In a rarity by Michael Jordan, he conceded his place at the top of one specific NBA category: influence.
In the first episode of a new documentary series titled “They Call Me Magic,” the Bulls legend revealed his belief that it is Magic Johnson, not himself, who really changed the NBA.
“Everybody wants to credit Michael Jordan for changing the NBA, but when Magic Johnson came in, that’s where the game changed,” Jordan said in the episode.
Magic was moved by Jordan’s words.
“I was up there laughing and almost crying at the same time, hearing my family talk, hearing Larry Bird, and when Michael said what he said, which was really amazing,” Magic said. “We had never heard that from Michael, for him to say that everybody thought he had turned the league around but that I was a big part of that.”
The new series is, obviously, an ode to Lakers legend Magic Johnson, who says he drew inspiration from “The Last Dance,” which debuted in 2020.
“The reason we did it is because when Michael did ‘The Last Dance,’ my phone just started ringing,” the former Los Angeles Laker said in a post-screening discussion. “They said, ‘When are you coming out with yours?’ And we got some great investors, great partners, great producers, and they really took it to another level.”
While it will be some time before fans get to watch the series for themselves, some of the quotes show a great deal of what we should expect, and that does not include being a copy of “The Last Dance.”
Magic, who played 13 years on the Lakers, is widely regarded as the greatest point guard who ever lived. He retired as a 12x All-Star, 3x MVP, and 5x Champion. He helped give the league a face during a time when viewership and popularity were struggling.
In “They Call Me Magic,” we can expect his career, life, and impact on the game itself to be celebrated by the fans, media, and the GOAT himself, Michael Jeffrey Jordan.
