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NBA Legend Magic Johnson Cruises the Ionian Sea in Greece

Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson on his first day in Greece. Credit: Facebook/Magic Johnson

NBA legend Magic Johnson, regarded as the best point guard of all time, is sailing Greece’s Ionian Sea aboard his $150 million luxury yacht.

First port of call was the island of Corfu. The basketball legend posted a video of the Old Fortress which covers the promontory that initially contained the old town of Corfu during Byzantine times.

Johnson, who played thirteen seasons for the Los Angeles Lakers and was honored as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996, does not let vacations disrupt his fitness training. In a second video he is seen exercising on the Aquila yacht.

Johnson and his wife Cookie seem to very much enjoy taking their vacations in this part of the world. Last year, the couple sailed further north in the Adriatic Sea. He spent two weeks taking in the sights along the coast of Croatia, visiting Split and Krka National Park as well as the islands of Hvar and Vis.

Admiration for Antetokounmpo

Johnson has many fans in Greece, where basketball is a very popular sport. The NBA was  closely followed long before the “Greek Freak” Giannis Antetokounmpo joined the Milwaukee Bucks.

In February 2018, Johnson told ESPN.com he saw many similarities between his style of play and Antetokounmpo’s:”With his ball-handling skills and his passing ability. He plays above the rim — I never could do that.

“But in his understanding of the game, his basketball IQ, his creativity of shots for his teammates. That’s where we (have the) same thing. Can bring it down, make a pass, make a play…And he’s going to be like an MVP, a champion, this dude, he’s going to put Milwaukee on the map.

“And I think he’s going to bring them a championship one day.”

Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson poses on his yacht with Corfu’s Old Fortress in the background. Credit: Facebook/Magic Johnson

Magic Johnson’s career achievements

His career achievements include three NBA MVP Awards, nine NBA Finals appearances, twelve All-Star games, and ten All-NBA First and Second Team nominations. He led the league in regular season assists four times, and is the NBA’s all-time leader in average assists per game, at 11.2.

He was a member of the 1992 United States men’s Olympic basketball team (“The Dream Team”), which won the Olympic gold medal in 1992. After leaving the NBA in 1992, Johnson formed the Magic Johnson All-Stars, a barnstorming team that traveled around the world playing exhibition games.

He became a two-time inductee into the Basketball Hall of Fame — being enshrined in 2002 for his individual career, and again in 2010 as a member of the “Dream Team.”

His friendship and rivalry with Boston Celtics star Larry Bird, whom he faced in the 1979 NCAA finals and three NBA championship series, are well documented.

Since his retirement, Johnson has been an advocate for HIV/AIDS prevention and safe sex, as well as an entrepreneur, philanthropist, broadcaster and motivational speaker.

His public announcement of his HIV-positive status in 1991 helped dispel the stereotype, still widely held at the time, that HIV was a “gay disease” that heterosexuals need not worry about; his bravery in making this announcement was widely commended.

Johnson has numerous business interests, and was a part-owner of the Lakers for several years. He is also is part of a group of investors that purchased the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2012 and the Los Angeles Sparks in 2014.

During Johnson’s ownership of both teams, the Sparks won the 2016 WNBA championship, and the Dodgers won the 2020 World Series championship. Combining his playing career and sports ownership career, Johnson has 10 NBA championships (five each as a player and later part-owner of the Lakers) to his credit.

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