- Magic Johnson said the Sacramento Kings, who were then in Kansas City, offered him $200,000 per year if he joined them in the 1978 NBA Draft
- Magic Johnson was tempted by the offer, but his father stepped in to say no
- Magic Johnson’s father told him that he could live one more year being broke just as he had for most of his young life
Magic Johnson is arguably the greatest Los Angeles Lakers player of all time, but his story could have been entirely different. He was drafted with the No. 1 overall pick by the Lakers in the 1979 NBA Draft, but that could have ended up differently.
While Magic Johnson was at Michigan State, he led them to the Elite Eight in 1978 and had teams interested. He told the story of how he almost joined the Sacramento Kings, then the Kansas City Kings, but decided against it.
“Oh, a lot of people offered me money,” Magic Johnson said. “Oh, they were big bags. You know what, my father, he always gave me life lessons so… Freshman year, we won the Big 10, go all the way to the Final Eight, and Kentucky beat us.
“Kansas City had the No. 1 pick, so they called me. Said, ‘Hey, we wanna draft you No. 1. Kansas City Kings at that time. So I flew down and met with the general manager. He said, ‘Hey I wanna give you a six-year deal, $200,000 a year.
“So you know, I got excited. I’d been broke my whole life. I’m like, ‘Oh man, this is great.’ And so I jumped up and said, ‘Oh, I think that’s good.’ My father grabbed me and he pulled me, dragged me outside the door. He said, ‘Hold on. You’ve been broke for 18 years. You can be broke one more year.’ I said, ‘Yes sir!’”
Magic Johnson is worth $620 million today, and it’s hard to say if he’d have earned all that much if he played for the Kings. The franchise has a tumultuous history and he might not have been able to do what he did with the Lakers if he had become a King.
Magic Johnson Enjoyed A Massive Career With The Lakers
Magic Johnson changed the NBA, some would say he saved it, after joining the Los Angeles Lakers. During his career, he won five NBA championships, three Finals MVPs, and three MVPs, making him one of the greatest of all time.
He would have been even greater if not for his HIV issues later in life, Magic Johnson’s life was a rollercoaster but it only led to immense success.
The Kansas City Kings moved to Sacramento because they couldn’t garner enough fans. And it’s interesting to imagine what would have happened if they drafted a superstar like Magic Johnson at that time.
Magic Johnson Eventually Became A Multimillionaire Using His Intelligence
In the 2020s, $200,000 doesn’t sound like a lot of money, but in the 1980s, it was massive. Magic Johnson may have regretted not taking the offer up a little bit at the time, but it didn’t matter.
Magic Johnson was worth over $600 million in 2023, and he once revealed the cardinal rule that allowed him to become that successful.
“He underscored one of his cardinal rules: When players call Johnson for counsel, which happens all the time, he stops them cold if they mention any business plan—be it for a record label, a car wash, a production company— featuring a buddy or relative.”
Interestingly, Magic Johnson has this rule considering his father was the one to give him such great advice. In any case, it’s safe to say that NBA history might have looked entirely different if it were not for Magic Johnson’s father.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
