At one point in time, Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson were the two best players in the NBA. They were both incredible forces to be reckoned with and helped their teams become the best in the league. In fact, the two met in the Finals back in 1991. Reminiscing upon their battles in his book When the Game Was Ours, Magic revealed some of the regrets he had regarding his relationship with His Airness. In particular, how their once close bond grew distant because of a lack of communication.
For the longest time, Magic and Michael were seen as rivals in the NBA. After all, when MJ entered the league, Johnson was the top dog. So, over the years, the two developed a healthy rivalry. One that was maintained even beyond their times in the league. And now, years later the two have a very cordial relationship. However, the lack of a meaningful relationship really impacted him.
Magic Johnson regrets not having a more close relationship with Michael Jordan
During their times in the NBA, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan wowed millions and millions of fans. Their respective styles of play were so fun to watch and their careers were polarizing from start to finish. In fact, for a short period of time, one of the narratives in the league revolved around the topic of Magic versus Michael.
It was an interesting debate, and one for the most part, both Johnson and Jordan enjoyed. However, while they did have fun battling it out on the hardwood court, there is one regret that the Los Angeles Lakers legend has regarding their relationship.
As he revealed in his book, Magic regrets the fact that his relationship with His Airness “lacked substance”. Basically, while they did have an amicable relationship, they never truly became friends. Something that Johnson feels bad about. In fact, the rumored freeze-out in 1985 that Isiah Thomas and Magic planned on the six-time NBA Champion didn’t help things. To the point, where the two never reached out to each other to smooth things over.
“Although Michael and Magic evolved into two of the game’s biggest icons, their “relationship” lacked any genuine substance. ‘We never got a chance to talk about it,’ Magic said. ‘It was Magic against Michael. That’s why we never became friends. It’s too bad we never spent any time together. People ask me all the time why I didn’t do more projects with Michael. I don’t even know what to tell them. It [the freeze-out] was a misunderstanding, and neither one of us ever reached out and tried to smooth things over. So the next thing you know, the years go by and there’s this distance between us, and it all could have been avoided if either one of us just made the first move. But we didn’t.’”
It’s a shame that it took so long for them to reconnect. But, now that they have, the two have been enjoying the time they spend together. And, were even spotted partying together on a vacation in Europe.
Magic claims he could never party before a game like His Airness did
A few months ago, Magic Johnson commented on Michael Jordan and his pre-game routine. A big partier, Jordan would often go out and have a good time before every game. In fact, he even tried to get Magic involved. However, as Johnson revealed in an episode of Club Shay Shay, he just couldn’t do the things His Airness did and commended him for it.
At the end of the day, there can be no denying the greatness of both Jordan and Johnson. They are two legends of the game, and to have been able to watch them play on the same court was a privilege very few nowadays had.
