Earving Magic Johnson is one of the most inspirational people in history and his incredible quotes will show you why.
Earving “Magic” Johnson is a retired professional basketball player and former president of basketball operations of the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
He played point guard for the Lakers for 13 seasons and winning 5 NBA championships. Magic Johnson retired abruptly in 1991 after making the shock announcement that he had contracted HIV, but returned to play in the 1992 All-Star Game, winning the All-Star MVP Award. After player protests, he retired again for a further 4 years before returning at the age of 36 years old to play a further 32 games for the Lakers for retiring for a third and final time.
Johnson is one of the most decorated athletes in the sport, winning an Olympic gold medal with the United States men’s basketball team in 1992 and also being a two-time inductee into the basketball hall of fame.
What’s so inspiring about Earving Magic Johnson was that he didn’t let HIV stop him from pursuing his goals. Instead, he was able to turn that into another opportunity to give back and became an advocate for HIV/AIDS prevention and safe sex
He always has business ambitions from a young age and also went on to become a very successful businessman, philanthropist and motivational speaker. Johnson runs Magic Johnson Enterprises, a conglomerate company that has a net worth of $700 million. What’s even more inspiring about that is that he has been able to achieve business success by giving back to underprivileged communities.
Below you’ll find the best collection of Earving Magic Johnson quotes on basketball, business, HIV/AIDS, life and success. I hope you can find inspiration, strength, and hope from his powerful words and continue to go after your dreams.
Inspirational Magic Johnson Quotes On Life & Success
1. “I grew up poor, but I didn’t have poor dreams.” – Magic Johnson
2. “In life, winning and losing will both happen. What is never acceptable is quitting.” – Magic Johnson
3. “You’re the only one who can make the difference. Whatever your dream is, go for it.” – Magic Johnson
4. “I’m a big believer in dreaming. If you don’t dream it, you can’t become it.” – Magic Johnson
5. “I motivate others by making sure that they understand to go after their dreams and don’t let anyone tell you you can’t. If you are motivated enough and put the work in that you can achieve anything in life that you set your mind to.” – Magic Johnson
6. “If people around you aren’t going anywhere, if their dreams are no bigger than hanging out on the corner, or if they’re dragging you down, get rid of them.” – Magic Johnson
7. “Don’t give up! Be friends with people who help you work hard.” – Magic Johnson
8. “If you’re a competitive person, that stays with you. You don’t stop. You always look over your shoulder.” – Magic Johnson
9. “When you are honest and open with young people, they let you in.” – Magic Johnson
10. “I tell people to look at me and understand that everybody first told me that I couldn’t be a 6-foot, 9-inch point guard, and I proved them wrong. Then they told me I couldn’t be a businessman and make money in urban America, and I proved them wrong. And they thought I couldn’t win all these championships, and I proved them wrong there as well.” – Magic Johnson
11. “I respect women to the utmost.” – Magic Johnson
12. “I often tell people when you make a mistake, you not only hurt yourself, but you hurt the ones that love you.” – Magic Johnson
13. “I think that there are always goals for me to try to achieve, and I’m going to work toward those goals.” – Magic Johnson
14. “Manhood is taking care of your family and being able to bless other people. Not yourself – but whether you can bless other people.” – Magic Johnson
15. “All kids need is a little help, a little hope and somebody who believes in them.” – Magic Johnson
16. “Young people want you to be real with them.” – Magic Johnson
17. “When you face a crisis, you know who your true friends are.” – Magic Johnson
18. “Just celebrate the life you had, not the life you could’ve had.” – Magic Johnson
19. “I look three to five years ahead, not 10 years behind.” – Magic Johnson
20. “I’ve always been a leader my whole life. I’ve always led. I didn’t know how to do anything else.” – Magic Johnson
21. “Every kid, every minority kid can be so successful if they focus on their education.” – Magic Johnson
22. “A woman always remembers. Remember that.” – Magic Johnson
23. “You don’t have to be Magic to be special. You’re already special, you’re you.” – Magic Johnson
24. “We all have to play as a team to make the world a better place.” – Magic Johnson
25. “A competent and self-confident person is incapable of jealousy in anything. Jealousy is invariably a symptom.” – Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson Quotes On Basketball
26. “Ask not what your teammates can do for you. Ask what you can do for your teammates.” – Magic Johnson
27. “I guess when people ask what is the biggest transition to the NBA from college, it is definitely defense and the mental part.” – Magic Johnson
28. “If somebody says no to you, or if you get cut, Michael Jordan was cut his first year, but he came back and he was the best ever. That is what you have to have. The attitude that I’m going to show everybody, I’m going to work hard to get better and better.” – Magic Johnson
