The Magic Touch

NEW YORK, Aug. 1 -- Fresh off of visiting the U.S. Soldiers in Fort Bragg, N.C. over the weekend, Hall of Famer Magic Johnson visited the NBA Store on Monday to talk about his latest line of basketball and fashion athletic footwear as well as his take on the Lakers, Knicks and the state of the league. Here is an excerpt of his chat with NBA TV’s Gary Apple.

NBA TV: Your thoughts on Phil Jackson returning to the Lakers?

MAGIC JOHNSON: “Well, I feel, we feel great about having Phil back. We think that he is going to turn it around because Phil, first of all, is a winner. He has proven himself no matter where he’s gone. We need a winner, a winning type coach like Phil, because I think he will only enhance Kobe as well the other players that we have on our team.

"I think Lamar Odom will thrive under Phil and I think Kwame Brown will be better and we should be able to make this trade happen in a couple days. So, I think when you look at it, for us, it was important for our players and for our fans, that we brought somebody like Phil in to coach the Los Angeles Lakers."

NBA TV: Where is Kobe’s head at right now, because last year was a tough one for the Lakers and for Kobe.

MAGIC JOHNSON: “Oh no question about it, but I think it proved to Kobe that he can’t do it by himself, it was a difficult season for him. He thrived under Phil Jackson, we all have to remember that. He had his best years under Phil, and I think that he will have an MVP type of season under Phil again. So, I think both men have matured. They understand what happened in the past and what went wrong in the past, and they both are ready to move forward.

"Kobe knows he has to lead this team and he is ready to do that. Kobe has been working out every single day, matter of fact, we are trying to get him to pull back a bit because he is so upset with what happened last season that he wants to come out and prove to everybody that the Los Angeles Lakers are still a great team in the West."

NBA TV: The Lakers took a big man with their first pick in this year’s NBA Draft, a young man, 17 years old, Andrew Bynum, out of Metuchen, N.J. I’ve heard that he needs some time and it is going to be a long process. Have you seen him in the Summer League and do you have any thoughts on him? How far away is this young man?

MAGIC JOHNSON: “Andrew is inconsistent, like any high school player would be. He could play one great game and then two bad, but we are excited about his potential. We drafted him in terms of potential in the next couple years. We feel he has to get stronger, number one.

"Number two, he has to realize that he is playing against bigger and stronger men. And I think he needs to develop a couple go-to moves. I think under Phil’s guidance he’ll be able to develop those moves. The great thing is we are not going to rush him, we’re going to take our time with him to make sure that we develop him in the right way because we don’t need him right now. We need him to develop to the point where he can be an effective player in two or three years."

NBA TV: Any thoughts on Larry Brown coaching the Knicks?

MAGIC JOHNSON: “I think just as excited as the Lakers fans are in Los Angeles, the Knicks fans are as excited about Larry Brown. Larry Brown has done so much for every franchise he has ever been with, in terms of taking them to the playoffs. He is going to do the same thing here in New York. You are going to see a team that will play team basketball under Larry Brown; a team that will always defend.

"And Larry Brown, once he was announced as the coach, every player knew they had to go to work. They had to get ready, get in shape, no excuses anymore. Give Isiah [Thomas] a lot of credit for hiring Larry Brown, give Steve Mills and James Dolan a lot of credit for paying him a lot of money. I’m excited because the NBA, not just the Knick faithful, but the NBA fans, will benefit from Larry Brown being in New York and coaching the Knicks."

NBA TV: The league is always healthier when there is success in both L.A. and New York.

MAGIC JOHNSON: “It’s going to happen. I guarantee you both franchises will be in the playoffs this season.

"I think the Lakers will make, probably, a little bit more noise because of Kobe, but, you can look at both franchises making that turn around now and I’m excited. Larry Brown could not end up anywhere but New York. It’s a perfect fit. I feel like I’m a New York Knicks fan right now because it is going to be tremendous for everybody that the Knicks will be back and he is such a teacher. Mark it down. Stephon Marbury will be an All-Star this season.”

NBA TV: What is going to be different with Stephon under Larry Brown, because let’s face it, they did not coexist that well at the Olympic Games last summer.

MAGIC JOHNSON: “But now you have him in a situation where he can have him for all of training camp, all season. Larry Brown was an ex-point guard, so he will know how to really get in Stephon’s head. Stephon wants to prove to everybody that he is an All-Star, that he can lead the Knicks to the playoffs, so if he comes with an open mind, which I know he is, then the sky is the limit, for not only Stephon personally, but for the Knicks as a franchise.

"Because until he makes the next step, which is to be a playmaker, because he knows he can score, but now he needs to show everybody 2 things: that he can be a playmaker and that he can be a great teammate, because right now, he hasn’t proven that he can rally the troops around him and he needs to be able to do that. And under Larry Brown I think that will definitely happen."

NBA TV: What’s your take on the state of the league right now?

MAGIC JOHNSON: “The league is great! Now that you’ve got Phil Jackson in L.A. and Larry Brown in New York, the league is great. You’ve got Kevin Garnett, we’ve got superstars LeBron James, Dwyane Wade now coming up being a superstar, of course you’ve got Shaq. Shaq turned everything around as far as the balance of the league. And Amare Stoudemire from Phoenix, Steve Nash from Phoenix, of course Tim Duncan is amazing, and so I think that when you look at it, not only can we promote the superstars, but we must get back into promoting the teams, too.

