That's probably why, in the NBA, the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers teams of the '80s, led by Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, respectively, rate higher than the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls clubs of the 1990s.
The Rock draws mainstream fans, while also appealing to the hardcore wrestling base. 2K Sports, which has worked with NBA legends like Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson to promote its bestselling NBA 2K basketball franchise, knows the power of a big-time entertainer.
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Host Stuart Scott and analysts Magic Johnson, Jon Barry and Mike Wilbon will provide pre- and postgame segments, while Hannah Storm will host the 6 p.m. edition's NBA segments.
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"It translates into seven or eight figures in marketing and endorsements, " says Darren Prince, who runs Prince Marketing Group, a sports and entertainment company that counts Magic Johnson and Dennis Rodman among its clients.
Mr. EDWARDS: Now, that's an example, and you have another example where Magic Johnson and another basketball player had a similar experience on an elevator, and when you multiply these things out over the lifespan of a person, people become pretty sensitive to that.
And basketball legend Magic Johnson retold the time he went to Jackson's for lunch and watched Michael being served a bucket of fried chicken.
When the NBA began to explode in popularity in the 1980s and 1990s (thanks to Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and, eventually, Michael Jordan), television rights fees escalated in concert.
Stern fined the Los Angeles Lakers in 1990 after coach Pat Riley rested Magic Johnson and James Worthy in a regular season finale against Portland.
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It was also the year that Magic Johnson and Larry Bird joined the NBA and it began its staggering ascent over the next three decades.
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Wall, playing in front of his college coach, John Calipari, and Hall of Famer Magic Johnson, scored 10 points in the fourth quarter as Washington took control.
Eleven Hall of Fame players, including Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, David Robinson, Magic Johnson and Charles Barkley, came together to crush international opponents and win Olympic gold in Barcelona, Spain.
ABC's Buick Regal NBA Countdown pregame show will preview the action, with host Stuart Scott, Hall of Famer Magic Johnson and analysts Jon Barry and Michael Wilbon, at 8:30 p.m.
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However the ability to make your teammates better through assists while maintaining your own scoring ability is one of the characteristics that make Magic Johnson and currently LeBron James such dynamic players.
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Magic Johnson and Larry Bird and Isiah Thomas were each reviled by at least a few teammates for their brutal verbal takedowns of lesser players --and almost everyone in their respective locker rooms were lesser players.
With no competition from EA Sports yet again this year, things were looking good until the NBA lockout. 2K Sports knew that was coming and focused on NBA legends like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Dr. J for the cover as well as new gameplay modes.
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In late June she stood before an all-HP meeting as customers Jeffrey Katzenberg of DreamWorks SKG and basketball great Earvin (Magic) Johnson waxed on about the pleasure of working with HP.
Patrick Soon-Shiong, the richest man in L.A., bought a 5% stake in the Lakers from Magic Johnson in 2010 and could easily afford a bigger stake if the Buss family wants to raise any cash.
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Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and a Hall of Fame list of others had that.
That season Magic Johnson was a rookie and the Lakers were playing in the NBA Finals against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Led by Magic Johnson, James Worthy and Kareem Abdul Jabbar, the Lakers played electrifying fast break basketball and dazzled the fans.
This explains why former Los Angeles Lakers great Magic Johnson also believes he and his partners can afford to bid for the baseball team.
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That wasn't worth much at first, but thanks to Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and, eventually, Michael Jordan, the NBA exploded in popularity in the 1980s and '90s.
Mr. MAGIC JOHNSON (Former NBA player): And I went crazy, like, wait a minute.
His very first draft pick, Magic Johnson, took the league by storm and led L.A. to the 1979-80 title, kicking off a decade of memorable battles with Larry Bird and the Celtics (the two teams combined for eight of nine NBA championships from 1980 through 1988).
Others include Magic Johnson, the Kardashians, Suze Orman and even cartoon characters.
Among those who have said they are interested in bidding for the team are Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, former Los Angeles Lakers star Magic Johnson, hedge fund billionaire Steve Cohen, and talk show host Larry King.
But when you combine the unknown variables of health and chemistry with the known historical evidence, co-owner Magic Johnson better not be making plans for ticker-tape parades through downtown L.A. just yet.
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For the March Madness television coverage, the company not only released more ads in the same formula, but created a new set, where NBA greats Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul-Jabar and Bill Russell take the role of the kids.
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Magic Johnson is probably the most marquee name on the list and he is 5th all-time.
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Magic Johnson entered the NBA the same year as Bird, and joined a team that had underperformed for years.
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