29. “Talent is never enough. With few exceptions the best players are the hardest workers.” – Magic Johnson
30. “For me, it always goes back to something I learned in basketball. There’s winning and there’s losing, and in life you have to know they both will happen. But what’s never been acceptable to me is quitting.” – Magic Johnson
31. “Even when I went to the playground, I never picked the best players. I picked guys with less talent, but who were willing to work hard and had the desire to be great.” – Magic Johnson
32. “Even as a fierce competitor I try to smile.” – Magic Johnson
33. “Assists is what Earvin is all about. That’s what my whole life has been, assisting others.” – Magic Johnson
34. “Everybody on a championship team doesn’t get publicity, but everyone can say he’s a champion.” – Magic Johnson
35. “I never think that there’s something I can’t do, whether it’s beating my opponent one on one or practicing another hour because something about my game is just not right.” – Magic Johnson
36. “Any guy who can maintain a positive attitude without much playing time certainly earns my respect.” – Magic Johnson
37. “They said playing basketball would kill me. Well, not playing basketball was killing me.” – Magic Johnson
38. “It’s a lot of energy that goes into winning a championship…I’m not settling for anything less than winning.” – Magic Johnson
Inspiring Magic Johnson Quotes On HIV & AIDS
39. “You can’t get AIDS from a hug or a handshake or a meal with a friend.” – Magic Johnson
40. “HIV changed my life, but it doesn’t keep me from living.” – Magic Johnson
41. “I enjoy being the messenger for God in terms of letting people know about HIV and AIDS.” – Magic Johnson
42. “The real story is that I had unprotected sex. That’s that. That’s easy.” – Magic Johnson
43. “It’s a burden trying to keep a secret. It’s hard. It probably takes more out of you trying to hold it and keep it than it does for you to really let it out.” – Magic Johnson
44. “The best doctors and medicine in the world can’t save you if you don’t do what you’re supposed to do.” – Magic Johnson
45. “Life doesn’t stop because something happens to you.” – Magic Johnson
46. “I tell you, it’s funny because the only time I think about HIV is when I have to take my medicine twice a day.” – Magic Johnson
47. “I do not have bad days. I don’t wake up in the morning and think that I’m going to get AIDS. I don’t dream bad dreams about it. If I did, I’d be giving in to the negativity.” – Magic Johnson
48. “I’m at peace with myself. The main thing is not letting people dictate what I do or what I am.” – Magic Johnson
49. “My having HIV has no bearing on my business.” – Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson Quotes On Business
50. “I’m a businessman, and what I know is numbers and business.” – Magic Johnson
51. “I am a businessman. This is what I do each and every day. I love it. I love coming to work. I never have a bad day.” – Magic Johnson
52. “When you are a successful business person, you are only as good as your team. No one can do every deal alone.” – Magic Johnson
53. “I try to hire people I don’t have to motivate. But I do motivate the people working with and for me.” – Magic Johnson
54. “Research your idea. See if there’s a demand. A lot of people have great ideas, but they don’t know if there’s a need for it. You also have to research your competition.” – Magic Johnson
55. “I think you just have to keep knocking down doors, you have to keep being aggressive, and even if somebody says ‘No’, then you have to knock on the next door.” – Magic Johnson
56. “When I’m under the gun and I’ve got pressure on me, I don’t panic. I look for the right solution, and then I go for it.” – Magic Johnson
57. “I was able to see what I wanted to do, I could see the opportunity, even when others could not, and I stay committed to doing it and doing it well, no matter what.” – Magic Johnson
58. “If you hate to lose, you do whatever you need to do to make sure you’re business is successful.” – Magic Johnson
59. “If you want to be successful, you have to be willing to use every connection you’ve got.” – Magic Johnson
60. “I really want people to know that I’ve worked hard, very hard, to get to where I am today… this didn’t just happen overnight. I started in business over 25 years ago and have found a way to build on what I’ve learned through every partnership and opportunity.” – Magic Johnson
61. “If the community is happy, then they support your business and if your business is doing well, then you can give back even more to the community.” – Magic Johnson
62. “Being able to touch so many people through my businesses and make money while doing it, is a huge blessing.” – Magic Johnson
63. “With businesses, you go to the same places because you like the service, you like the people and they take care of you. They greet you with a smile. That’s how people want to be treated, with respect. That’s what I tell my employees – customer service is very important.” – Magic Johnson
64. “If you want someone to be your mentor, you better be ready to listen and be humbled.” – Magic Johnson
65. “I’ve always studied business. Even when I was a ball player, I’d read business journals and the business sections of newspapers.” – Magic Johnson
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