By AJ Cadman
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
It all began with a parents’ gift to their son. Now the
son is doing a little giving of his own.
A young Earvin “Magic” Johnson once received a
basketball on his birthday and hasn’t picked up his dribble
since.
From a Michigan state championship as a senior at Everett High,
to an NCAA title two years later at Michigan State, to five NBA
world championships as the ringmaster of the Showtime Lakers, Magic
continues to make an impact ““ just not only on the basketball
court this time, but on the world as a whole.
“June Bug,” as the Lansing, Mich. neighbors native
was known as a child, is still active on the court and in the
community. Magic will be 41 on Aug. 14, and with seemingly
unconquerable barriers behind him, the 11-time NBA All-Star is
flourishing in multiple business ventures that positively impact
the community.
“Business ventures must have a redeeming social
value,” Johnson said in a statement. Thus, the Johnson
Development Corporation, Magic’s recently formed real estate
firm, devotes its time and financial resources toward reshaping
urban shopping centers. The company brings employment opportunities
and sparks economic growth to run-down areas.
“He’s so into the company and he really has a
passion for what we do together,” said Kawanna Myers Brown,
Senior Vice President of the Magic Johnson Foundation.
“He’s not just a name on marquee ““ he’s in
the office everyday. He takes pride in what he does and in the
company.”
Magic also inspires others to do the same.
“He pushes employees to strive hard and work hard,”
Brown added. “He’s the best boss in the
world.”
His well-publicized Magic Johnson Theatres, in partnership with
Sony Retail Entertainment, have opened state-of-the-art multiplex
screens in Los Angeles, Atlanta and Houston. Others are planned for
New York, Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, New Orleans, San Diego and
Washington, D.C. His focus, once again, is on the inner-city, and
opening employment opportunities for inner-city youth.
After Johnson’s Nov. 7, 1991 retirement from basketball,
when he announced that he tested positive for HIV, the virus that
causes AIDS, Magic displayed his private life to the public to show
that this disease can afflict even the most high-profile figures.
He forced the world to come to terms with HIV and AIDS and his
openness made the public more aware of the value of finding a cure
and education toward prevention.
Enter the Magic Johnson Foundation.
It started with inner-city driven programs aimed toward health
education and has spawned several other educational and social
programs to help the local community. The Foundation as donated $10
million toward HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness, including funds
for the development of care facilities in impoverished parts of the
world such as Argentina and Brazil.
Most recently, Magic has corralled his team at the Foundation
toward programs to help disadvantaged youth with playing for
college.
The Taylor Michaels Scholarship, for which funds are raised at
the “A Midsummer Night’s Magic” events from Aug.
4-6, was started in 1998 and has been awarded to 44 students since
its inception.
The scholarship was named after the former chief operating
officer at Magic Johnson Enterprises, who passed away two years ago
from cancer. Her dream was to create a fund for inner-city youth to
pursue higher education.
“(The Taylor Michael’s Program) provides support for
deserving inner-city high school students who exemplify a strong
potential for academic achievement but face social-economic
conditions that hinder them from reaching their full
potential,” Johnson said in a statement.
“He plays a very active role,” Brown said of Magic.
“Everything that we do is because of him ““ his ideas,
his vision, his mission.”
A prospective applicant must hold at least a 2.5 grade point
average and must come from the inner city area of Los Angeles,
Atlanta, Houston, Cleveland or New York.
“We look for students who have overcome obstacles,”
Brown said.
“That’s the key to our scholarship program. We look
for students who may have fallen through the cracks of other
scholarships or who may have been overlooked.”
Estella Serrano, who graduated from Manual Arts High School in
South Central, was one of last year’s recipients of a $2000
grant. As she enters her sophomore year at Berkeley she will
receive another $2000.
Serrano said that there is a unique difference with what the
Magic Johnson Foundation offers its scholarship recipients,
including offering her an internship at the Foundation
“The best thing about this scholarship is the
support,” Serrano said. “I have won other scholarships
where they said, “˜Yeah, we’re going to keep in touch
with you and give you a job later.’ They made all these
promises, but the Foundation was the only one that would e-mail and
call me and ask, “˜How are your classes?'”
This personalized treatment is one of the goals of the
Foundation.
“(Magic) meets with every scholarship recipient,”
Brown said. “It’s a chance for him to get to know them,
and for them to get to know him. He wants them to realize that
Magic Johnson is not just a name; he cares about the kids he gives
scholarships to.”
In addition, winners of the Taylor Michaels Scholarship are
paired with a mentor to monitor their progress and provide any
assistance needed.
“The mentorship component is very important,” said
Taniya Luckett, assistant to the Vice President of the Foundation.
“They keep in close contact with their mentees throughout the
school year. They offer advice, tutor and give them someone to talk
to.”
In a way, the world now sees a different Magic from the one it
watched during his playing days.
For those people whose lives he touches, Magic’s on-court
heroics are a thing of the past and the off-court ones will always
remain.
With contributions from Pauline Vu and Christina Teller, Daily
Bruin Senior Staff.
KEY PLAYERS TO BE FEATURED IN THE ALL-STAR CHARITY
GAME Baron Davis (Charlotte Hornets) –
Returning to Pauley Pavilion for the first time since 1999, when he
was drafted by Charlotte in the first round as the No. 3 pick.
Allen Iverson (Philadelphia 76ers) – Known as the
Answer in the backcourt, he is also the NBA’s second leading scorer
at 28.4 points per game. Bryon Russel (Utah
Jazz> – The small forward was 39.6 percent from beyond the
three-point line last season. Gary Payton (Seattle
Supersonics) – Known as The Glove, he is a perennial member of the
league’s All-Defensive Team. Last season he averaged 24.22 ppg
(seventh in NBA) and 8.9 assists (fourth). Shawn
Kemp (Cleveland Cavaliers) – He averaged 17.8 ppg and 8.8
rebounds per game. Steve Francis (Houston Rockets)
– With an 18.0 ppg average, look for a constant one-on-one battle
between Iverson and Doctor Francis, as he’s known in his Reebok
commercials. Joe Smith (Minnesota Timberwolves) –
He had a 46.4 field goal percentage last season. Nick Van
Exel (Denver Nuggets) – Known as Nick the Quick, he
averaged 16.1 ppg and 9.0 assists per game (sixth in the NBA).
Cedrick Ceballos (Dallas Mavericks) – The former
Laker fan favorite helped lead the Dallas Mavericks to a
league-best 9-1 record at the end of the regular season.
Antoine Walker (Boston Celtics) – He averaged 20.5
ppg and 8.0 rpg last season. Ricky Davis
(Charlotte Hornets) – He finished fourth in the recent All-star
slam dunk competition. Paul Pierce (Boston
Celtics) – The former Westchester High and Kansas Jayhawk standout
will return to Los Angeles after a strong rookie season in Boston,
where he averaged 19.55 ppg and 35 minutes a contest. Nick
Anderson (Sacramento Kings) – The forward was ninth in the
league three-pointers made. SOURCE: NBA.com
Original graphic by CONNIE WU/Daily Bruin Senior Staff
Web adaptation by CHRISTINE TAN