Magic Johnson’s First NBA Game
Contents
On October 12, 1979, Earvin “Magic” Johnson made his debut in the NBA with the Los Angeles Lakers. Here’s a look back at that historic game.
Introduction
On October 12, 1979, Earvin “Magic” Johnson took the court for his very first NBA game The highly-anticipated match-up was between the Los Angeles Lakers and the reigning NBA champions the Seattle SuperSonics The 20-year-old rookie point guard lived up to the hype, leading his team to a 120-104 victory with an impressive stat line of 21 points, 13 assists, and 7 rebounds. The game would go down as one of the most memorable debuts in NBA history
The game
On November 7, 1979, Earvin “Magic” Johnson made his Nba Debut for the Los Angeles Lakers Although the Lakers lost to the Houston Rockets 120-104, Johnson put on an incredible show, finishing with 22 points, 14 assists, and 7 rebounds. From that moment on, Magic Johnson became one of the most popular and successful basketball players in history.
The teams
The game was between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Midwest Division leading Atlanta Hawks The game was very close for the first three quarters, with the Lakers only leading by a few points. In the fourth quarter however, Magic Johnson took over the game, scoring 18 of his team’s 32 points in that quarter. The Lakers won the game by a final score of 120-118.
The players
On October 12, 1979, Earvin “Magic” Johnson took the court for his first NBA game The starting lineup for the Los Angeles Lakers that day was Johnson at point guard Michael Cooper at shooting guard Jamaal Wilkes at small forward Kurt Rambis at Power Forward and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at center.
The stats
In his first NBA Game Johnson had an incredible stat line of 29 points, 14 assists, and 8 rebounds.
The highlights
On November 5, 1979, Earvin “Magic” Johnson made his professional debut with the Los Angeles Lakers The Lakers re Playing the Detroit Pistons and Magic Johnson managed to score 21 points, dish out 16 assists, and grab 7 rebounds in his NBA Debut The Lakers would go on to win the game by a score of 109-102.
The aftermath
On November 7, 1979, Earvin “Magic” Johnson made his NBA debut for the Los Angeles Lakers It was a game against the cross-town rival Los Angeles Clippers and Johnson quickly made his presence felt. In front of a national television audience, the 19-year-old rookie tallied 36 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds in a 120–104 Lakers victory. His performance – one of the best by a debuting player in NBA history – was a sign of things to come. For the next 12 seasons, Magic Johnson would be one of the league’s most dominant players. He would win five NBA championships with the Lakers, earn three MVP Awards and be named to 12 All-Star teams.
The reaction
Magic Johnson’s first NBA game was highly anticipated. Many people were curious to see how the rookie would fare against the league’s best players.
Johnson didn’t disappoint. He had an impressive debut, scoring 24 points and dishing out 9 assists. His performance helped lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a victory over the Houston Rockets
People were thrilled with Johnson’s performance. His debut was hailed as one of the best ever by a rookie. Magic Johnson immediately became one of the most popular players in the league.
The legacy
On November 7, 1979, Earvin “Magic” Johnson took the court for his first NBA game with the Los Angeles Lakers He would go on to have one of the most successful careers in NBA history winning five NBA Championships three MVP Awards and becoming one of the league’s most popular players. But on that November night, nobody could have predicted the legacy that Magic would create.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Magic Johnson’s first NBA game was a resounding success. He proved to be a dominant force on the court, leading his team to victory against the defending champions. His performance cemented his place as one of the league’s premier players and helped set the stage for an illustrious career.
