WELCOME BACK.

HE IS A FIVE-TIME N.B.A.

CHAMPION WITH THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS, AN OLYMPIC GOLD

MEDALIST, AND THE C.E.O. OF MAGIC JOHNSON ENTERPRISES.

PLEASE WELCOME TO "A LATE SHOW," EARVIN "MAGIC" JOHNSON!

HEY, MAGIC!

>> HEY, HEY, STEPHEN.

HOW YOU DOING, MAN?

>> Stephen: I'M DOING FINE.

YOU KNOW, PEOPLE MIGHT ASSUME, BECAUSE I DO THIS SHOW AND

YOU'RE A FAMOUS PERSON, THAT WE'VE MET BEFORE.

WE'VE NEVER LAID EYES ON EACH OTHER BEFORE.

THIS IS IT.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

THE VERY FIRST TIME.

BUT YOU'RE A COOL BROTHER, MAN.

I LIKE YOU A LOT.

>> Stephen: THAT'S-- QUITE A COMPLIMENT COMING FROM YOU.

I'M GOING TO BREAK SOME NEWS HERE, AND YOU MIGHT NOT EVEN

KNOW THIS NEWS.

MAGIC HAD A TALK SHOW CALLED "THE MAGIC HOUR," AND I DON'T

KNOW IF YOU KNOW THIS, BUT I WAS ORIGINALLY OFFERED THE ROLE OF

YOUR SIDE KICK ON "THE MAGIC HOUR."

( LAUGHTER ) AND I FORGOT WHO YOU ENDED UP

ACTUALLY GETTING.

BUT I WAS THE GUY THEY CAME TO AND THEY SAID, "WOULD YOU BE

THIS?

I COULDN'T DO TBECAUSE I WAS JUST HIRED AT "THE DAILY SHOW."

I CAN PROVE IT BECAUSE I HAVE A "MAGIC HOUR" T-SHIRT.

>> IT'S A BLESSING YOU DIDN'T TAKE THE JOB BECAUSE YOU ENDED

UP DOING A WONDERFUL JOB.

WE DIDN'T LAST THAT LONG.

>> Stephen: BUT WE COULD HAVE BEEN FRIENDS.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

>> Stephen: WE COULD HAVE BEEN FRIENDS.

THIS IS SUCH A TREASURED POSSESSION OF MINE.

ANYWAY, THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I'VE BEEN LONGING TO

MEET YOU ALL THESE YEARS.

SECOND, LISTEN, CONGRATULATIONS.

I KNOW IN 2012, YOU BECAME A PART OWNER OF THE DODGERS.

NOW, YOU'VE GOT AN M.L.B.

CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY.

CONGRATULATIONS ON WINNING THE WORLD SERIES LAST YEAR.

WHAT DID THAT FEEL LIKE?

WHOLE OTHER SPORT, TO BE NUMBER ONE?

>> WELL, IT FELT GREAT.

I'LL TELL YOU, I CAN'T WAIT TO GET THE RINGS.

I CAN'T WAIT TO OPENING DAY TO ALSO, HOPEFULLY, I CAN OWN A

TROPHY ONE DAY, THE WORLD SERIES TROPHY.

BECAUSE I HAVE THE LAKER TROPHIES.

>> Stephen: YOU'VE GOT-- I KNOW.

I'VE GOT A SHOT HERE.

WE'VE GOT A FEW OF THOSE RIGHT THERE.

THIS IS A ROOM DEDICATED JUST TO YOUR TROPHIES WITH A

BASKETBALL-- LAKERS COURT FLOOR DOWN THERE.

THAT'S NICE.

DO YOU MAKE PEOPLE-- IS THAT YOUR FRONT HALLWAY OF YOUR

HOUSE?

BECAUSE I WOULD MAKE PEOPLE WALK BY THAT BEFORE THEY DID ANYTHING

ELSE IN MY HOUSE.

>> WELL, IT'S NOT QUITE IN THE FRONT, BUT I GOT A WHOLE ROOM

DEDICATED TO THE LAKERS AND THE THINGS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO

ACHIEVE-- FIVE N.B.A.

CHAMPIONSHIPS, OF COURSE, AND THE THREE M.V.P. TROPHIES.

