A major East Lansing roadway would be renamed after NBA legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson under a proposal in the state Senate.
The proposal to honor Johnson would see nearly two miles of Grand River Avenue from Harrison Road to Hagadorn Road renamed to “Magic Johnson Way.”
However, the proposal faces opposition, and the objection has nothing to do with Magic Johnson’s basketball legacy.
During his college years, Johnson, a Lansing native, played basketball for Michigan State University, helping lead them to a national championship. He spent his NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers and is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.
“This section of road is one of East Lansing’s most traveled roads, and this legislation will serve as a reminder of Magic Johnson’s contributions to the basketball program and the university as a whole,” said state Sen. Michael Webber, R-Rochester Hills. “Magic Johnson certainly solidified his place in Spartan history and is more than deserving of this recognition.”
East Lansing city officials did not return multiple requests for comment on the proposal.
Webber put forward the renaming proposal in September, but the bill hasn’t moved in the Democratic-controlled Senate.
Last week, he wrote to Senate Local Government Committee Chair state Sen. Veronica Klinefelt, D-Eastpointe, asking for a hearing on the bill.
“As a proud Spartan, I know firsthand the long-lasting legacy that Magic Johnson established during his time at Michigan State,” Webber wrote. “I was a student when the Spartans won their most recent national title, and many would agree the success of the men’s basketball program is largely influenced by what Johnson was able to do on the court.
“The bill would honor Johnson’s legacy and the impact he has had on many residents throughout our state.”
Klinefelt’s office said the bill is not likely to get a hearing, but the reason isn’t due to anything Johnson has or hasn’t done.
“It is our intent that any highway renaming bill for an individual be for an individual that is deceased,” said Klinefelt spokesperson Em Lefko.
Johnson, 66, is still alive.
There is currently no official rule or law barring a state highway, like Grand River Avenue (M-43), from being renamed after a person that is still alive.
Generally, memorial highway designations in the state honor first responders and service members who gave their lives in the line of duty, historical figures and groups, groups of veterans and more.
However, there is precedent for a state highway being renamed after a living person, Webber said.
In 2001, a portion of highway I-196 was named the “Gerald R. Ford Freeway” while the former president was still alive. Ford died in 2006.
Webber’s letter requesting a hearing for the “Magic Johnson Way” bill comes as Klinefelt and state Sen. Erika Geiss, D-Taylor, [work to implement rules for memorial highway designations](https://www.mlive.com/politics/2025/12/who-can-get-a-michigan-highway-named-after-them-new-bills-would-set-limits.html).
The pair have proposed legislation that would put restrictions on who could receive a memorial highway honor, limit the number of highways that can be renamed each year and protect commemorations for at least 10 years.
Currently, no such restrictions exist, though many renaming proposals deemed insufficiently significant don’t go to a vote, Klinefelt previously told MLive.
A map of memorial highways around Michigan [can be found at this link](https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/1ef435c819594af0ac3328482796e322/page/Michigan-Memorial-Highways).
Under the legislation, a person, group or event is eligible to receive a memorial designation if it is at least one of the following:
* A service member, uniformed officer or first responder who died in the line of duty.
* A military unit, military operation, military event, or military award, where the mission or purpose is directly related to at least one service member, uniformed officer or first responder who died in the line of duty.
* A person, group, organization or event that is historically or culturally significant to the state or the U.S.
* A mass casualty event
Renaming a highway after Johnson would currently fit the requirements of the bills, which were reported out of committee last week, as there is no requirement in the bills that a historically or culturally significant person be deceased.
Lefko said the intention is for highways and bridges to only be named after deceased people and that senators are looking at substitutes for the bills.