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Magic Johnson open to changing Commanders name after buying NFL team

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James Foglio
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James Foglio Sports Editor

James is a Basketball Insiders contributor. He earned his bachelor's degree in English and Creative Writing at Southern New Hampshire University. James enjoys watching sports and helping gamblers win money.

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Updated22 Jul 2023

Magic Johnson open to changing Washington Commanders name after buying NFL team

Magic Johnson is now officially a part-owner of the NFL’s Washington Commanders. The NBA Hall of Famer was part of the ownership group led by Josh Harris that purchased the NFL franchise for $6.5 billion earlier this week.

The Los Angeles Lakers legend believes a name change should be one of his first orders of business. “Everything is on the table, right?” Johnson told TODAY’s Craig Melvin this week. “Especially after this year. We’ll see where we are with the name.”

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Magic Johnson was a co-owner of the Lakers for several years, and he served as the team’s president of basketball operations from 2017 to 2019.

The retired five-time NBA champ is also part of a group of investors that purchased the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2012, the Los Angeles Sparks in 2014, and the Los Angeles F.C. in 2017.

Under previous owner Dan Snyder, the NFL franchise changed its name from Redskins to the “Washington Football Team” in 2020 after Native American groups and other individuals deemed it offensive. Ahead of the 2022 NFL season, ownership rebranded its name to Commanders.

NBA Hall of Famer and Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson is open to changing the Washington Commanders name after purchasing NFL team with ownership group led by Josh Harris for $6.5 billion

The Washington Commanders played under the Redskins name for 87 seasons. The NFL franchise was founded 91 years ago on July 9, 1932. The team played the 1932 NFL season as the Boston Braves. Ownership then changed its name to the Redskins the following year before moving to Washington, D.C., in 1937.

Washington won NFL championships in 1937 and 1942 as the Redskins and lost Super Bowl VII against the Miami Dolphins and Super Bowl XVIII to the Oakland Raiders.

The Burgundy and Gold also won three more championships: Super Bowl XVII over Miami, Super Bowl XXII against the Denver Broncos, and Super Bowl XXVI over the Buffalo Bills.

Major Tuddy, the new Commanders’ pig mascot, was unveiled at the end of the 2022 season. Washington’s rebranding in 2022 included new logos and uniforms featuring military-inspired motifs. The primary home uniform remain burgundy with gold and white stripes.

Of course, the letters on the jerseys have a gold base. The road white uniform showcases burgundy and white gradient numbers with black trim. A burgundy and white gradient and black sleeve stripes are visible as well. The MLB’s Cleveland Indians also changed their name to Guardians in July 2021.

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