This dude was in his mid-30s, hadn't played basketball in 5 years, and almost had a triple double in 27 minutes in his first game back. And a victory. What a legend.

@ConstantineJoseph

9 ай бұрын

At mid 30s, MJ was at his peak

@sheng505

9 ай бұрын

@@ConstantineJoseph Magic johnson wasn't taking a break he was trying to survive a deadly illness. Plus MJ's 2nd retirement came at 34, he wasn't playing in his mid 30s. Almost every nba player peaks in their early 30s.

@judasgamez1131

9 ай бұрын

He was 37 years old. I hate when people say these dudes wouldn't be able to play in today's game. Late 90's and if healthy, was still able to play. Too bad injuries plagued him and not to mention HIV @@ConstantineJoseph

@ConstantineJoseph

9 ай бұрын

@@judasgamez1131 Back in the day the retirement age for most NBA players was around early to mid 30s. For Magic to return especially from HIV which was a deadly serious lifelong disease, is some kind of a miracle itself. With the advent of sports nutrition, disciplined program of training and recuperation, professional atheletes can prolong their careers for a good 2 to 5 more years in comparison to their predecessors. Also the game isn't as rough and physical in comparison. Michael Jordan on the other hand was already a physical specimen at the get go. He was always going to be that one off genius, prized athlete that would take it into his 30s

Magic could of played Point Forward with Shaq and Kobe a year later...

@joaquincanizalez1593

5 жыл бұрын

Mavers Mitchell “sometimes it’s not meant to be”

@michaeljordan7384

5 жыл бұрын

Mavers Mitchell that would have been legendary

@amrtrio7848

5 жыл бұрын

Did that man say point forward

@chrisrivera384

5 жыл бұрын

With Magic at that *point forward*....the '97 & '98 Lakers would have met the Bulls in The Finals

@franciabarbosa-bianzon9399

5 жыл бұрын

Yeah man wished we would see that

Crazy to think that he could have played with shaq and kobe

@MrMvpron22

5 жыл бұрын

I mean he mightve retired before that regardless tbh

@zurielolivas1219

5 жыл бұрын

He wouldn’t have fucked tho

@alexzuniga6558

5 жыл бұрын

Zuriel Olivas id take not fucking over aids tf?😂

@Cardiaccat98

5 жыл бұрын

that baller kobe not AIDS but HIV

@EpicFaceTime11

5 жыл бұрын

Joshua Rinosa same thing

He is like maybe 25% of himself at his prime, but even at this level he is doing so well

@asterphoenix3074

2 жыл бұрын

Honestly he probably wasn't playing that hard watching out for cuts. Cause aids suck.

@purplemonkeydishwasher4241

Жыл бұрын

@@asterphoenix3074 Magic Johnson has HIV. He doesn't have aids. No one was going to get HIV from him just from some little cut. Also, there' no way he's going to come back and not compete as hard as possible, it's not in his DNA. He didn't look as good as he did in 91' because he's obviously much older, heavier, and slower.

@allclassallthetime4739

6 ай бұрын

we'll never know the truth either. when I was a kid in HS in my mind I was all on board that it was the shear greatness of Magic but looking back years later, Dr. Buss gave Magic the keys to do anything he wanted which irked the team that bad that they ultimately bowed out with shame, when they were one of the better teams in the league with Magic and instantly an even matchup with pretty much anyone except the Bulls. So I'm 50/50 on what went wrong- Magic's alpha or if Magic was treated with too much entitlement to their detriment?

Magic Johnson used to do things that kids today wouldn't believe.

@richwoerner5876

Жыл бұрын

I’ve seen the highlights chief I wouldn’t believe it cause it wouldn’t work. Bird was a much more skilled player Magic’s passing would be his only great attribute today he’s kinda slow lmfaoo

@andypalencia3365

Жыл бұрын

@@richwoerner5876 did you watch the right highlights? calling him slow is crazy 💀

@luiseduardomaldonado7032

4 ай бұрын

​@@richwoerner5876the prime Magic was so fast leading the show time squad, almost unstoppable.

2:48 Show this to your kids. If this doesn't show you how great Magic was then idk what will.

@MrFuchew

2 жыл бұрын

legend has it that spree pooped his pants right when it happened

Dude comes back after a four-year absence and almost picks up a triple double on 50% shooting. Just ridiculous.

Magic and Bird’s careers ended too early smh

@polmolina6184

4 жыл бұрын

Because then basketball was played much harder than now, It was a real tough game, where real players like Bird couldn’t spend much time in the league because of his toughness.