"I think we have stronger teams now on both sides, East and West. And I’m excited because last year was a tremendous play-offs for the NBA, but next season is going to be even better, and I think you are going to see a lot of teams, and players emerge that we didn’t see last season because of key trades, player movement, and the main thing is knowing they will not be able to strike. I think David Stern and the Players Association did a nice job of making sure that didn’t happen along with Billy Hunter.”

NBA TV: Tell us about Magic32, how it all came to fruition, whose idea was it, and how you got involved?

MAGIC JOHNSON: “I was playing basketball with a friend of mine, Jeff Herdman, and he approached me about having a line, and I said, well, I’ve thought about having a line, but I wouldn’t want it to be over $100. I always wanted the line to be $60 or less, $65 or less, so if we could do it like that, I don’t mind doing a line. So we thought it would be a great situation. He got his friends involved, and we came together, sure enough. Every shoe we have is $60 men’s and lows and then high for the kids because they get all the colors and styles. And the mothers have loved us because now they can buy their sons and daughters some affordable shoes.

NBA TV: Let’s talk a bit about your financial independence because we all know about so many guys who play basketball, and then they get out of the game and struggle and have trouble finding themselves in the transition from basketball player to businessman. Was it as easy as you made it look and how did you find your way to make such a successful transition?

MAGIC JOHNSON: “Well, I think that I’ve always wanted to be a businessman besides just being a basketball player. So what I did was, first of all, saved my money, that’s the number one thing. Number two, I said, OK, what is missing out there that I can get into? Let me find my niche. And the urban market has been my niche, so I just went in and approached quality retailers who had not gone into urban markets in America yet and said look, there’s a market place, there’s a customer, or a consumer, that has a lot of disposable income, but you expect them to drive through urban America to suburban America and spend their money, and they aren’t going to do that. So that is when I approached the Loews as far as the theaters, I have 6 of those, and now I have 85 Starbucks, which are doing extremely well across the country, 30 Burger Kings and 8 Fitness Clubs.

NBA TV: Did some of the stuff you learned playing basketball translate into your business dealings?

MAGIC JOHNSON: “Oh, no question about it. First of all, just being a team player, number one. Number two, how to work with other people. And number three, the work ethic, the drive. I’m a perfectionist. I carry that over into business well. I’m a guy who is a worker. I was a worker as a basketball player, now I’m a worker in business, so those things do carry over. But I’ve got to thank David Stern because he did a wonderful job of setting a positive example for myself and other guys who want to be in business with one of the greatest businessman. So, I just look at him and said look, you’re the king of marketing, now I want to be the king of marketing for my business. And he showed me how to do it for my business from what he was doing with the NBA.

Excellent post, DJ. The part that stood out the most was the prediction that Stephon will be an all-star this year. I can see that happening. From what I've read about Stephon & Larry Brown's relationship especially towards the end of that Olympic run, I can see that happening.

Posted by bobs3304:

Let's not get ahead of ourselves here. Magic is Magic. Great player, not exactly the most poignant guy out there. Ever seen him on Inside? Guy can barely spit out an idea worth listening to.


Do I think Marbury will improve - ha, he doesn't have much of a choice, so yes.

Do I think he'll be an All-Star? Too soon to tell.

Do I think we'll make the playoffs? Def. possible, but it's not a lock like it is for Miami, Detroit, and Indiana.

Do I think we're still another piece or two away from being taken seriously? Without a doubt.

But are we atleast relevant now? You betcha.

Magic doesn't have to be the most articulate individual to make a worthwhile prediction. I think he'd have more of an inside track, being around players and coaches and getting that feedback on a regular basis.

Don't sleep on us getting that piece or two. After yesterday's trade, I have a good feeling that we'll be in the player movement mix soon.

Posted by bobs3304:

^ for any particular players...or just a general hunch?

Just a hunch... that gut feeling. I truly believe that it won't be anything leaked to the rumor mill, but will catch us all by surprise. Multiple teams will be involved, but it won't have as many teams involved as that 5-team Antoine deal. It'll be a trade that's favorable for our team.

...just a hunch, though.

[Edited by - HARDCOREKNICKSFAN on 08/03/2005 19:35:43]

Do I think Marbury will improve - ha, he doesn't have much of a choice, so yes.

can you elaborate? Improve in what area? He scored 22 points, had 8 assists and shot 46% and got to the line 7 times a game. Your talking about defense maybe? Marbury had a pretty productive year dont you think?

Posted by rojasmas:

But who did he make better around him? And his constant scowling and frowning and yelling at teammates ain't "rallying the troops." He needs to become a leader. LB doesn't sound like he is sure this is probable and thus the possibility of Marbury going to off guard.

I think Marbs going to off guard at points during the ame has more to do with utilizing his strengths differently throughout the game.

He made KT better. He made Nazzy better. Who else should he have made better and how?

Posted by HARDCOREKNICKSFAN:

Posted by bobs3304:

^ for any particular players...or just a general hunch?

Just a hunch... that gut feeling. I truly believe that it won't be anything leaked to the rumor mill, but will catch us all by surprise. Multiple teams will be involved, but it won't have as many teams involved as that 5-team Antoine deal. It'll be a trade that's favorable for our team.

...just a hunch, though.

[Edited by - HARDCOREKNICKSFAN on 08/03/2005 19:35:43]

Sure its not just a gas pain?

Magic had a great dosis of Kool-Aid before doing that interview, but any good wishes to NY are always welcome.

I don't know what will happen this season, unlike some of you with those special powers, but what I hope to see is every player wearing a Knicks uniform working their hardest on defense, working as a team. We have a very talented team. If they do what Larry ask from them and learn what he teaches them, I'll be more than happy...