Magic Johnson shared his deep rivalry with the Celtics, praised Nikola Jokic as the best player today, criticized NBA load management, and expressed disappointment in the declining competitiveness of the All-Star Game and Slam Dunk Contest.
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[Magic Johnson](https://basketnews.com/players/11190-earvin-magic-johnson.html) had a legendary career that included five championships with the Los Angeles Lakers. Throughout the years, Johnson has never been shy about sharing his opinions on the game, his rivalries, and the current state of the league.
The Lakers-Celtics rivalry defined the 1980s NBA, with Johnson and Larry Bird at the center of it. Johnson has always been vocal about his feelings towards the Celtics, particularly when reflecting on the battles he had with Bird and Boston.
"If you think about beating the Celtics, that's always going to mean the most to me... I hate them even today - I still hate them," the HOF member said on the latest episode of Byron Scott's Fast Break.
"When we beat them in '85, it was the first time. '84 taught us a great lesson when we lost to them... Any time I can beat Larry Bird and beat up on him, I'm good."
Johnson and Bird faced each other in the NBA Finals three times, with the Lakers winning two of those encounters.
Even years after retiring, Johnson has continued to express his deep-rooted competitive spirit when it comes to the Celtics.
"I hate that the Celtics officially have more championships than us now," he tweeted on June 17, 2024.
Johnson has also given high praise to the modern-day greats. His latest reference was Nikola Jokic, the Denver Nuggets' star center, and his dominance in the league.
"Best player in basketball right now. He reads situations and defenses well. His basketball IQ is off the chart," he commented.
One of Johnson’s biggest concerns with today’s NBA is load management, as star players frequently sitting out games for rest. He believes this has negatively impacted the league and shared insights from a conversation he had with Michael Jordan.
"I love the NBA game, but then I turn on a game, right, and the stars are not playing because of load management. It's hurting the game," he argued.
He also recounted a conversation with Jordan, where the Chicago Bulls legend expressed his dismay at players missing games when healthy.
"I was with Michael Jordan - not last summer, but the summer before last - we ran into each other in Europe. And he says, 'Earvin, I don't know why these guys…' Because if you look at his record, he almost played every game like five or six times throughout his career. He didn’t miss one game. He played in every game."
Jordan prided himself on his availability and effort, playing all 82 games in nine of his 15 seasons. Johnson echoed that sentiment, lamenting the lack of commitment from today’s players.
Johnson himself never played a full 82-game season, but that wasn’t by choice. He recalled how the Lakers' head athletic trainer, Gary Vitti, had to physically stop him from playing when he was injured.
"He wouldn’t let me put my uniform on when I couldn’t play in the game because he knew I would tear the damn jersey off and go in the game," he revealed.
Another area of disappointment for Johnson has been the decline of the NBA All-Star Game. He has become increasingly disillusioned with the event and was candid about his lack of interest in it this year.
"This is the first time in history - now I’ve been associated with this league for 46 years or so - that I didn’t watch the entire weekend. I didn’t go, didn’t watch... You don’t have to give 100%, but you got to give 80, you got to give 75, make it a game, and make it competitive."
Johnson also lamented that modern stars refuse to participate in the Slam Dunk Contest, a stark contrast to his era.
"Michael Jordan was in the slam dunk contest, Dr. J, Dominique Wilkins, Clyde Drexler, Kobe; every guy participated, and so that made everybody tune in, and then made players want to come to the All-Star Weekend."
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