Unknown date; Orlando, FL, USA, FILE PHOTO; Los Angeles Lakers guard (32) Magic Johnson against the Orlando Magic at the Orlando Arena. Mandatory Credit: Photo by Imagn Images RVR Photos-Imagn Images

Former Lakers Coach Makes Bold Magic Johnson Statement

Originally posted on Fastbreak on SI | By Ben Stinar | Last updated Jul 27, 2025 3:58 PM ET

Mike Dunleavy Sr. was the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers for two seasons.

During the 1990-91 season, Basketball Hall of Famer Magic Johnson was the team's point guard.

In a recent interview with FanDuel TV's Run It Back, Dunleavy Sr. made a bold statement about Johnson.

Dunleavy Sr.: "I played pickup with Magic in the offseason, we could be playing for $2 or $2 million... He wants to win every single game he plays."

Magic Johnson was never about the check… he was always about the smoke

Mike Dunleavy Sr. saw that competitive fire up close as a rookie head coach for the Lakers pic.twitter.com/RXsNiSoy8v
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) July 27, 2025

The Lakers finished that season with a 58-24 record.

They reached the 1991 NBA Finals before losing to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls (in five games).

Via @AirJordans2323: "Magic Johnson was still in his MVP prime in 1990-91.

He had just won MVP in 1990 and was the runner-up to MVP Michael Jordan in 1991.

That's why the 1991 Finals were so captivating - the two greatest guards in NBA history in their primes competing all out against each other."

Johnson is seen by many as the best point guard in NBA history.

He won five titles over his 13 seasons playing for the Lakers.

His career averages were 19.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 11.2 assists and 1.9 steals per contest while shooting 52.0% from the field and 30.3% from the three-point range in 906 games.

This article first appeared on Fastbreak on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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