@afrobebryant6266

4 жыл бұрын

Escribo Un name wrong

@egantheman8765

3 жыл бұрын

@@polmolina6184 Larry Bird got folded by gravel and Johnson caught HIV

@evilkid31able

3 жыл бұрын

Bird's back was done unfortunately and Magic we know. They could have played till the mid-late 90s if not for that.

@1911Zoey

2 жыл бұрын

Larry had a bad back somewhere in the late 80s and Magic got HIV. Shame really. Would have been really nice to see them play until around 97 or 98 at full health.

Magic's 96 comeback was actually pretty underrated looking back at it. Obviously he wasn't the same player, but was still very good and still a great passer and still showcased the unique ability to make his teammates better. They went 22-10 with him in the line up and went on to win 53 games that year. Had a disappointing 1st round exit though.

@samuelstensgaard4828

3 жыл бұрын

Makes you wonder what would've happened if he stuck around for another year with Kobe and Shaq

@217champion

3 жыл бұрын

@@samuelstensgaard4828 Kobe was not playing much. But it would have been plenty lobs from magic to shaq.

@suiken3149

2 жыл бұрын

That team wasn't exactly full of scrubs though. That Laker team is pretty deep with Van Excel, Ceballos, Divac and Eddie Jones who were All-Stars are some point too.

@eddieG667

Жыл бұрын

@@samuelstensgaard4828they might have not had the cap space or motivation to go after Shaq if Magic still remained. Probably Kobe as well. Remember that they had to clear out lots of players

@allclassallthetime4739

6 ай бұрын

that was an event that was in the making, deflating in the playoffs. all the drama and jealousy stuff caught up with them. hate to point the fingers but I'd put it mostly on Ceballos. Magic was alpha and they didn't like it, at least Ceballos in particular. Eddie never complained and Nick did invite Magic so only Ceballos had a legitimate argument if looking at if he had a say but the instant turnaround and regular season wins that would have been more the makings of a .500 team should have been something the team got excited about and make it about that uniform they wore and not individual stardom. How was that not more important? They'd have done some real damage if the team just got over themselves. Adding Magic made every matchup 1-5 on the court very very even.

Bro, how do you not tear up seeing that pop from the crowd after he ball faked Sprewell? That’s unconditional love right there.

@allclassallthetime4739

6 ай бұрын

tear up? I'm spitting my coke from laughing how silly he made Spree look!

@vanxl9

5 ай бұрын

I know i teared up and hugged my friends. Gave them kisses on the cheek. Especially in that game when rodman was rough with Magic. It made me cry

Even past his prime he was a joy to watch. I remember this game and I remember I teared up because one of my childhood heroes was back.

I bet people had to call in for work just to see this game. You can’t miss the return of Magic Johnson.

The effect of having a great selfless leader on your team shows here everyone is making the extra pass gotta love magic

Man, tears still running down my eyes and It makes me so happy to watch this video and see how happy Magic was... Thank God for let us to watch greatness..

@jeffreyriley8742

2 жыл бұрын

I got a little emotional, too. Magic was my favorite player growing up.

@allclassallthetime4739

6 ай бұрын

Yeah, hate to mention one of the low points when Nick and Magic bumped the refs. That signaled the real essence of what mental state the team was in at that point. They really had the ingredients to make a scary playoff push because they were at least even if not an overmatch to all the western conference. They failed not because of their talent, but the unlocked bolts that did them in. I still say years later that it's crazy what Magic did do in terms of basketball being 6 years away from the game and probably, no I go on the record, his late comeback was more worthy of celebration than Jordan's Wizards tenure, when adding the sum of success.

GOAT PG

@thetimberking387

5 жыл бұрын

W

@russell9411

5 жыл бұрын

Darius hell no

@nalenciagas2454

5 жыл бұрын

@@russell9411 name somebody better

@depressedravensfansince2014

5 жыл бұрын

@@russell9411 We still waiting bitch.

@slibbysleep8647

5 жыл бұрын

Ballin Too We still waiting nigga

Magic Johnson is the best point guard in Nba history hands down

@josephjoestar6679

3 жыл бұрын

Curry is better

@josephjoestar6679

3 жыл бұрын

@@roundtable3501 Cmon man, magic has 0 Defense, watch more games......

@josephjoestar6679

3 жыл бұрын

@@roundtable3501 Based on your theory, my man Mr. Tripple Double Russell Westbrook will be better than Magic since he's better at scoring, rebounding, athletism and same good at defense and passing......

@josephjoestar6679

3 жыл бұрын

@@roundtable3501 Russell Westbrook was a two time scoring leader and you tell me Magic is a better scorer since his more efficient? Based on your theory Zion Williamson and Deandre Jordan will be the best scorer all time......

