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Reading: Magic Johnson Never Wanted To Play With Michael Jordan
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Home > NBA News & Analysis > Magic Johnson Never Wanted To Play With Michael Jordan

Magic Johnson Never Wanted To Play With Michael Jordan

Magic Johnson once explained why, despite his respect for him, he didn't want to team up with Michael Jordan in the NBA.

Aaditya Krishnamurthy
Jun 3, 2023
3 Min Read
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Credit: Fadeaway World

Magic Johnson is considered to be the greatest point guard of all time. There is a good reason for this, as Johnson was a superstar passer and scorer and led his Los Angeles Lakers to 5 NBA championships. Johnson had great players by his side, but there was one player he never wanted to play with – Michael Jordan.

During an interview with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, Magic explained why he never wanted to play with Michael Jordan. 

“I wasn’t a guy like that,” Magic said about teaming up with Jordan. “I never wanted to play with nobody but my dudes. I was good… I’ve always been a dude, where I end up, that’s where I roll… That was always my mindset. And I’m glad. But I will say this, that’s what makes sports special; competitiveness. Not everybody joining each other.”

Magic Johnson on whether he ever wanted to team up w/ Michael Jordan:

"No. I wasnt like that. I never tried to get all the named dudes. Thats what makes sports special – competition. Go make it happen..if you the best"

Seems like every great player has this mentality except one pic.twitter.com/50Ax3o5FYY

— BossHogg (@6Hogg6) January 14, 2023

Johnson was truly a very competitive figure in the NBA. Playing in one of the toughest eras of the NBA, Johnson’s drive to be the best helped him lead the Lakers to immense success in the 80s. While Johnson never wanted to play with any other established superstar in the league, he was blessed with having some amazing teammates, such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy.


A Magic-MJ Duo Would Have Dominated The NBA

One need not look far to imagine what a duo of Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan could have done in the NBA. Jordan and Johnson represented Team USA at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, where they won the gold medal. Johnson, despite having not played in the NBA at that point for a year due to his HIV diagnosis, played incredibly well alongside MJ.

Jordan and Magic have immense respect for each other and even look at the NBA in a very similar way. Johnson recently revealed that he and Jordan talked about load management in today’s NBA and how they wanted to play every game. While Johnson and Jordan dominated the NBA without each other, one can only wonder how incredibly dominant their duo would have been.

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TAGGED:Magic JohnsonMichael Jordan
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ByAaditya Krishnamurthy
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Aaditya Krishnamurthy is a writer for Fadeaway World covering the latest news and exciting stories from the fascinating world of the NBA. After briefly working as a freelance writer in the sports and business sector, Aaditya began writing for Fadeaway World in 2021 about the day-to-day functioning of the NBA.After graduating from Symbiosis School for Liberal Arts in 2020, he worked as a freelance writer for years before beginning his MA in Communications at Penn State University. Currently, he is in the United States, and traveling to his home country of India. Aside from the NBA, Aaditya is a big sports fan, with soccer, football, Formula 1, and MMA being some of his favorites to watch.
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