The life and career of NBA Hall Of Famer Earvin “Magic” Johnson is set to be explored in a new docuseries for Apple TV+. According to a press release, “The four-part docuseries will explore the remarkable accomplishments and global impact of Johnson’s life, both on and off the court.”
The series will begin with his upbringing in Lansing, Mich. to becoming a five-time NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers. It will also examine how he changed the conversation around HIV and transcended from an athlete into a community activist and successful entrepreneur.
With never-before-seen footage and personal interviews, the series promises an “unprecedented look at one of sport’s all-time greats.”
The untitled project is a New Slate Ventures and XTR Production. It is directed by Rick Famuyiwa (Dope) with editor Dirk Westervelt (Ford v. Ferrari) and cinematographer Rachel Morrison (Black Panther), and produced in association with H.Wood Media and Delirio Films.
The series is part of a growing lineup on Apple TV+ that includes docuseries and documentaries from the Emmy Award-winning Boys State and Critics Choice Award-winning and Emmy and Grammy Award-nominated Beastie Boys Story among other titles. Other upcoming documentaries include The Supermodels and Number One on the Call Sheet, from Jamie Foxx, Kevin Hart, Datari Turner, and Dan Cogan.
In his career as an athlete, Magic Johnson played 13 seasons for the Los Angeles Lakers from 1979 through 1991 and returned in 1996 for 32 more games with the West Coast team. He won a championship and an NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award during his rookie season and won four more championships with the Lakers during the 1980s. He first retired in 1991 after publicly disclosing his HIV-positive status, although he returned in the 1992 All-Star game where he won the MVP award.
Johnson’s most notable achievements include three NBA MVP Awards, nine NBA Finals appearances, 12 All-Star games, and 10 All-NBA First and Second Team nominations, and a 1992 Olympic gold medal as a member of the “Dream Team.” He became a two-time inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002 for his individual career, and again in 2010 as a member of the “Dream Team.”
He has become an advocate for HIV/AIDS education and prevention, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and sports broadcaster off the court.