Magic Johnson More than an Average Athlete
In my life, I had many people who I really admire from Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, Sean Carter (Jay-z), and Robert Johnson. Others who have influenced me in my development of a person were my parents; my mother and my father were there for everything I have done in my life. The person who I model myself after is Earvin Johnson jr. also known as Magic Johnson. There are many reasons why but all really point to him defeated in adversity in many facets of life. In my point of view my life and his has some similarities and differences. Other than for athletics, he has more to offer then the average retired player. I also liked how he showed strength in the face of gloom and trouble.
Johnson was born in Lansing, Michigan and had many siblings (2). In addition, he lived with his mother and father, his mother was a school janitor, and his father was a worker for and General Motors (2). Like many young children named after their parents, he had gained the nickname of “Junior” or “June bug” (2). In my similarities to him I to have many siblings, though not at the amount of nine but it was a number of three with myself being the eldest. Another thing that is a true similarity is Junior also my nickname because; I have my Father’s name.
Unlike Johnson, I did not have his basketball ability. As a young child, he will practice daily at seven thirty and dribble his basketball using opposite hands just to have great ball control(2). Although not as talented as Johnson, I treat my knowledge of sports as serious, while patterning many stats, strategies, and players’ abilities.
From the beginning of his rise to fame came during his high school years. As a sophomore, he had a great game when he scored thirty-six points, 16 assist and sixteen rebounds (2). After that game sportswriter, “Fred Stably Jr.” gave him the nickname magic (1). In his last year in high school his team won the state championship with the record 25-1 while Averaging twenty-eight points and sixteen rebounds a game(2). Afterward he said he wanted to stay close to home for college choice. His choice was Michigan State University because it was East Lansing, Michigan (2).
My High school Career nothing like his, but I did accomplished many things that did pattern my life after his.
For many years Michael Jordan has been seen as one of the greatest players to ever play the game of basketball. Michael Jordan was first drafted into the NBA by the Chicago Bulls as the third pick in the first round of the NBA draft of 1984, after finishing his college career at the University of North Carolina. Michael Jordan has been known for his high flying and stylish dunks ever since he first stepped into the basketball scene, but there is more to Michael Jordan than his ability to dunk.
It was not until the year 2002 that the NBA was able to find someone to match Jordan’s dazzling acrobatic style of play. His name is Lebron James. Lebron, who plays shooting guard and small forward, stands at an athletic six-eight. James, however, never played in the NCAA. He was drafted straight out of high school in the 2003-04 season, by the Cleveland Cavaliers. James is already on the road to success by achieving co-rookie of the year, and he appeared in the Olympics. James is expected to be a champion, but he may not have what it takes to become a real champion such as Michael Jordan was. Before Jordan or James can be categorized as a champion, they have to be able to handle pressure, fame, and maintain a positive relationship with their team. When comparing Jordan and James’ clutch capabilities, or their ab...
In a year were so many great athletes are no longer with us, Payne Stewart, Wilt Chamberlain, Joe DiMaggio, Walter Payton, the man we thought would have passed away first is still among us, Magic Johnson. Rick Reilly does a remarkable job on this praising article on Magic. Reilly talks about how fit magic is. "He can bench 325 pounds. Weighing 245, he's about 20 pounds heavier than he was in his prime, but now he's ripped." He is still playing basketball in different celebrity appearances, and plays quite well in them although he is way older than everyone there. What really impressed me the most about Magic is influence as a black businessman. Reilly showed me, as well as America, a different side of Magic that is not seen on Sports Center. "He owns five Starbucks and has plans to open 10 more, nearly all of them in black neighborhoods, including one in Crenshaw and one in Harlem." Magic is willing to put money into the ghettos when other white investors are not. He owns many different businesses, from a TV company to a bank. What is truly amazing is he hires all black people to build and work his businesses. "Magic feels like many black athletes forget where they came from, I try not to." When I read this I was really stunned. He made a fortune taking risks that many other people won't try. He is living his life to the fullest and using his HIV experience to educate great number of people.
Michael Jordan can say he has had an amazing career and accomplished many things in his life. From his childhood to adulthood, he has done remarkable things. Most people hope to have a life and career like
This rich NBA great was not always the wealthy man everyone knows; through hard-work, he achieved status. Earvin Johnson grew up in a large and poor family. “With so many kids to take care of, my parents didn’t have enough money left over for luxuries” (Johnson 6). Johnsons’ parents believed in the value of hard-work, and stapled this into his mind at a young age. With this idea in mind, Johnson picked up a basketball. Basketball was always a great love of his, and he always wanted to make it to the next level. With the preaching of this value by his parents, he worked hard and became very good. After years of practicing and coming up through a troubled childhood, Magic was presented a great opportunity. Since he was so good at basketball, all the major colleges wanted him to play for them, “I finally narrowed down the field to two choices… the University of Michigan and Michigan State” (Johnson 51). It was a decision that would change his life, and after many hard days of going back and forth, he decided to attend Michigan State University.
