How many championships does Magic have? A list of Magic Johnson's achievements

How many championships does Magic have? A list of Magic Johnson's achievements

Helix Odhiambo
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:23 PM

Earvin "Magic" Johnson is a former basketball player and one of the greatest point guards of all time. Johnson dominated the court for more than a decade and won numerous titles and awards in his career. So, how many championships does Magic have? Get all details about him below.

How many championships does magic have?
M. Johnson attends the TSP Live 2022 conference at The Hotel at Avalon on 24 June 2022 in Alpharetta, Georgia. Photo: Derek White
Source: Getty Images

Johnson played for the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA for 13 seasons before retiring. In 1991, he announced that he had tested positive for HIV. The legendary NBA point guard has since ventured into numerous businesses and even authored a book.

Magic Johnson's profile summary

Name

Earvin Johnson Jr.

Nickname

Magic

Date of birth

14 August 1959

Place of birth

Lansing, Michigan, USA

Age

63 (as of January 2023)

Height

2.03 m

Weight

225 lbs (102.1 kg)

Career

Former basketball player, entrepreneur

Team

Los Angeles Lakers

Position

Point Guard/Forward

Jersey Number

32 (Lakers)

NBA draft

1979, no.1 overall pick by Los Angeles Lakers

High-School

Everett in Lansing, Michigan

College

Michigan State University

Parents

Earvin Johnson Sr., Christine Johnson

Siblings

Yvonne, Larry, Michael, Kim, Pearl, Quincy

Spouse

Earlitha Cookie Kelly

Children

Andre, Earvin III, Elisa

Residence

Dana Point, California and Beverly Hills

Net worth

$620 million

Social media

Instagram, Facebook, Twitter

Who is Magic Johnson?

The legendary basketballer was born and raised in Lansing, Michigan. His father, Earvin Sr., worked on a General Motors assembly line, and his mother, Christine, was a school janitor. He also has six siblings. Magic developed an interest in basketball at a young age and was among the best players in high school and college.

College career

How many NBA championships does Magic have
Earvin Johnson (33), a freshman for Michigan State, drives past Western Kentucky's Darryl Turner (25) on his way to the basket on 16 March 1979. Photo: Bettmann
Source: Getty Images

Earvin attended Michigan State University and led his team to the NCAA finals in 1979. They faced Indiana State University and their star player Larry Bird. Michigan won the entertaining final, thanks to Magic's heroics. As a result, he was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four.

NBA career

The Los Angeles Lakers selected the Lansing-born legend in the first overall pick of the 1979 draft. He won the NBA Championship with the lakers in his rookie season alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Magic was named the MVP of the NBA Finals following his impressive performance.

How many championships does Magic Johnson have?

Magic Johnson awards
M. Johnson (32 ) of the LA Lakers celebrates with the Walter A. Brown championship trophy after defeating the Philadelphia 76ers on 16 May 1980 at the Spectrum in Philadelphia. Photo: Focus on Sport
Source: Getty Images

Earvin Johnson won five NBA Championships with the Lakers as a point guard (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988). He played alongside legendary basketball players like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jamaal Wilkes and Norm Nixon.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson rings

Johnson won five rings in his NBA career with LA Lakers in 13 seasons. However, his teammate Kareem bagged six in 20 seasons.

How many NBA championships does Magic have compared to others?

Earvin may have won five championships, but he is not among the most successful players in the tournament. Bill Russell is the player with the most rings (11), followed by Sam Jones (10). Tom Heinsohn, KC Jones, Satch Sanders, and John Havlicek have eight each.

Jim Loscutoff, Frank Ramsey, and Robert Horry won seven, while those who won six rings were Bob Cousy, Kareem, Michael Jordan, and Scottie Pippen.

Magic Johnson's final MVPs

Magic Johnson's mvps
NBA Commissioner David Stern presents M. Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers the MVP award circa 1989 in Los Angeles, California. Photo: Andrew D. Bernstein
Source: Getty Images

He won three-time NBA Finals MVPs during his career. The first of Magic Johnson's MVPs came in 1980 following his outstanding performance in Game 6 against the Philadelphia 76ers. Earvin scored 42 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists, and three steals as LA won 123-107 to seal the series by 4-2. He won his second final MVP in 1982 and a third in 1987.

Who won more championships, Bird or Magic?

Larry Bird is also a former basketball star who played as a small forward for Boston Celtics between 1979-1992. Larry won three NBA Championships (1981, 1984, 1986), while Magic won five titles.

The two met in three finals, with Johnson's Lakers winning two against his rival. They first met in 1984, when Bird and the Celtics won a seven-game series. They met again in 1985 and 1987, where the Lakers won six games. Meanwhile, Larry won two NBA Finals MVPs compared to Johnson's three.

How many championships did Magic lose?

How many championships did Magic lose?
Lakers Earvin Johnson tries to move past Chicago Bulls Michael Jordan during the NBA finals in 1991. The Lakers lost the final. Photo: Lori Shepler
Source: Getty Images

Earvin lost four NBA finals in his Lakers career. His first defeat was in 1983 against the Philadelphia 76ers, followed by the 1984 setback against Celtics. He also lost against the Bad Boy Pistons in 1989 and against the Chicago Bulls in 1991, a team with Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Horace Grant.

Magic Johnson's awards and honours

Besides winning three NBA Finals MVPs, the legendary American basketballer took home other crucial accolades and honours in his career. They include:

  • NBA Season MVP - 3 (1986-87, 1988-89, 1989-90)
  • Assists Leader - 4 (1982-83, 1983-84, 1985-86, 1986-87)
  • Steals Leader - 2 (1980-81, 1981-82)
  • All-NBA First Team - 9 (1982-83, 1983-84, 1984-85, 1985-86, 1986-87, 1987-88, 1988-89, 1989-90, 1990-91)
  • All-NBA Second Team - 1 (1981-82)
  • All-Rookie First Team - 1 (1979-80)

Magic's retirement

According to sources, the legendary point guard retired thrice in his career. The first was in 1991, after announcing he had contracted HIV/AIDS. He later returned to the court and played a few pre-season games before calling it quits.

Who is Magic Johnson's wife?

The LA Lakers legend is married to Earlitha Cookie Kelly. They tied the knot at Lansing in 1991 and have always supported one another. The couple has two children, Earvin III and Elisa Johnson. However, Magic has another son, Andre, born with his ex-girlfriend, Melissa Mitchell.

Magic Johnson's net worth

Earvin used to earn over $18 million in salary and several million more in endorsements at LA Lakers. He has a net worth of about $620 Million. The former player has also invested in businesses and real estate. He has a business empire called Magic Johnson Enterprises, valued at over $1 billion.

The enterprise owns Magic Johnson Theaters, a movie studio, and a marketing company. In March 2012, Johnson partnered with other millionaires to buy the Los Angeles Dodgers from Frank McCourt for $2 billion. Magic and his family own a home in Beverly Hills, Beverly Park, and they also bought a Tuscan-style beach house in Dana Point in Orange County, California.

Social media

The former player is active on social media and has millions of followers. He has 3.1 million followers on Instagram as of January 2023. His Facebook account has 4.4 million followers, while on Twitter, he has 5.3 million followers.

In case you were wondering how many championships does Magic have in his career. Well, now you know even when he won them. Johnson has inspired many young basketball players, some of whom have grown to become professionals.

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Authors
Helix Odhiambo photo
Helix Odhiambo
Helix Odhiambo is an award-winning Kenyan journalist and content creator with over 6 years of experience. In 2016, he won the Goal Blaze Correspondent Award for young writers.