That Earvin “Magic” Johnson sure does pop up in the strangest places. Since finishing his NBA career, somewhat prematurely, he has been one of the most active off-court personalities and businessmen in NBA history. There is no doubt that Magic’s personality has always made him the ultimate salesman and he has used this talent for both charitable and commerical purposes.
So where what is he up to now? Selling video-conferencing.
Well, selling is not totally factual. It’s never been Magic’s style to do the point-scoring. He is the facilitator, the assists man. The man who ranks third all-time in assists (did you know that Mark Jackson overtook him near the end?) is now assisting Cisco Systems it seems.
An Australian IT site, of all places, mentioned Magic’s work with Cisco:
Speaking from Los Angeles on Friday in a live videoconferencing session sponsored by Cisco Systems, Johnson, 49, talked with reporters in New York, Boston and San Jose and said that he has used Cisco’s high-end telepresence videoconferencing technology in hundreds of meetings during the past eight months.
But then came the interesting parts of the article, where the former Laker spoke basketball, mentioning his forthcoming book with long-time rival Larry Bird:
Johnson also said he can conduct meetings from his home, where he has installed high-definition monitors. For example, he said, on Friday morning at 6 a.m., he held a videoconference with his onetime NBA rival, former Celtics star Larry Bird. The two are co-authors of a book that goes on sale tomorrow. With telepresence, “the wear and tear on my body is better. You don’t have to get on as many planes. Things happen faster and quicker.”
The former superstar flashed his famous smile when he was asked questions about basketball by sports reporters participating in the telepresence press conference. He declared Lakers player Kobe Bryant the best player in basketball but put Celtics forward Paul Pierce “right up there.” And he said in a game of one-on-one between him and Bird, the former Celtics great would win, because Bird was always a better one-on-one player.
That book that Magic and Bird are releasing should be a great read — there has been no better story of two men fighting it out over the years in the NBA. The fact that they have remained friends makes the story even better. As part of the book contract the two originally signed, they were to receive a symbolic bonus of $33.32 if the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers met in the 2008 NBA Finals (which of course they did). The amount signifies the two numbers they wore in their playing days.
Somehow I think we may have to wait a bit longer on the release of that book though (let’s say that article had a bit of misspeaking). The slightly less riveting read that comes out tomorrow, according to the official Magic Johnson Enterprises press release is a book entitled “32 Ways to be a Champion in Business.”
In this incredibly informative and inspirational book, Johnson offers detailed advice, real world expertise and the enthusiasm of a natural-born entrepreneur who has pioneered unprecedented economic development in long-neglected urban communities. Earvin Johnson’s story is not the typical “bootstrap” tale. The legendary athlete had to overcome doubts about his business acumen and convince bankers and business veterans that underserved minority communities were ready for the big retail brands that had focused mostly on suburban markets. Johnson worked his trademark “magic” and his company, Magic Johnson Enterprises, has served as a catalyst for community and economic empowerment for more than twenty-five years by making available high-quality entertainment, products and services that meet the needs of ethnically diverse urban communities.
Magic has also been involved in recent times in imparting this business knowledge to other NBA players that are looking to make a career after their playing days:
Johnson has advised NBA players about transitioning to the business world, such as Grant Hill, Derek Fisher and Rick Fox. He tells them to work hard and avoid surrounding themselves with yes-men and buddies who lack business acumen.
“Number one is the work ethic,” Johnson says. “If you look at Larry Bird and myself, we couldn’t run faster than anybody else, we couldn’t jump higher than anyone else. Our thing was we were always going to outwork you and out-think you. Our great skills were the knowledge of the game. I carried that over into business to make sure I was very prepared.”
