“He went and sat in the middle of the medium” 5x NBA Champ recalls the epic meltdown of Magic Johnson
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Magic Johnson
It’s always amazing to hear stories about the greatest players in NBA history. This time was no exception, as Michael Cooper went into detail about a period when Magic Johnson was dissatisfied with the team’s performance. Michael Cooper, Johnson’s former colleague, revealed an unusual anecdote about Magic’s time with the Lakers on a recent edition of the “It’s Showtime” podcast. Even though the squad was winning, Johnson was dissatisfied with how they were playing.
Many believe Magic Johnson to be one of the best NBA point guards of all time. The man behind the legendary “Showtime” offensive of the Los Angeles Lakers. Johnson was well-known for his ability to make plays and his contagious charisma. It wasn’t simply what Johnson, one of the NBA’s best playmaking ball handlers, accomplished on the court that distinguished him. He was also a competitor who wanted to set a good example for his colleagues and inspire them.
Magic Johnson the greatest point guard of all time
Magic Johnson is the first name that comes to everyone’s mind when the topic of “greatest PG ever” is brought up and with good reason. Johnson, like Stephen Curry, Oscar Robertson, and Steve Nash, contributed to redefine the point guard position and basketball in general. Magic was an exception, a 6’9″ point guard who could collect the rebound, speed down the court like a gazelle, and throw a picture-perfect ball to his teammate at the exact right position.
As a result, he cleared the door for players such as LeBron James to shatter the mould of the classic small-forward. Over the last decade, we’ve had the phrase “positionless basketball” drilled into our heads, and Magic Johnson was the catalyst. By playing centre, he won a finals game and clinched the 1980 Los Angeles Lakers victory
Aside from being a five-time NBA Champion, three-time NBA Finals MVP, three-time MVP, and nine All-NBA First Team choices, what made Magic Johnson exceptional was that you could build this all-time point guard list and include guys like Nikola Jokic or LeBron James without blinking. Not only is he in the top five in Playoff Value Over Replacement Player and Playoff Win Shares Per 48, but he is one of just a few athletes who can say they actually altered the game, which is why Magic Johnson is the best point guard of all time.
/Magic Johnson’s alleged meltdown/
Michael Cooper recalled an incident where Johnson had a meltdown he said “ “We were 5-0,” Cooper said. “We’re heading to Houston to play an exhibition game, and we had landed. And our games were just a struggle. We were winning, but we’re only winning by one or two points, man.”
“I’ll never forget this. As we got off the plane in Houston Hobby Airport, that bus would pull up, and right past the bus at the baggage claim, there was a aisle out there where traffic was going one way or the other to get around the airport. Magic went and sat out in the middle of the medium.” “Cars is coming by, and he’s sitting out there with his bag and stuff like that. I remember going, I said, ‘Hey, you alright, man?’ He go, ‘Coop, man, I can’t play this way.’ We winning though. He said, ‘Coop, this ain’t us. This is not us. We’re not walked up; we run up.”
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