New LA Dodgers Part-Owner Magic Johnson Confesses He Lasted One Day Playing ... - Wall Street Journal (blog)

By Christopher John Farley

Christopher John Farley

Magic Johnson, center, speaks after a performance of “Magic/Bird.”

Earvin “Magic” Johnson just led a group of investors that bought the Los Angeles Dodgers, but at a recent New York event he revealed that he wasn’t adept at actually playing the sport.

The basketball great appeared today at the end of a performance of “Magic/Bird,” a new Broadway play about Johnson’s rivalry/friendship with fellow hoops legend Larry Bird, to answer questions from the audience about his life and career. The former Lakers star is part of a group that is purchasing the Dodgers for more than $2 billion. In the play, Johnson is portrayed by actor Kevin Daniels.

When asked about his favorite sportsâ€"other than basketballâ€"Johnson answered that he enjoyed football and boxing but added “Now I’m a big baseball fan.” Johnson told a story about a time when he was a youngster and tried to play baseball. “When the kid threw the first ball and it was coming straight at me and then it broke inside for a strike, I was bailing out,” he confessed. “I played baseball only one day.”

He told the audience, which included many young children, that they should join a sport, no matter what it is. “I think every kid should do some sport,” Johnson said. “It doesn’t matter if you play good or not. It’s about camaraderie, it’s about teamwork, it’s about being part of a team that makes it so special and so much fun.”

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