@josephjoestar6679

3 жыл бұрын

@@roundtable3501 Lol You said Magic was a good thief and that made him a better defensive player, do you know Curry was also the leader in steals in his second MVP season? And if you judge the defensive play based on steals, Iverson will also be considered as a great defensive player......

Such an underrated moment in NBA history, the man ran the game just off Basketball IQ. 2:48 had to be the best moment, its like the crowd was just vibing and then realized OH YEAH im watching Magic

Greatest point guard of all time🔥🔥( likes) for magic

@josephjoestar6679

3 жыл бұрын

Chef curry much better, curry can easily average 40+ pts in the 90s

@tukx6146

3 жыл бұрын

@@josephjoestar6679 😂😂😂, I like curry but he too soft for 90s basketball kid , he’s good at shooting yes but people like Dennis Rodman , Shawn kemp , John Stockton etc , would lock curry up just because they could actually play the game without fouls being called every 2 plays , Isaiah Thomas tripped people and they let him get away with it , curry wouldn’t average 10 a game , he’ll be an average point guard like his dad was

@Ace2Trill

3 жыл бұрын

@@tukx6146 curry ain't a better pg than magic but you an idiot. Curry getting buckets in any era of basketball.

@laflame0284

2 жыл бұрын

@@tukx6146 uhm, kawhi Leonard Is def Better than rodman, Kemp and Kemp. And Curry still Cooked his ass

@oldl6655

2 жыл бұрын

@@josephjoestar6679 no way the rules were different curry is too soft

This video still makes me feel glad, Magic Johnson was a very complete player.....

@boogitybear2283

3 жыл бұрын

When he came back seemed like he was able to Finish a Chapter yet to Finish. I still say he should have played 2 more years.

@richardprado5914

3 жыл бұрын

@@boogitybear2283 agree

My 1st NBA game was Lakers vs Boston in 1987 and made me an instant Magic fan. His last shot gave them a 1 pt win in dying seconds. 🏆.

this is how Lebron needs to play with the Lakers. post up, play off ball, stop pounding the ball on the perimeter.

@sc4197

5 жыл бұрын

LeBron would play off ball ,he has rondo and lonzo now.also because of his age @_@

@dblackzilla

5 жыл бұрын

Lebron need to do what he been doing (which is why he the best in today's game) the TEAM need to do what they do best also and Lakers will be just fine.

@sc4197

5 жыл бұрын

@@dblackzilla I believe the lakers will get a title within 3 years under the management of magic Johnson and the ability of LeBron.

@fabolousninenine30

5 жыл бұрын

LeBron can't play off ball. Atleast he didn't showed it yet. He needs the ball in his hands all the time.

@Shazayum

5 жыл бұрын

Fabolous NineNine he played off ball in Miami.

Magic retired for 4yrs switchedpositions and almost had a productive triple double.

This 96 Lakers team underachieved so much.. they were talented. they even upset the Sonics the year before smh.

Top 5 player of all time and could have easily been considered the GOAT if he did not have to retire early. His career numbers would have been crazy

@hepersopon4459

2 жыл бұрын

If he and mj didn't have those retirements, mabic would be seen in the same light as kobe, and there wouldn't be a debate about Jordan being the goat (especially if he took the all-time scoring title)

@SabrinaRoseLewis

11 ай бұрын

​@@hepersopon4459top 2

KEEP LIVING Wow Magic those words were so powerful

The CRAZY thing is that he was killing them in the post with his OFF hand - his left!

You even just see how the playstyle of the team changed with Magic on the floor. Guys willing to make the extra pass. Guys cutting and running harder knowing they are going to get the ball. Magic is one of those players that changes the entire complexion of a team for the better.

so cool how the crowd cheers every time he touches the ball

I always had a soft spot for this Lakers team. They were fun to watch. Divac was blooming as a playmaking center. Ceballos was a good scorer. Jones and Van Exel were an exciting backcourt. And Peeler, Lynch and Campbell were solid role players. Add Magic to the mix, and you can see why Lakers fans were so excited. They played some great ball at times.

i love this crowd

Magic's "patented penetration" is the reason he missed 4 years.

@650FRANCIS

4 жыл бұрын

Shaquille O'Neal underrated

@Sc0rch91

4 жыл бұрын

Wtf

@dman2159

2 жыл бұрын

saw what you did there, Shaq.

