Earvin “Magic” Johnson hasn’t recorded an assist on the basketball court in 20 years, but he may have helped dozens of Toledo-area students Monday make their dreams a reality.
The five-time NBA champion and 12-time All-Star made an appearance at Mercy Health St. Vincent Medical Center to share stories from his childhood, playing career, and current life as a businessman. He also visited with seven patients in the pediatric ward, in what he called a “life-changing” experience.
The overarching theme of Mr. Johnson’s message to the students was simple: Value your education.
“I wanted them to know how I grew up and what made me successful,” the Basketball Hall of Famer said. “I wanted them to know education is really important. I think we connected today. You have to connect with young people, otherwise they tune you out.”
Mr. Johnson spoke for about 20 minutes and often paused to ask a student’s name before addressing them directly to finish his thought. He even took a few selfies during the speech.
The longtime Los Angeles Laker spoke at length about his early years growing up in Lansing. He grew up poor, but he never used that as an excuse.
“Sometimes we had the peanut butter, but we didn’t always have the jelly,” Mr. Johnson said to the crowd. “You can make things better if you get good grades. Going to college is important, whether you play sports or not.”
As a high school freshman, Mr. Johnson said he read at a 6th grade level. He started sitting next to good students, and he recalled the time a girl showed him her strategy of highlighting important pieces of information.
Mr. Johnson said he didn’t use drugs or join a gang. All he wanted to do was play basketball, but his parents made sure he kept his grades up. He did both, winning a national championship in 1979 playing for Michigan State University.
Central Catholic senior and member of the basketball team D.J. Triplett was one of several students who met Mr. Johnson.
“I’m one of his biggest fans,” D.J. said. “I never watched him play, but I have a lot of his games on DVR at my house. ”[I’ll remember him saying] don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something. Keep trying and focus on your education.”
Mr. Johnson played 13 seasons for the Lakers after they selected him No. 1 overall in the 1979 draft, finishing with 17,707 points, 6,559 rebounds, and 10,141 assists.
He was inducted into the hall of fame in 2006.
Mr. Johnson has transitioned to the business world, and his ownership group owns the Los Angeles Dodgers. He sold his stake in more than 100 Starbucks restaurants in 2010.
Magic Johnson Enterprises owns 51 percent of Sodexo MAGIC, the food provider for the hospital.
“People will tap me on the shoulder to say now they are that doctor, lawyer, or business owner [I told them they could be],” Mr. Johnson said. “These speaking opportunities are special. I’m about giving back and how I can touch the world to enhance a young person’s life. This is better than all the championships I’ve won.”
Contact Jay Skebba at: jskebba@theblade.com, 419-376-9414, or on Twitter @JaySkebbaBlade.
First Published September 27, 2016, 4:00 a.m.