Magic Johnson is widely regarded as basketball royalty, a player whose career helped define an era of the NBA. He won five championships with the Los Angeles Lakers and three MVP awards, and built a résumé that places him firmly among the greatest players in league history. His playmaking also redefined the point guard position and helped popularize the NBA globally.
Before his professional dominance, Johnson's journey to stardom began with the Michigan State Spartans. There, he quickly established himself as one of college basketball's brightest stars before he was selected No. 1 overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers.
Johnson has remained closely connected to the school ever since, consistently showing public support for the program during major moments.
That support was evident again ahead of Michigan State's opening-round matchup in the NCAA Tournament. The No. 3-seeded Michigan State, who enter the tournament with a 25-7 record, are set to face the No. 14-seeded North Dakota State Bison, who comes in at 27-7 as Summit League champions.
Ahead of the game, Johnson took to X to show his support for his alma mater:
"At 1P PT/4P ET today I'll be cheering for my MSU Spartans as they take on North Dakota State in the NCAA Tournament! Go green! Go white!"
At 1P PT/4P ET today I'll be cheering for my MSU Spartans as they take on North Dakota State in the NCAA Tournament! Go green! Go white!
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) March 19, 2026
It remains unclear whether Johnson plans to attend the game in person, but his public show of support will mean a lot for the Spartans, who enter the matchup as favorites.
Johnson's legacy at Michigan State remains one of the most significant in program history. He led the Spartans to their first national championship in 1979 by defeating the Indiana State Sycamores in a historic title game. Since that victory, Michigan State has added one more NCAA championship, winning the title in 2000 under head coach Tom Izzo.
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