Magic Johnson Shows Love to 65YO NBA Veteran Following Chance Encounter at Arizona

Accepting the invitation as a speaker at Arizona State University, little did Magic Johnson know he would stumble upon an age-old friend at the venue. Johnson delivered a speech in Martin Luther King Jr.’s honor. And he also donated $50k to the ASU students. However, Buck was not the only NBA star at the event, as he met his old friend, Eddie A Johnson, there.

Taking to his official account on X, Eddie re-posted Magic’s post on X featuring their photos. “Always great seeing my great friend and in my opinion the best player ever!” the former Phoenix Suns star stated. In his post, the former LA Lakers star had stated his happiness of running into his old friend Eddie, and his wife Joy at ASU.

As mentioned by Magic in his post as well, his and Eddie’s friendship goes back to their high school days. “Eddie and I played together in the Albert Schweitzer Tournament in Germany, representing the US as high school seniors and winning the championship! He went on to be one of the smoothest shooters to play in the NBA!” the Lakers icon wrote. Notably, not only the two high school players represent team US, but also claimed the third straight tourney title for the nation.

However, this was not a mere formality of two NBA stars stumbling upon each other, but two actual friends reuniting. The fact Magic Johnson once made an exception just for Eddie is a testament to this. In a 2023 interview with SiriusXM NBA Radio, the Lakers legend stated he does not appear in interviews. However, he made an exception by appearing on the show because of Eddie Johnson.

“… everybody got all these shows. They’ve been hounding me like crazy. I said, I’m only doing one… And that’s Eddie Johnson… that’s my man. Will always be my man… Anytime you guys need me, I’m here,” Magic said. The former Phoenix Suns star holds a similar level of affection for Buck.  

The time Eddie Johnson bashed Kendrick Perkins in Magic Johnson’s favor

Although Stephen Curry once stated himself to be the best point guard, he also included Magic Johnson’s name. “It’s me and Magic, is that the conversation?” the Golden State Warriors star had stated in an episode of Gil’s Arena.

Now, as good a player as Curry may be, he still needs one NBA championship, one MVP title, and 2 All-Star selections to level up to Magic just in terms of awards and accolades alone. However, during his appearance on ‘First Take’, Kendrick Perkins agreed with Curry’s statement. He stated Curry to be “greatest point guard to ever play the game of basketball.”

But this statement did not go down well with Eddie. Though he didn’t disapprove of Steph as one of the best PGs, he mocked Perkins for declaring him ‘the’ best. “I say Kendrick Perkins you must be drinking some good tequila right now. It’s just blasphemy,” the Suns star stated. This reply may not just have come from Eddie’s respect for Magic Johnson as a player but also as an age-old friend. 

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