Magic Johnson has had one legendary career with the showtime era Lakers during his time in the NBA. Drafted as the first overall pick in round one of the 1979 NBA draft, Magic with his bewitching performances, cast a spell on many basketball fans and left them in awe.
The second tallest point guard in the history of the NBA, Magic Johnson revolutionized the sport of basketball. He played 13 seasons in the NBA and won not only 5 Championship rings, but also the hearts of countless basketball fans. Despite achieving greatness at a young age, Magic still couldn’t get over his tragic performance in the 1984 NBA finals.
Magic Johnson’s NBA Finals heartbreak
Magic Johnson was left heartbroken after his team was defeated by the Boston Celtics in the 1984 NBA finals. In his recent interview with Jalen Rose, Magic revealed that he cried for three months all summer because of his upsetting loss.
He said, “This was the first time I made critical mistakes for us to lose that championship. So, I cried, Jalen, for three months, all summer, I cried because I let my teammates down. I was the reason why we lost the championship. But the first thing I had to do, Jalen, was identify and say to myself, ‘I’m not as good as I thought I was.'”
He added, “I got to go back to the lab. I got to go back to work. See, self-evaluation is the hardest thing you have to do. Any person has to judge themselves and be honest with themselves and if you can do that, then you can improve.” Magic’s honesty and his virtue of admitting his mistakes is what makes him truly worthy of respect.
Johnson’s redemption journey after the 1984 NBA
The 1984 finals loss may have been disappointing for Magic Johnson and the Lakers, but it prompted him to work harder. Magic conducted a SWOT analysis in order to identify the areas he needed to work on.
Hence, he set out. He worked hard day and night. He got tired but never gave up the fight. He did three workout sessions a day, even worked out at midnight along with Isiah Thomas. He worked on shooting his signature little sky hook and on his midrange jump shot as well.
Magic’s hard work and dedication was fairly rewarded as in the following season he and Kareem Abdul Jabbar lead their team to victory. This proved that there is no difference in between winning everything, and not giving up till the last moment.
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