AND MY JUNIOR HIGH JERSEY, MY HIGH SCHOOL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

JERSEY, MICHIGAN STATE JERSEY, WHICH WE WON THE NATIONAL

CHAMPIONSHIP.

AND THEN, OF COURSE, THE DREAM TEAM AND THE LAKER JERSEY.

SO ALL THOSE THINGS ARE IN MY CHAMPIONSHIP LAKER ROOM.

>> Stephen: AND SOON THE WORLD SERIES TROPHY SOMEWHERE.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

>> Stephen: SOMEWHERE IN THERE.

HEY, DO YOU EVER LORD IT OVER JORDAN.

BECAUSE HE WANTED TO PLAY BASEBALL, AND NOW YOU'RE A

BASEBALL CHAMPION ( LAUGHS )

>> WELL, SEE, MICHAEL AND I, WE LOVE EACH OTHER, SO, LISTEN, HE

TRIED BASEBALL.

AT LEAST HE DID TRY IT.

I COULDN'T DO IT.

I COULDN'T STAND IN THAT BATTER'S BOX AND WATCH, YOU

KNOW, 100-MILE-PER-HOUR PITCH COMING MY WAY.

BUT MICHAEL, GIVE HIM CREDIT.

NOT ONLY-- JUST THINK ABOUT THIS-- STEPHEN, HE WON THREE

CHAMPIONSHIPS, SAID, "OH, I'M GOING TO QUIT, TAKE A YEAR OR

TWO OFF."

THEN CAME BACK AND WON ANOTHER THREE CHAMPIONSHIPS.

I MEAN, 6-0 IN THE N.B.A. FINALS WITH MICHAEL JORDAN.

AND THAT LAST DANCE WAS AMAZING, TOO.

SO I LOVE MICHAEL.

AND I LOVE WHAT HE STANDS FOR AND WHAT HE'S DOING, NOT JUST IN

BASKETBALL BUT OFF THE COURT AS WELL.

>> Stephen: YOU AND I HAVE SOMETHING ELSE IN COMMON, AND

THAT IS BIG FAMILIES.

I'M ONE OF 11.

YOU'RE ONE OF 10.

>> YUP.

>> Stephen: NOW, WAS IT A COMPETITIVE FAMILY?

DID YOU GUYS EVER FACE OFF LIKE FIVE ON FIVE?

>> OH, NO QUESTION ABOUT IT.

I MEAN, ALL MY SIBLINGS PLAYED SPORTS.

SO, YOU KNOW, ANY JUNIOR HIGH WE WENT TO, WE ALL WERE ON THE

TEAM.

WE WENT TO EVERETT HIGH SCHOOL, MY SISTERS ALL PLAYED BASKETBALL

AND SOFTBALL.

WE PLAYED BASKETBALL.

AND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, WE PLAYED ONE ON ONE, SO THERE WERE

A LOT OF FIGHTS ( LAUGHS ).

YOU KNOW, MY SISTERS WANTED TO BEAT ME UP, I WANTED TO BEAT MY

SISTERS.

I DIDN'T LET NOBODY WIN.

I WANTED TO WIN EVERY SINGLE GAME.

I DIDN'T CARE IF IT WAS MY BROTHER, SISTER, MOTHER, FATHER,

COUSIN OR SOMEBODY ELSE, I ALWAYS WANTED TO WIN.

AND AS A MATTER OF FACT I WON MOST OF THE TIME.

>> Stephen: DID YOU EVER PLAY OBAMA?

>> I DIDN'T PLAY AGAINST HIM.

I PLAYED WITH HIM.

AND WE ACTUALLY WON THE GAME.

WE-- WE-- IT WAS 1-1 TIE.

THEY HAD BEAT US ONE TIME.

WE BEAT THEM ONE TIME.

SO WIPER PLAYING A CHAMPIONSHIP GAME, AND IT CAME DOWN TO THE

LAST SECOND, AND HE HIT THE GAME-WINNING SHOT.

AND HE LEFT HIS HAND UP-- YOU KNOW HOW YOU SWISH IT AND YOU

LEAVE YOUR HAND UP, LIKE, "YEAH, THAT'S ME.

I MADE THAT SHOT."

>> Stephen: "IT'S WHAT I DO!

