships (in 1985, ’87, ’88). In the “SHOWTIME Basketball” podcast episode, he mentioned what it was like playing with and without Magic Johnson.

He said, “I remember trying to impress him in the first couple of weeks of practice. I thought I’ll show him how fast how I was after I hit the corner and cut the lane, so I run half court and made my angle in. Except, the ball hit me in the face because I wasn’t ready for it. Then Magic said, “You better be looking soon”. You know, so he could get it (ball) to you anywhere on the basketball court.”

James Worthy further explains, “He could take a snapshot from 80 feet away and calculate your steps without even looking. And then his height really made it difficult to defend.”. He confesses that he thought he was pretty good until Magic retired. Then he realized that he was missing scoring opportunities because the new point guard wasn’t even close to how good Magic Johnson was. He concluded by saying, “So yeah…He was an amazing player man.”.

After retiring from the NBA, Magic Johnson found a lot of success in his entrepreneurial journey. He also became the beacon of hope and strength for many as he spread awareness about ‘AIDS’ and other life-threatening diseases. Today, he is an extremely successful entrepreneur with multiple business ventures. He also seems in great shape, both mentally and physically.

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What are your thoughts on James Worthy insight into the “Showtime Lakers” and Magic Johnson’s game? Let us know in the comments below!