Magic Johnson fits the theme of ‘teamwork,’ adds to his legacy as grand marshal of Rose Parade
When Los Angeles Lakers star center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar could not play in Game 6 of the championship series in 1980 due to an injury, rookie point guard Earvin “Magic” Johnson played center, guard and forward in the game that clinched the NBA title, racking up 42 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists and three steals.
It was the opening championship act in a decade of dominance for the Lakers.
As great as his individual stat line was, Johnson’s performance offered a glorious look at a pro athlete who would reach the game’s heights not for scoring (though he was plenty good at that), but for passing — “giving it up.”
In the process, he made his team better.
When he played out of position that Game 6, May 6, 1980 against the Julius Erving-led Philadelphia 76ers, it was something he did for the team, bringing them together in crunch time to help his Lakers team snag the NBA crown.
That’s just one, albeit well-known, example of Johnson fulfilling the 2026 Rose Parade theme of “The Magic in Teamwork.”
It’s also very good reason, besides having his name in the theme, for him being chosen to lead the parade as grand marshal 5.5 miles down Colorado Boulevard on Jan. 1.
In an unusual move, Johnson also will serve as emcee, kicking off the 137th Rose Parade opening at about 8 a.m. that features singer Bishop Briggs performing her platinum-selling anthem “River” and another hit, “Champion.”
Then he’ll take a seat with his wife, Cookie, in the grand marshal’s vehicle and join the parade line-up.
Teamwork as a basketball player
The theme of teamwork fits with his basketball career, which included five NBA championships while playing with the Lakers and a collegiate championship with Michigan State in 1979. As one of the best point guards ever — with some there’s no debate; he just is — the 6-foot-9 superstar coordinated Laker teams on offense through savvy passing and play-making, while also positioning the his teammates on defense.
Former Laker teammate Michael Cooper, who played basketball as a Pasadena High School Bulldog, said recently on The Rich Eisen Show that Magic was a leader of the so-called “Showtime Lakers” who brought back having fun while playing the game professionally.
“Leaders lead by example, and that’s what Magic did,” he said. “He was the first one at practice and the last one to leave. Magic was the reason why we became the team of the ’80s.”
Grand marshal adds to legacy
Since his playing days, he’s gone on to be an entrepreneur, owning movie theaters and investing in healthcare, energy endeavors and sports teams.
He is part owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks, the Los Angeles FC Major League Soccer team and the NFL’s Washington Commanders.
His net worth was estimated at $1.5 billion by Forbes magazine as of May 2025.
At 66, Johnson’s business success is well in hand. So any exposure to Magic Johnson Enterprises, or polishing the Magic Johnson brand may not be the reason for him immediately agreeing to be grand marshal, said Daniel Durbin, USC professor in the School for Communication and Journalism and director of the USC Institute of Sports, Media and Society.
“At this point, it is more about legacy,” Durbin said, adding it’s about “going down in Pasadena and Los Angeles history as being the grand marshal of the Rose Parade.”
Johnson joins other grand marshals, including Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, former presidents Gerald Ford and Dwight Eisenhower, actors John Wayne and Shirley Temple Black, and last year’s athlete-activist Billie Jean King.
Interview requests went unanswered by Magic Johnson Enterprises and by Johnson’s agent. Also, Tournament of Roses’ Heather Smith, in charge of talent publicity, wrote in an email on Dec. 8 that the Tournament could not accommodate this newspaper’s request for an interview.
Sports figures appearing in the Rose Parade are not uncommon and for good reason, Durbin said.
“Sports is a public forum. The activity of sport is a form of public discourse. We talk about it constantly. You want to identify yourself with the ethos of sports, just like when the president invites champions to the White House — the president wants a halo effect,” Durbin said.
Some say that having two sports figures back to back, King and Johnson, makes for too much of the same thing.
Actually, King and Johnson are “fairly close,” said Mandy Denaux, senior director of marketing and communications for the Tournament of Roses. They could’ve discussed her experience in the months before he accepted the invitation from TofR President Mark Leavens.
King is a minority owner of the Dodgers. Johnson attended her ceremony when she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Denaux said.
Johnson follows his Michigan State basketball team, as well as teams he has invested in. Recent posts on X talk about today’s Lakers and Michigan State, as well as the Dodgers, Sparks and FC.
As grand marshal, he’ll ride in a white 1940 Lincoln-Zephyr Continental Cabriolet convertible decorated with flowers in Laker colors of purple and gold and basketballs of seeds. But his duties don’t end there. He’ll receive a police escort in order to participate in the coin flip to start the Rose Bowl Game between Alabama and Indiana at 1 p.m.
“Magic is excited about being on the field and meeting the two football coaches,” said Leavens.
Teamwork in philanthropy
Leavens is like most Rose presidents, who generally have three things that they’d like to see in a grand marshal: someone who is connected to the theme, is in touch with the times and truly resonates personally. Magic Johnson fit all three of those, Denaux said.
The association with teamwork is apparent and was emphasized recently with Johnson’s response to the LA wildfires of January 2025. Johnson, along with Dodgers chairman Mark Walter and 2028 Olympics organizer Casey Wasserman teamed up to form LA Rises to help with the fire-zone rebuilding efforts.
Johnson is focusing on rebuilding Altadena, where generations of black homeowners lost their homes. When Leavens read about Johnson in April visiting the Boys & Girls Club of Pasadena in the middle of the Eaton fire area, he took notice. He himself had experience as a YMCA basketball coach.
“All that spoke to Mark. He was a really fitting choice for all of those reasons,” Denaux said.
Personal causes
In 1991, Johnson shocked the world when he announced he had tested positive for HIV, the virus that can lead to AIDS, and was retiring from the NBA.
Attempts to return to playing for the Lakers did not go well, as some players said they feared if he was cut on the court, his blood could transfer the virus to players on the court. He told ESPN he had contracted HIV from heterosexual sex with women.
A public kiss with friend and Detroit Pistons player Isiah Thomas on an NBA court fueled rumors that Johnson was gay or bisexual, which he denied.
Despite the noise, he played in the 1992 NBA All-Star Game and was awarded the MVP trophy, scoring 25 points.
Johnson weathered that storm at a time when HIV-positive was a huge stigma. Johnson vowed to fight the virus, never had AIDS, and has stayed healthy. He participated in the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, leading the so-called “Dream Team” made up of NBA players to a gold medal.
His announcement helped advance a wave of public empathy for people living with HIV, and coincided with advancement of new drugs that keeps HIV-positive patients from getting AIDS and remaining healthy, living a normal life.
In October, he joined with venture capitalists and a company called Alchemy to fund and build in-house pharmacy programs, expand patient care and improve outcomes for those with HIV.
“Investing in Alchemy is deeply personal, not only as a person living with HIV, but because I’ve witnessed firsthand the devastating impacts of HIV in our communities,” wrote Johnson, CEO and chairman of Magic Johnson Enterprises on his company’s website.
Durbin said Johnson doesn’t make political statements. His personality, his teamwork on the Lakers and elsewhere, and his success in the business and philanthropic worlds speak for themselves.
“There is no sin in not making public political statements,” Durbin said. “Magic does it by what he supports. Magic Johnson’s work has been his action.”