@dntgshot1236

2 жыл бұрын

Yep was tappin to many asses lol

@5thAve718

2 жыл бұрын

😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

if only he could play one more year he coulda played with shaq and kobe

This man is such an inspiration to all!!! Thank you Mr. Magic Johnson for everything you’ve done & have giving to the game of Basketball. On/off the court overall great man & basketball player. #PointGOD #liVinglegenD #bestPG2everplaythegame

“In the 90s the love of the game seems nonexistent from Generation X”.. people always gonna have a problem with whatever the current era of basketball is at the time lol

@applycontext9161

4 жыл бұрын

SpaceGhost P thank you for saying this bro. People don’t realize that the people from previous generation will always claim that their generation was the best. In the next 30 years people are going to be talking about how good the 2010’s nba was compared to what will be the current nba then. But people will forget how players and fans from the 90’s and 80’s said the same thing about the 2010’s nba.

@laker4life36

2 жыл бұрын

The 2010s were the Golden era of the NBA! Kobe’s last act, the 2011 Mavericks, the Miami Heatles, the Classic Golden State Warriors, the 2016 Cavs’ comeback, and Drake’s team winning the finals.

@therealbs2000

2 жыл бұрын

It just gets worse every year

@NineteenEightyFive

2 жыл бұрын

That was definitely a weird comment. Especially since the majority of the stars in 96 also played in the 80s.

@a.fields9789

2 жыл бұрын

@@NineteenEightyFive It’s just how it goes. Every generation hates the generation after 😂

Magic controls the game like no one else.

He’s the first player to have his jersey retired and wearing that number in game

Magic is such a good speaker and his smile is great!

Best basketball player ever

He played like a center, shooting like jabber with the left hand, amazing

THESE ARE THE VIDEOS WE NEED!!

Imagine this happening now, with social media

@bware99

2 жыл бұрын

Internet would have exploded

I was 7 yrs old on the date of this game. Looking at this now as a 36 yr old man has me saying oh my god he was amazing he did after NOT PLAYING so long coming back in his late 30s? Living up to his name it gives me a newfound respect for him.

If this is magic 4 years removed from the game and waaayy past his prime this means to me he can definitely play in today’s league in his prime and basically average a triple double, no stat padding and at least 26-29 points per game about 13 assist and maybe 11-10 rebounds easily.

1996 was a very good year.

I remember being 10 years old when he came back thank u magic I can honestly say I got to see you play

Magic is such a cool dude

Dude was out for 4 years that’s crazy he was that good

And When Shaq and Kobe came it was Showtime all over again, just with more dominance!!!! 😎

@vincentbriggs0682

2 жыл бұрын

Shaq and Kobe won 3 and Magic and Kareem won 5! How 🤔 ❓️ were they more dominate in a weaker era?

He wasn't actually bad coming back. For a power forward like him to still run point effectively especially after gaining weight and being a lot slower, it's amazing. He averaged 14 points and 6 assists as a 6th man on what was a really solid Lakers team with guys like Jones, Van Exel, Divac and Peeler.

the people that say “magic couldn’t survive in the 2010’s” is wild. he was averaging 15 points a game in 96’. that was a year before kobe was drafted, and kobe could play in the. 90’s and 2010’s

@0rganfarmer

Жыл бұрын

Magic’s playstyle would have thrived in any era of basketball to be honest.

@132indo

2 ай бұрын

if you said in 1992 that magic would survive to the 2010s that wouldn't have been realistic

I never knew he played after 91 until now. Mind blown

@haroldt1999

2 жыл бұрын

1992 Olympics, the original Dream Team.

The interview with Cookie and his kid was wholesome ❤️

The GOAT of PGs.

There is no greater feeling than owning a authentic champion Lakers magic Johnson. Jersey mannnnnn

I love Magic!

i remember that fake on sprewell like it was yesterday 😭 memories

4:46...the GOAT of all the NBA wives. Cookie's fine ass stood by Magic through all that b/s and all the silly rumors. Had his back. That's the kind of woman you want.

@Jacennnn

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah

Does any one get teary eyed when they see magic come in, and then when fakes the soul out of the defender? it feels crazy to see a grown ass man just rekt other future hof or all time great and be out of shape. it says a lot about who some one is and someones integrity.

@NineteenEightyFive

2 жыл бұрын

I get chills every single time

Absolute legend

Man was still cold af

@egantheman8765

3 жыл бұрын

The greatest players adjust with age

Would’ve loved to see Magic vs Bird in one more NBA finals but Jordan the 🐐 arrived.

