“I swooped MJ’s a** at cards a night prior” Magic Johnson reveals insights of the iconic ‘shrug’ in 1992
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Los Angeles Lakers Magic Johnson and Chicago Bulls Michael Jordan
When the name Michael Jordan is heard or said, his aggressive and competitive game is always what reminds the fans most. Lakers legend Magic Johnson also narrates a story that made GOAT go crazy in the next game and more interestingly Lakers or Johnson were not facing the heat from MJ. Michael Jordan was someone who looked to turn quite nearly every activity he indulged in, into a competition. And if results can be drawn from the competition; MJ would always want to be on the Winner’s side. The Bulls legend wanted to win at everything he did regardless of how menial the activity was.
Los Angeles Lakers faced the Bulls in 1991, which was Ervin Johnson’s last series as a full-time player (in 1996 he was a part-time player for the Lakers, joining in the mid-season) when Michael Jordan and Chicago Bulls had dominating 4-1 win. After that Magic took a short break due to HIV news and was working as a commentator for NBC news.
Magic Johnson remembers the story of that time, which ignited the fire in the Bulls’ megastar and he went on to tear apart Finalist Portland Trail Blazers in game 1.
Michael Jordan showed No Mercy to Trail Blazers for the reasons that only Magic Johnson knew
“You never wake the beast in MJ” as famously quoted by former NBA stars who played against Michael Jordan. His competitiveness was on another level and importantly he needed the smallest of encouragement to go crazy against opponents. But Jordan wasn’t the only ‘MJ’ who liked to partake in healthy competition as 5x champ, Magic Johnson, was a competitive guy as well.
One of the most iconic moments of Jordan’s career came in the Finals right after his win over Magic and the Lakers a year prior. Going up against a man who was directly compared to him the entirety of that season, MJ had a lot to prove to the world, not that anyone doubted it.
Number 23 came out guns blazing in Game 1 of those 1992 NBA Finals, going off for 6 straight threes, making it a Finals record at the time. The final 3 over Cliff Robinson saw him hit his iconic shrug right afterward and was directed to other MJ as Johnson feels, which he explained.
While “His Airness’” was shrugging to show that it wasn’t all too big of a deal to him, he looked over in Magic’s direction commentator for NBC at the time. He did so because, according to Johnson himself, they had a cards game the night before where Magic took it to MJ the entire time. So, while Michael couldn’t get back at the Lakers legend through cards, he did get to stare down at him in front of thousands of home fans chanting his name.
Magic explained to the fired-up Michael, “The night before he hit all of them threes against Portland, we’re playing bid whist at his house. His dad and I, we bust him up, we tore him up, I’m running six nose and five specials on Michael.”
He added, “So we play and I say: ‘Michael I gotta go home, you’ve got a game. Because remember, I’m working for NBC at that game, so I’m coming the game. He said: ‘nah MJ’ [Magic Johnson] because Mike was just so competitive. When he loses, he don’t want you to leave.”
Smiling Johnson continued, “So we play and I say no I’m going home to the hotel. Remember, he made four, five in a row. When he made that last one, he turned to the scorer’s table — he was turning to me. He was so hot that night. He owed me a lot. Because I’m the one he was mad at, that’s why he took it out on Clyde Drexler the next day.”
Well, it was another Michael Jordan Story that made the man great and put fears in his opponents. Jordan finished the game with 39 points and 11 assists wrapping the game with 33 points win.
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