Magic Johnson

He was in a brief relationship with Melissa Mitchell which resulted in the birth of a son in 1981.

He married Earlitha "Cookie" Kelly in 1991. The couple has one biological son and an adopted daughter.

In late 1991 he announced that he was HIV positive. He takes a daily combination of drugs to prevent his HIV infection from progressing to AIDS.

He was born as Earvin Johnson Jr. in Lansing, Michigan on August 14, 1959. His father, Earvin Sr., was a General Motors assembly worker, and mother Christine, was a school custodian. He has several siblings.

Both of his parents were interested in basketball and his father had played high school basketball in his home state of Mississippi. Young Earvin also developed an early interest in the sport.

He went to the Everett High School and was one of the school’s star basketball players. Once as a 15 year old he recorded a triple-double of 36 points, 18 rebounds and 16 assists in a game, and this incredible feat earned him the nickname “Magic”.

After high school, he joined the Michigan State University where he continued playing basketball. Once again he proved to be an exceptional player and dazzled throughout his collegiate career.

He was drafted first overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1979. After a good show in the initial seasons, he signed a 25-year, $25-million contract with the Lakers.

He performed exceedingly well in the 1981–82 season and averaged 18.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 9.5 assists, and a league-high 2.7 steals per game, and was voted a member of the All-NBA Second Team.

Johnson averaged 18.3 points, 12.6 assists, and 6.2 rebounds per game in the 1984–85 regular season and led the Lakers into the 1985 NBA Finals. The Lakers faced the Boston Celtics in the finals and Johnson, along with Abdul-Jabbar led the team to victory.

He registered a career-high of 23.9 points, as well as 12.2 assists and 6.3 rebounds per game in the 1986–87 season. The Lakers faced the Celtics once again in the 1987 NBA Finals, and Johnson played the game-winning shot and was awarded a Finals MVP title.

His great form continued over the next few years and he scored 22.5 points, 12.8 assists, and 7.9 rebounds per game in the 1988–89 NBA season. Once again the Lakers reached the NBA Finals in 1989, but an injury kept Johnson away from the action, and his team lost to the Pistons.

In 1979, he was named the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player.

He won the Most Valuable Player Award three times (1987, 1989, 1990).

The J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award was bestowed upon him in 1992.

Johnson was honored as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996.