Magic Johnson

Johnson was ranked #5 in SLAM Magazine's Top 75 NBA Players of all time in 2003. is named after the comic servants, and their emblem features a jester. Johnson also works as an NBA studio analyst for TNT. The famous West London rugby club Harlequins F.C. Johnson is believed to have earned significantly more money from post-basketball ventures than from his playing days and endorsement deals. Arlecchino is also the name of an opera by Ferruccio Busoni; see Arlecchino (opera). More recently, his interests have expanded from a shortlived 1998 talk show "The Magic Hour", to ownership of several Starbucks franchises, again primarily in urban locations. In Goldoni and in Gozzi, Arlecchino is sometimes called Truffaldino; other names: Traccagnino, Bagattino, Tabarrino, Tortellino, Naccherino, Gradelino, Mezzettino, Polpettino, Nespolino, Bertoldino, Fagiuolino, Trappolino, Zaccagnino, Trivellino, Passerino, Bagolino, Temellino, Fagottino, Pedrolino, Fritellino, Tabacchino.

The chain is now a part of Loews Theatres, but is operated as a separate entity. In another hypothesis it comes from Harlay, an English gentleman of the court of Henri III, who had protected an Italian actor. His post-basketball business ventures include Magic Johnson Theatres, a nationwide chain of movie theaters whose complexes are primarily in urban locations. Others say it could come from Harlenkoenig, a Scandinavian hero. Profits from the book were donated to the Magic Johnson Foundation for the prevention, education, research and care in the battle against AIDS. The origins of the name are uncertain: some say it comes from Dante's Commedia (Inferno, XXI, 118) where one of the devils is called Alichino. Johnson and a team of ghostwriters produced a book which was published by Random House in 1992. Arlecchino often had a love interest in the person of Columbina, and his lust for her was only superseded by his desire for food or fear of his master.

The public announcement by a prominent and popular athlete shocked the nation into awareness about the AIDS epidemic and helped put the virus into the public eye. He is typically cast as the servant of an innamorato or vecchio much to the detriment of his master's plans. Outside of basketball, Johnson is probably most famous for his November 7, 1991, public announcement that he had contracted HIV and would be immediately retiring from basketball. One of most famous actors was Visentini (17th century). Assuming every assist creates 2 points, Magic created 54.85 points per 48 minutes, compared to Michael Jordan's 50.98 or Wilt Chamberlain's 40.82. Various troupes and actors would alter his behavior to suit style, personal preferences, or even the particular scenario being performed. Magic is - statistically seen - probably the greatest offensive producer ever. Within these restrictions the character was terribly elastic.

His stature, paired with his talent, allowed him to play virtually every position from center to point guard. The character would never simply perform an action when the addition of a cartwheel or backflip would spice up the movement. He revolutionised the concept of the "oversized point guard", able to post up and outmuscle his much smaller opposition. While generally depicted as quite stupid and greedy (in a gastronomic sense) his acrobatics were what an audience expected to see. At 6' 9", a size normally reserved for power forwards, Johnson was also easily one of the largest point guards ever to play on NBA level. The primary aspect of Arlecchino was his physical agility. He is widely considered to be one of the most exciting playmakers of the NBA, maybe the best of all time. His mask was black with a large red blemish on his forehead similar to a boil.

His unselfish playmaking and dazzling no-look passes on the fast break ushered in the "Showtime" era of Laker basketball, which dominated the eighties. Arlecchino traditionally wore an outfit of patches and rags which evolved into the lozenge-shaped motley seen today. Johnson possessed stellar point guard talent. Harlequin (Arlecchino in Italian, Arlequin in French) is the most popular of the zanni or comic servant characters from the Italian Commedia dell'Arte. . Johnson went on to lead the Lakers to championships in 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988.

Scoring a game-high 42 points and grabbing a game-high 15 rebounds, he led the Lakers to the NBA crown, stunning Julius Erving, the Philadelphia 76ers, and a national television audience who came to understand the moniker "Magic". Filling in for the injured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic started the game at center and eventually played every position on the floor in a dominating performance. The greatest game of Johnson's career arguably came in his rookie season: May 16, 1980, in Game 6 of the NBA Finals at Philadelphia. Although he and Bird eventually became the best of friends off the court, they revived the heated Lakers-Celtics Rivalry and drew millions of new fans to the NBA.

He led the Lakers in scoring three times (1987, 1989, 1990) and in rebounding twice (1982, 1983). In different periods of his career, he led the league in assists and steals. While not known as an exceptional scorer, Magic excelled in all other facets of the game. Johnson earned the nickname "Magic" at Everett High School from a local sports writer, both for his flamboyant passing style and winning ways.

He is one of only four players to win NCAA and NBA championships in consecutive years. Johnson is also the only NBA rookie to win the NBA Finals MVP Award. He also led Michigan State University to the NCAA title in 1979 against arch-rival Larry Bird's Indiana State University. Playing point guard, he led the Lakers to five NBA championships (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988), as well as four other NBA Finals appearances.

Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Jr. (born August 14, 1959 in Lansing, Michigan) is a 6' 9" former American professional basketball star who played for the Los Angeles Lakers during the 1980s and early 1990s.