IT'S WHAT I DO!" TO QUOTE THE MAN HIMSELF.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

>> Stephen: NOW, THE COVID COULD BE KNOW-- KNOCK WOOD--

COULD BE LIFTING FAIRLY SOON.

THERE ARE ALREADY SOME SIGNS THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE A

LITTLE RELAXING.

MARCH MADNESS STARTS TOMORROW.

FANS ARE ALLOWED TO BE THERE AT 25% CAPACITY.

HOW MUCH DO FANS AFFECT YOUR PERFORMANCE AS A PLAYER?

>> WELL, STEPHEN, A LOT, BECAUSE YOU WANT THEM THERE TO GIVE YOU

THE ENERGY, RIGHT?

YOU WANT THEM TO-- THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE

DOWN IN A GAME.

A CROWD CAN WILL YOU TO VICTORY, CAN BRING YOU BACK.

AND SO, I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE GOOD FOR ALL THE COLLEGE PLAYERS

TO HAVE SOME PEOPLE THERE CHEERING-- OR EVEN BOOING.

BECAUSE YOU GET OFF ON BOTH, RIGHT, AS A COMPETITOR.

SO THIS IS GOING TO BE EXCITING.

AND I THINK THIS YEAR IS GOING TO BE MORE THAN EXCITING

PROBABLY THAN ANY OTHER YEAR.

YES, WE GOT GONZAGA AS THE FAVORITE, BUT I THINK ANY--

THERE'S ABOUT 10 TEAMS THAT COULD ACTUALLY WIN IT ALL.

AND THAT'S WHAT'S GOING TO MAKE IT SO EXCITING.

BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE THE TRADITIONAL POWERS-- POWERHOUSE

TEAMS LIKE YOU HAD IN THE PAST.

SO YOU ACTUALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.

SO EVERYBODY GET READY BECAUSE THIS YEAR IS GOING TO BE REAL

MARCH MADNESS.

>> Stephen: YOU MENTIONED "THE LAST DANCE," THE DOCUMENTARY

ABOUT THE BULLS.

I UNDERSTAND A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT YOUR CAREER IS IN THE WORKS

RIGHT NOW.

>> YES.

>> Stephen: WHAT IS IT-- HAVE YOU BEEN WATCHING ANY OF THIS

FOOTAGE YOURSELF?

LIKE, HAVE YOU GONE DOWN THE MEMORY LANE?

AS PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, GO FROM THE TEENAGER, THE HIGH SCHOOL GUY,

TO, YOU KNOW, THE HALL OF FAME CHAMPION.

WHAT MEMORIES HAS THAT BROUGHT UP.

>> WELL, STEPHEN, I HAVEN'T WATCHED NONE OF THE FILM YET.

WHAT I DID WAS, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE YOU RECALL ALL THE

MOMENTS.

AND IT'S BEEN GREAT.

YOU KNOW, THE BEST MOMENT IS EVEN PLAYING AGAINST LARRY BIRD

IN THE 1979 N.C.A. CHAMPIONSHIP GAME, RIGHT.

IT'S STILL THE MOST-WATCHED N.C.A. COLLEGE BASKETBALL GAME

-- >> Stephen: MICHIGAN STATE

VERSUS INDIANA.

>> INDIANA STATE.

THAT'S RIGHT.

SO JUST REFLECTING BACK ON THAT AND WHAT WE BOTH HAD TO GO

THROUGH TO GET TO THAT MOMENT WAS GREAT FOR BOTH LARRY AND I.

AND SO-- AND THEN, GROWING UP IN LANSING, MICHIGAN, MY FATHER

WORKING FOR GENERAL MOTORS FOR 30IES, MY MOTHER WORKING IN THE

SCHOOL CAFETERIA, GROWING UP WITH MY SUBLINGZ-- JUST

RECALLING ALL THOSE MOLTS BROUGHT BACK SO MANY GREAT

MEMORIES OF JUST LIFE, RIGHT.

AND I'M SO HAPPY I WENT THROUGH THAT WHOLE JOURNEY.

AND THEN GETTING TO LOS ANGELES, A LITTLE KID FROM LANSING,

MICHIGAN, YOU KNOW,FRESH OFF THE BOAT IN BIG L.A., AND JUST

CREATING SHOW TIME WITH THE LAKERS.

AND THEN MOVING IN TO THE BUSINESS ARENA.