As a 5’9” sophomore in high school in Wilmington, North Carolina, he tried out for his school’s basketball team but wasn’t good enough, neither tall enough, to make it. He then practiced throughout the year and came back as a 6’3” junior to try out. With his improved skills and After graduating from high school, he accepted a basketball scholarship to the University of North Carolina. In his first season at Carolina, he became the second Tarheel player to start in every game as a freshman and was named Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Year (1982). At the end of his freshman year, he made the game-winning shot against Georgetown University for the championship of the NCAA. The Sporting News named him college player of the year in 1983 and in 1984. He left North Caro...
Although many youngsters fail in the NBA, there are a few high school players who have had, or do have a successful career in the NBA. Some of these are, Moses Malone, Kobe Bryant, Tracey McGrady, and this year’s most valu...
The NBA is well known for the number of amazing professional athletes it has had over the years. Some of the most gifted and talented individuals come through the NBA and one of the better-known superstars is none other than Kobe Bryant. For years people have wondered what makes Bryant so successful. The main contributors that lead to Kobe Bryant’s success is his hard work and dedication, his mindset, his natural ability’s and talent, and the people that have helped him throughout his life. Kobe Bryant was very successful in the NBA because of the amount of hard work he has put in, the people in his life, his relentless determination and his god given natural abilities.
The main focus of Geoff Colvin’s article, “ What It Takes To Be Great”, published by Fortune magazine on October 30, 2006 is research on what it takes to be great. Colvin notes that the researchers were first curious why what really separates world class performers from everybody else and that led them to study elite performers such as Michael Jordan. While may believe that natural talent is needed to be great, the researchers and Colvin conclude that greatness is only achieved through deliberate practice. Deliberate practice includes having the right mindset and doing the activity in order to get better, not just to get it done, setting specific goals beyond one's current ability, practicing well consistently and with high levels of repetition
Basketball is growing and becoming a well known sport, where two teams of five players attempt to score points on an opposing netted hoop (basket) 10 feet high while stopping the other team from scoring on their own basket. This sport is not just becoming popular in America but in many other nations such as Spain, Lithuania, Australia, and Croatia. However, one player in the United States named Stephen Curry (Steph) is changing the game of basketball by becoming one of the deadliest perimeter shooters of all time. Despite the opposing views of being unable to change a sport individually, Stephen Curry is evolving the game of basketball himself through his shooting efficiency, his ability to consistently make “bad shots”, and becoming a dominant threat in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
“There’s no next Michael Jordan, says Magic Johnson. He continues saying, you can’t compare anyone to him, what he has done for the game can never be matched. Michael Jordan will always be Michael Jordan and no one better (Johnson, 61). He’s the greatest that ever played, in terms of doing things that Larry Bird and I never dreamed about.'; (62) Doug Collins says that, “Practice is what made him go. Every day he had this need to show who was the best. It’s like `I’m the best today and I’m going to show you and tomorrow I’m going to show you and the next day I’m going to show you again.’ That was how he competed. All the great geniuses of the world were like that. We’re talking about Einstein, Edison, and Roosevelt. These people came across something and worked to perfect it (Collins, 61).
Starting my freshman year at County High School, I played basketball and loved every minute of it. I wouldn’t be conceited enough to say I was good, but God did bless me with the talent to play. My life revolved around the sport of basketball; some would say I slept, ate, and breathed every part of it. I spent all my time training and practicing to make myself a more dedicated athlete. This dedication not only helped me as a player, but also molded me into the person I am today. It somehow helped to prepare me for what defeat I would face with back surgery in the future.
Sports specialization among young people is when a child or teenager trains for and competes in only one sport. They work extremely hard year-round in order to become well-rounded in every aspect of the game. They make sacrifices and put their health in jeopardy in order to become the ultimate participant in their sport. One of the many young athletes who is only participating in and focusing on one sport is fifteen-year-old OJ Mayo from Cincinnati, Ohio. He is the young talented athlete who is predicted to be the next LeBron James in the National Basketball Association (NBA). This young athlete provides evidence of striving for perfection in this single sport when reviewing his daily schedule versus that of his siblings. He says, “The other kids go home and sleep. I come back to the gym” (Thompson, 2004). He is obviously putting forth a lot of effort in his sport to become successful at an early age.
When someone says the name Michael Jordan, the first thing that comes to mind is basketball, The Chicago Bulls and Nike shoes. Through the years, Michael Jordan has proved time and time again that he is the greatest basketball player ever, and by performing in this rapidly expanding sporting field, he has gained tremendous popularity throughout the world. People of all ages and from all nationalities have gathered to watch him play. A journalist states 'even your Aunt Matilda might not know nothing about basketball, liked watching him play' (Jonathon 1999:58). Jordan has become more than just an entertainer. He is a hero and a role model amongst basketball spectators. Johnson claims that 'he is the most famous American in the world' (ibid.). Perhaps he was born to be the best.
Millions of children worldwide participate in a multitude of sports, either in school or outside of school. As they grow older, they get better, but some of them stop playing. We have discussed that the best and sometimes oldest of the kids (in their age groups) are given more chances and more opportunities, as well as better coaching. This results in them gaining more experience and practice. Ultimately, some of them end up being national or world-class athletes competing and representing their country. In order for that to happen, they have to be recognized as talented and be presented with a chance to become great.