NBA

NBA legend Magic Johnson reveals he would only be interested in owning the New York Knicks

Antonio Kozlow Sports Editor

Updated27 Sep 2023

Magic Johnson recently arrived in New York for a speaking engagement at a YMCA congress, where the new member of the Commanders’ ownership group saw his NFL squad lose to the Buffalo Bills this weekend. The NBA legend feels delighted every time he’s at the Big Apple, and even went on to talk about his desire of owning a basketball franchise in the city.

According to the former athlete, his love for the Los Angeles Lakers has made him ditch many opportunities of owning other NBA franchises, but if he had to chose one, he’d go for the Knicks.

“I think it would be intriguing,” Johnson said this Tuesday. “The only team I would actually probably think about is the New York Knicks.”

Magic Johnson says Knicks are ‘only’ NBA team he’d consider owning https://t.co/jIGl9E89TB pic.twitter.com/937ZWSccoi

— New York Post (@nypost) September 27, 2023

Now he’s on his way back to LA, where he will be present to support the start of his Dodger’s baseball postseason. However, the 64-year-old admitted that he’s rejected plenty of opportunities to own a franchise in the sport he loves the most.

When asked, the Hall of Famer mentioned the Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons, and Golden State Warriors as some of the teams he’s passed on the opportunity of owning, as he doesn’t want to be in a position in which he’s competing against the Lakers.

“I think because of the way fans love basketball you might have to think about that one, because I love coming to New York and going to the Garden and watching the Knicks play,” he told the press this week. “I love being with fans who are so passionate about their team and the Knick fans are, and they’re smart. They’re smart basketball fans and so that one I would have to think about. I think that other than that, I would probably never think about ever being a part of another franchise.”

Johnson said that he’s never spoken to the Knicks’ excecutives about this, but if the conversation would happen, he’d listen.

“That one you would really have to think about, in terms of being a minority owner of that team,” he shared. “But other than that, I would just stay with the Lakers and even with my role now, just being a fan, I’m happy just doing that with the Lakers because, again, I bleed purple and gold.”

As for the purple and gold, Johnson said he’s convinced that this next year LeBron James and company can fight for their second title in five years. “I think they’re going to be the best team in the West this year,” Magic assured.

Johnson remains an advocate for health education as this week he was leading discussions concerning various virus’ risks

Back in the day, Magic was forced to retire in 1991 when he found out he’d contracted HIV. David Stern, the NBA Commissioner of the time, decided to allow his return and appear in the 1992 All-Star Game, which publicly helped inspire people to support the fight against AIDS.

“I’ve always talked about, whether it was HIV, AIDS and now RSV, it’s really important that I come to the people,” he said this week about his desire to remain a passionate advocate of health education.

In the video above, check out Johnson and his wife Cookie addressing HIV diagnosis on live television seven years ago.

“It’s one thing to do a commercial, it’s another thing to be live and in person and shake people’s hands and really tell them: ‘Look, get your physicals. If you’re feeling something, go to the doctor,’ because a lot of times what happens, we don’t go when we first feel something, right, and RSV, you can be a healthy person and don’t even know you have it,” the Hall of Famer explained this week.