Magic Johnson's Most Magical Moments Quiz

Answer: Indiana State Sycamores

Played March 26, 1979, in Salt Lake City, the 1979 NCAA Finals is considered one of the greatest college basketball games of all time. It was the first ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament for the Indiana State Sycamores, but they proved they were worthy of their 33-0 record when they advanced to the final game.

Their only loss that season came in the championship, 75-64, against Magic Johnson and the Michigan State Spartans, who finished the season with a 26-6 record. The rivalry between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson would continue well throughout their NBA careers.

Answer: Sophomore

Magic Johnson only played two years of college basketball prior to being drafted by the Lakers, just two months shy of his 20th birthday. After having finished the 1978-79 season with a 47-35 record, the Lakers had the privilege of first pick in the draft through a trade deal with the Utah Jazz.

Answer: Philadelphia 76ers

The Lakers, with their star rookie Magic Johnson, beat the Philadelphia 76ers four games to two to win the 1980 NBA Finals. It was Magic's performance in game 6 that sealed his nomination as Finals MVP, with an incredible 42 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 assists.

The Lakers other superstar, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, scored 40 points in game five, but was not allowed to play in the final game due to a bad ankle. Even without their other future Hall of Fame star, Magic Johnson stepped up and led his team to victory.

In doing so, he became only one of four players at the time to win both an NCAA and NBA Championship in consecutive years. The Lakers beat the 76ers in the NBA Finals again, in 1982.

Answer: The Lakers faced the Celtics in the NBA Finals three times and won twice, in 1985 and 1987

Magic Johnson and the Lakers faced Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals three times. The Lakers lost the first bout in 1984, but then won in 1985 and 1987. The Lakers did win consecutive NBA Championships, beating the Celtics in 1987, but beat the Detroit Pistons in 1988.

The Celtics also won two additional championships in the 1980's, in 1981 and 1986, both against the Houston Rockets.

Answer: Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls

Prior to Magic Johnson's rookie season in 1979-80, the last time the Lakers played in the NBA Finals was in 1973. After he retired in 1991, the Lakers did not make the Finals until 2000. Clearly, Magic Johnson was a key common factor to the Lakers' decade of dominance. Of his nine NBA Finals appearances, Magic and the Lakers faced the 76ers three times and won twice.

They also faced Larry Bird and the Celtics three times, and won twice. They faced the Detroit Pistons in consecutive years, in 1987 and 1988, and won the first of the two. Starting in and including 1991, Michael Jordan and the Bulls went on to win six NBA Championships over the next eight seasons.

Answer: Points per game

In the 1986-87 season, Magic Johnson scored 23.9 points per game, his personal best, but it was nowhere close to Michael Jordan's 37.1 points per game that season. However, that same year, Magic dished out 12.2 assists per game, which was one of four seasons in which he led the NBA in that category.

He led the league in steals per game twice, in 1980-81 and 1981-82. In the 1988-89 season, he led the league with an incredible 91.1% free throw rate.

Answer: Magic Johnson retired from the NBA in 1991, and did not play in any other NBA game that year

The 1992 NBA All-Star game was played February 9th, 1992. Magic Johnson had retired at the end of the 1991 season after announcing he was HIV positive. But he made a highly emotional reappearance in this game, his only NBA game of the season, putting on a spectacular performance, leading all scorers with 25 points.

The West won easily, 153-113. Eleven of the twelve members of the 1992 Dream Team played in this All-Star game, all except for Christian Laettner.

Answer: Lithuania

The American Dream Team beat Lithuania in the semi-final round 127-76, and went on to win the gold vs. Croatia. None of the games they played were even close, with a 44 point average margin of victory. By that time, Magic Johnson already effectively ended his NBA career after being diagnosed as HIV positive.

In 2010, the 1992 Dream Team became the eighth team to be inducted into the Naismith National Basketball Hall of Fame, eight years after Magic Johnson was indicted as an individual player.

Answer: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Basketball is a team sport, and in all fairness, playing among great players can elevate one's own game. Magic Johnson was a great player on his own merit, but his skills were undoubtedly fostered and enhanced by having great teammates. From his rookie season through 1989, Magic Johnson had the privilege of playing alongside another All Time Top 50 with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Not only that, but from the 1982-83 season through his last full season in 1991, Magic was joined by a third Top 50, James Worthy!

Answer: 2002

Only one other individual player was inducted alongside Magic in their Hall of Fame class, Drazen Petrovic, who died tragically at age 28 in the prime of his NBA career. Petrovic played for the New Jersey Nets, so it was coincidental that the year the Lakers met the Nets in the Finals, a representative from each team were the two individuals chosen for the Hall of Fame.

Others in the class of 2002 included coaches Lute Olsen and Larry Brown, as well the Harlem Globetrotters exhibition team.