The city of LA truly adores the Lakers and the Dodgers! The two sports franchises have brought forth multiple famous personalities that are etched in people’s memories. One of them is Magic Johnson, who was not only a former Lakers superstar but is now part of the ownership group with the Dodgers. On the 78th anniversary of Jackie Robinson Day, it was not only one Purple and Gold legend but multiple superstars of the Showtime Era who showed up.
It’s not only that the Dodgers nation celebrated the baseball icon. But the entire MLB honors Robinson for breaking baseball’s color line. Similarly, even Magic Johnson adores the Dodgers legend. However, his reason for celebration doubled as another teammate was in attendance. Showtime’s defensive aide and the unsung hero who got his jersey retired earlier this year.
“Tonight at the @dodgers game Buck hosted us in celebration of Jackie Robinson day! @magicjohnson We also go to say happy birthday to our boy Coop-a-Loop with all our friends! @showtimecooper21 #jackierobinsonday #21 #gododgers #showtime.” Byron Scott, on his Instagram, updated the fans about Magic Johnson’s method to celebrate the 69th birthday of teammate Michael Cooper. The 5x NBA champion also gave credit and flowers to Magic for this special surprise.
“I love you and how I feel about you man,” said Cooper. “You know the Lakers are all about family, and this boy here has brought that family atmosphere here to the Dodgers. And we love you for that. Thank you everybody, hope everybody had a good time. And my boy B (Byron Scott) back there. What y’all are looking at right now is a real musketeers here for the electric backcourt. ” Before the real celebration, Magic Johnson celebrated his teammate on social media.
“Happy birthday to the 5-time NBA Champion and Hall of Famer, Michael Cooper!” The post was with a throwback photo of Coop in a Lakers jersey. The legend only played for the Lakers in his 12 seasons in the NBA. Plus, he helped them to win 5 championships and played a key role defensively, as Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul Jabbar took over the offensive duties. Speaking about the captain of the Showtime era, he was even present for the Jackie Robinson Day.
Magic Johnson and his captain shared the same “hero”
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar joined the pregame ritual as both sides gathered at the statue of Jackie Robinson, which was unveiled back in 2017. The Lakers legend said, “It’s great to be here on this day, especially because he was a hero of mine from Day 1 when I became aware of him.“Growing up, Jackie Robinson was one of the heroes for Magic Johnson. In fact, when he unveiled the statue in 2017, the Lakers legend spoke about the impact of the baseball icon.
“Between Jackie Robinson and Muhammad Ali, they opened the door for me to be an owner of the Dodgers. Jackie paved the way for that.” The Lakers legend also acknowledged Robinson for breaking the color barrier and playing in Major League Baseball. On April 15th, the team wears jersey 42 to honor the icon.
So, it wasn’t surprising to see Magic Johnson at the venue. As he not only obliged as an owner but also came forward to support and celebrate his hero, Robinson. Similarly, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar also joined in and shared positive words to remember the impact of the baseball icon.
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