'I never got credit for it, but that's okay' - Magic Johnson learned how to play 'Showtime' basketball from his older brother Larry

Magic Johnson electrified basketball fans with his dazzling style of play. Johnson ran the show for the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers with his trademark smile and fancy passes. Of course, the huge, infectious smile was with him from the start. But the exquisite passing was a skill that Earvin learned from his older brother Larry.

Most people don't know about Larry. That's because his basketball career ended before it even started. Growing up, however, he was as good a player as the future Lakers legend and even taught him the main skill that earned him his popular nickname.

"The no-look pass came from Larry Johnson, not Magic Johnson," Larry said. "I never got credit for it, but that's okay."

He walked away from his HS team

Larry and Earvin attended Everett High School with dreams of playing professional basketball. But because it was a predominantly white academic institution, life wasn't easy there.

Being a couple of years older, Larry was the first to experience the hardships at Everett. As a freshman, he made the basketball team, but he was criticized for being too fancy during one practice session. He walked off the team and never played again.

"I started selling drugs and became my best customer," added Larry as his life began to take a different course before graduating high school. "Before long, I got introduced to heroin and cocaine."

Earvin ended up in the NBA, while Larry went to jail

Earvin followed Larry at Everett, and he, too, faced the same challenges his brother had. But while Larry lost sight of his dream, Buck refused to let anything distract him from his ambition. Ultimately, he succeeded at Everett, then MSU, then the NBA. Meanwhile, Larry ended up behind bars.

"I was facing 20 to 40 years in prison on five felonies, but I didn't want it anymore, but I ended up doing a year in the county jail," he continued. "But this last time March 2, 1989, was it for me, and I didn't want it any more."

With Magic's help, Larry got his life back. He founded the organization Brotherhood Against Drugs' and is now a motivational speaker for people struggling with drugs and alcohol. Larry may have never thrown a no-look pass in the NBA, but he has been dishing off assists more important than the ones in a basketball game.