Mar 26, 1979; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; FILE PHOTO; Michigan State Spartans guard Earvin Johnson (33), later known as Magic Johnson, in action with the ball against the Indiana State Sycamores at the 1979 NCAA National Championship game at the Huntsman Center. The Spartans defeated the Sycamores 75-64. Mandatory Credit: Malcolm Emmons-Imagn Images Malcolm Emmons-Imagn Images

Why Magic Johnson Stayed a Second Year at MSU

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Aidan Champion | Last updated Jul 25, 2025 6:29 PM ET

Michigan State basketball has run into bad luck through the years, whether it be injuries, losing to a team in the tournament it should have beaten or losing out on a top-tier prospect. As successful as the program has been, it's faced setbacks that have limited it from winning more titles.

But one of the greatest fortunes it ever had was being able to keep Earvin "Magic" Johnson for one more year. The greatest player in program history had an opportunity to begin his legendary professional career early but chose to play one more season at Michigan State.

And the rest was history.

Johnson discussed what went into staying in East Lansing when he joined former NBA players Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes on their podcast, "All the Smoke," back in 2023. A clip from this part of the episode was posted on social media by SpartanTailgate on Friday.

Magic Johnson on resisting the temptation of money during his Michigan State days:

(H/T: Stephen Jackson’s “All The Smoke” pod) pic.twitter.com/OlU3JsBzPN
— SpartanTailgate.com (@SpartanTailgate) July 25, 2025

"A lot of people offered me money," Johnson said.

"I knew it," said Jackson. "What kind of bags, though?"

"Oh, they were big bags," Johnson said. "And my father, he always gave me life lessons. So, my freshman year, we win the Big Ten and go all the way to the final eight -- Kentucky beat us. Kansas City had the No. 1 pick, so they called me and said, 'Hey, we want to draft you No. 1.'

"So, I flew down and met with a dude named Joel Atkinson, the general manager. And he said, 'Hey, I'm going to want to give you a six-year deal, $200,000 a year. So I got excited; I had been broke my whole life. I'm like, 'Oh man, this is great.' I jumped up and said, 'Oh, I think that's good.'

"My father grabbed me, and he pulled me and (dragged) me outside the door. He said, 'Hold on, we'll be right back.' He said, 'You've been broke for 18 years, you can be broke one more year.' I said, 'Yes, sir.' So, (he said), 'You're going back to school.' So, I went back to school. And I'm glad I did because I finished what I came to college for, which was to win the national championship."

Johnson and the Spartans, of course, would win the 1979 NCAA National Championship against Larry Bird and Indiana State. The Spartan legend would be drafted No. 1 overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1979 NBA Draft, and he went on to win five titles and three MVPs.

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