SO IT'S GOING TO CAPTURE ALL THOSE GREAT MOMENTS, AND IT'S

BEEN FUN TO FILM ALL THOSE MOMENTS.

AND THEN IT'S BEEN A LOT OF MOMENTS WITHOUT ME BECAUSE I

WANTED THEM TO FILM MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS AND THE GUYS THAT I

GREW UP WITH WHO I'M STILL CLOSE WITH TODAY.

SO IT'S BEEN AMAZING.

>> Stephen: YOU'RE SUCH A FIERCE COMPETITOR.

LARRY BIRD IS SUCH A FIERCE COMPETITOR.

HOW DID YOU GUYS BECOME SUCH GOOD FRIENDS?

HOW DO YOU GET BEYOND THE DESIRE TO BURY THE OTHER GUY ON THE

COURT?

>> WELL, STEPHEN, AFTER WE HATED EACH OTHER FIRST.

BECAUSE WHEN WE LEFT COLLEGE AND WE PLAYED FOR THAT CHAMPIONSHIP

GAME, NOW WE ENDED UP WITH THE TWO MOST-STORIED FRANCHISES IN

THE N.B.A., HIM WITH THE CELTICS, MYSELF WITH THE LAKERS.

SO THEY ALREADY HAD HISTORY BEFORE WE BOTH SHOWED UP.

SO WE HAD TO DISLIKE EACH OTHER BASED ON THE RIVALRY ALREADY.

AND THEN FINALLY WE CAME TOGETHER AT HIS HOUSE.

WE WERE SHOOTING A CONVERSE COMMERCIAL.

IT WAS PROBABLY THE GREATEST MOMENT FOR BOTH OF US.

SO WE SHOT ABOUT THREE HOURS OF THE FILM, SO FINALLY, THEY SAID,

"HEY, IT'S LUNCHTIME."

I'M THINKING I'M GOING TO MY TRAILER TO HAVE LUNCH, AND HE'S

GOING TO HIS HOUSE.

AND HE TURNED TO ME AND SAID, "MAGIC, MY MOM HAS PREPARED

LUNCH FOR US AT THE HOUSE."

AND NOW, WHEN HE THREW HIS MOTHER IN THERE, YOU KNOW I

CAN'T SAY NO!

SO NOW WE HAD NEVER REALLY BROKEN BREAD.

SO I WENT UP TO HIS HOUSE, AND HIS MOTHER WAS BRINGING OUT ALL

THE FOOD.

AND FINALLY, SHE SAID TO LARRY, "DID YOU TELL HIM YET?"

AND LARRY SAID, "NO, YOU TELL HIM."

SO SHE TURNED AROUND AND SAID, "MAGIC, YOU MY FAVORITE

BASKETBALL PLAYER" ( LAUGHTER )

>> Stephen: MOMS DON'T LIE.

MOMS DON'T LIE.

>> THAT BROKE THE ICE.

THAT BROKE THE ICE.

AND WE BECAME FRIENDS RIGHT AFTER THAT.

AND WE'RE GREAT FRIEND EVEN TODAY.

AND I LOVE THE MAN.

YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED, STEPHEN, YOUR COMPETITOR CAN MAKE YOU

BETTER.

LARRY BIRD MADE ME A BETTER BASKETBALL PLAYER, AND I THINK I

MADE HIM A BETTER BASKETBALL PLAYER.

>> Stephen: MAG.

>> IT'S GREAT TO FINALLY MEET YOU.

WE SHOULD HAVE DONE A TALK SHOW TOGETHER.

I THINK IT WOULD HAVE BEEN GOOD.

>> WELL, WE WOULD PROBABLY STILL BE ON THE AIR THEN, SEE?

>> Stephen: THAT'S RIGHT, WE'D BE CELEBRATING 25 YEARS IN THE

BROADCASTING HALL OF FAME!

THE N.C.A.A. TOURNAMENT BEGINS TOMORROW ON CBS AND TURNER

NETWORKS.

AND YOU CAN SEE MAGIC IN CAPITAL ONE'S "MARCH MADNESS"

COMMERCIALS.

EARVIN "MAGIC" JOHNSON, EVERYBODY!

WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH COMEDIAN ERIC ANDRE.

THANKS.

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