"Magic" seemed like a natural nickname for Earvin Johnson. Whenever he played basketball, he was a magician, casting his spell over both his opponents and the fans. He had a great scoring touch, superb ball-handling skills, and the ability to always find an open teammate with a bullet pass. When Johnson was at the top of his game, he made his team better, leading Michigan State University to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championship and the Los Angeles Lakers to five National Basketball Association (NBA) championships. He won the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) award three times (1986-87, 1988-89, and 1989-90) and retired as the league's all-time assist leader.

Johnson accomplished all of this with a smile on his face. One of the nicest and most popular players in basketball, Johnson, along with his arch-rivals Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics and Michael Jordan of the Chicago...