One of the most intelligence in lakers all time nba history, Magic johnson

Damn that atmosphere is something we lack today ):

@csum2125

5 жыл бұрын

poboy fresh the Oracle is like that every game

@dbuck161

5 жыл бұрын

poboy fresh no way man. This was a very unique situation. Look at the video from Kobe’s last game. Very similar. Not to mention how ridiculous the crowd gets at Oracle when the warriors start raining 3s

@dcomputers

5 жыл бұрын

poboy fresh if Kobe came back it would be like this

@BernardBrunu1

5 жыл бұрын

bron is bringing it back

@1NumeroUno

5 жыл бұрын

poboy fresh You sound ignorant watch a high stakes warriors or thunder game gauruntee you wont think like that anymore

I remember seeing Magic do that fake to cause Sprewell to jump right out of his shoes. At the time I was thinking "w-w-wa-whhaattt?!"

This was my first NBA season i watched, i was so rooting for Magic after only seeing limited clips of him in those days (im in the UK), and this comeback was glorious. What an atmosphere in The Forum!

This version of Magic was just smarter than everyone else on the court....no athleticism, no speed, just straight instinct. Legend indeed

Even Mj wasnt getting such standing ovations for merely entering the game or scoring a random basket in a regular season. Even after his both comebacks. Last all star game for Mj was nice but this is a regular season matchup and his every touch of the ball gets ooos and aaas from the crowd. Thats crazy. Magic was more than life

This put a smile on my face

Them left handed hooks 🔥🔥🔥

Thank you very much for sharing this video

I watched this game for the first time in 2018 and i was put to tears watching that fake on sprewell. Just phenomenal

Fun fact: MJ guarded magic for game 1 of the ‘91 finals and he dropped a trip dub and a win. Next games he was guarded by pippen and bulls won the finals.

@The_emann

5 жыл бұрын

U do realize that James Worthy got injured right?

@franciscopizarro5424

5 жыл бұрын

Trash Boy actually MJ guarded magic most of the series and kept magic to 44% shooting even though he’s a career 52% shooter. Only time Pippen switched on Magic was game 2 when Jordan got in foul trouble. Stop spreading fake news fanboy

@mcbuckets813

5 жыл бұрын

Francisco Pizarro No one every wants to give pippin his credit. Sickening. Zero chips without pip

@LazyCrazyGuy

5 жыл бұрын

@@mcbuckets813 0 chips for Pippen without MJ. What's your point?

@tristancampbell9140

5 жыл бұрын

jdrobin1 0 chips for Jordan w/o pippen what’s your point lmfaoo 😂

This was awesome

I remember watching this and was hyped 😅. Magic still had somtin left.

hes one of the greatest of all time

Greatest Laker of all time

5:13 Welp lil EJ is definitely saying that alot now....

@lilgucci0866

5 жыл бұрын

Seeing his baby clothes smh they made ej gay he had no chance

@mycomedy234

5 жыл бұрын

Simrat Dhanju LMAO

@musatheleader

5 жыл бұрын

@@lilgucci0866 that's crazy! cause I was like magic gotta girl?? But its clear now they choose for him

@kylemoore7116

5 жыл бұрын

Why did she dress ej like a girl?

@inabasketball2205

4 жыл бұрын

that's elisa johnson, not EJ Johnson

I remember watching this game as an 8 year old kid. I didn't understand the significance of it other than my dad telling me Magic was a legend & you'll remember watching this years from now. From a family from Chicago who been Bulls fans for life.

great magic johnson emotional nba return after his retirement on january .30. 1996 !!!!

Magic could have played one more season with Shaq and Kobe. Even though he was 37 years old, moving to the PF position enabled him to not guard faster and quicker players because PF players back then were big bruisers like Oakley, Malone, Barkley, Otis Thorpe who relied on their strength down in the post. And Magic, clearly from this video was a very strong dude.

19-10-8 is an amazing stat line off the bench

Warriors fans in that arena that night are the loyal ones

He really is magic if you got a pass from magic you were Destin to make the shot

I was 15 years old and stayed up late to watch his return game on a school night (live on east coast). I was as excited, if not more, when Magic returned than when Michael returned a year before.

2:48!!! And The Forum erupting…CHILLS!!!

Legendary Game

house of highlights nice video

Magic built LA Lakers... greatest showman for LA Lakers... all-time

I remember watching this game live.

amazing

The 🐐

he’d be the greatest of all time if he wasn’t sick😢

I was born on this day

the Return of SHOWTIME!!

Who would have thought he would still be with us after all these years.

Winning Time is soooooo good

I remember this. I was the happiest kid in the world .

Magic Johnson was a very good player.

He was robbed of 5 good years of basketball. He would have been #1 in assists and have a 6th ring. Then really been in The GOAT conversation.

@dapper892

Жыл бұрын

Not sure about that ring.

Tusk playing in the background, what a jam!