Magic Johnson named Tournament of Roses grand marshal

NBA legend Magic Johnson was named grand marshal of the 2026 Tournament of Roses and is set to participate in the 137th Rose Parade on New Year's Day as well as in pregame ceremonies of the 112th Rose Bowl Game at Pasadena, Calif.

Johnson, 66, was named to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002 after 13 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers when he averaged 19.5 points with 11.2 assists over 906 games and was part of five NBA title teams.

A three-time NBA MVP, Johnson also won a national title with Michigan State in 1979 and led the United States to an Olympics gold medal in 1992 at Barcelona.

Johnson's post-playing days have included time as an entrepreneur, broadcaster and motivational speaker. He is in the ownership group of a number of professional sports franchise, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, Washington Commanders, Los Angeles Sparks, Los Angeles FC of MLS and the Washington Spirit of the NWSL.

As grand marshal, Johnson will not only lead the 5 1/2-mile Rose Parade, he will take part in the pregame coin toss before the Rose Bowl.

It is the second consecutive year, the Tournament of Roses grand marshal was from the sports world after tennis legend Billie Jean King was honored earlier this year.

Past Tournament of Roses grand marshals with a sports background include Arnold Palmer (1965), Hank Aaron (1975), Merlin Olsen (1983), Pele (1987), Chi-Chi Rodriguez (1995), Vin Scully (2014) and Greg Louganis, Janet Evans and Allyson Felix, all in 2017.