HBO’s ‘Winning Time’ portrayed the likes of Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in an entirely new light (note that neither of these players had anything positive to say about the dramatized portrayal of real-time events).
One of those instances was the famed tale of the rookie Johnson taking orange juice to Abdul-Jabbar each morning during the training camp at Palm Springs.
According to Jeff Pearlman, who detailed the incident in his book, “Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s,” the guard would have to carry a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice and a copy of the New York Times.
However, there is a different version of the whole story, according to sportswriter Jackie MacMullan, who claimed it wasn’t juice but a hot dog instead.
Jackie MacMullan Said Magic Brought A Hot Dog And The Paper Every Day To Try And Gain Abdul-Jabbar’s Respect
It surely does come as a surprise when MacMullan said she was certain of the flamboyant Johnson bringing a hot dog to his team captain and center.
In an April 2022 interview with The Ringer NBA Show, she said Johnson tried so hard to gain Abdul-Jabbar’s respect that he would bring him the two things throughout his rookie campaign.
While the story and the different versions of it certainly make for interesting content, the focus was always on the relationship between two of the most iconic players in the NBA.
According to the LA Times, Johnson revealed it took the two some time to develop an understanding and a relationship. Jabbar said there was never any conflict between the two. Safe to say, the pair did eventually become close to each other and displayed solid chemistry and skill on the court.
Regarded as the greatest point guard ever, Johnson won five NBA championships in his career, all of them with the Lakers. Abdul-Jabbar was a phenomenon and a six-time champion with two Finals MVPs and six MVP awards to his name. Whether it was really Orange juice or a hot dog, it did work in helping them play some scintillating basketball together.
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