This weekend’s NBA All-Star Game in New Orleans marks the 25th anniversary of one of the game’s most iconic moments.
In 1992, at Orlando Arena in Florida, Magic Johnson took over the game’s final four minutes with a performance that lives on as one of the game’s most dazzling displays of individual talent the All-Star Game’s ever seen.
It’s a moment that came after Johnson’s retirement—the Los Angeles Lakers star abruptly retired after the 1991 season when he announced he had contracted HIV. Despite that, Johnson made the All-Star game and played 29 minutes, scoring 25 points in a 40-point West blowout. The 153-113 shootout was one last chance for Magic to show off what made him one of the game’s all-time greats. He saved his best for last.
With 2:46 to play and Magic launches a majestic, uncontested three that seemed to count before it ever left his hand.
“No doubt about this one,” Dick Enberg says, as Johnson scored his 19th point of the night. The veteran broadcaster wonders aloud of Magic will win the MVP award as Michael Adams hits a long three after a feed from Isiah Thomas.
Magic then goes right back down the floor, stutter steps a bit to shake a defender, and hits his second three of the game. Thomas pushes Johnson on his way back down the floor to defend, as if to say “come on man, that’s enough.”
Clearly sensing that Magic is heating up, the East tries to fight back with some quick shots that are way off. Charles Barkley hilariously tries a three, which is an airball, and the West gets a quick basket on a Dikembe Mutombo dunk to make it 143-109 with 1:58 to play.
Kevin Willis skyhooks a two in for the East, and Magic then starts to distribute. He dribbles up the court, then rifles a one-handed pass to Chris Mullin, who nails a three. On the next West possession, Magic made the crowd gasp in awe. Johnson sets up on the left wing again, picks up his dribble and throws a one-handed pass to a streaking Dan Majerle under the hoop to get his first basket of the night. It’s Magic’s ninth assist of the game, all coming in the second half.
Next, he shows off on defense in a pair of iconic one-on-one matchups. Thomas clears out his teammates and Magic picks him up in the half court. Thomas does some impressive dribbling but doesn’t drive to the hoop, backing off and forcing Magic to extend a hand and tell Thomas to bring it. With the shot clock at three, Thomas drives right and stops, pulls up, and lets a shot go at the buzzer with Johnson’s hand in his face. Airball.
The crowd roars again as Magic raises his hands in victory and hangs back a bit to soak it all in. He watches from the backcourt as Majerle gets a dunk, then sets up on defense again.
This time, with 50 seconds to play, Michael Jordan wants a shot at Magic. His Airness dribbles on the right wing as the other All-Stars essentially clear the floor. The crowd stands up and is giving both an ovation as Jordan waits to pick his spot. Even some players get caught up and are clapping as the two face off.
“Well this is a mismatch and Magic would be the first to admit it,” Enberg says.
Jordan drives at 40, going to his right and pulling up just outside the key, lofting a rainbow of a shot over Magic. But Jordan’s shot doesn’t go, and the Orlando Arena crowd roared once again for the performance Johnson was putting together.
Johnson got the ball back with 35 seconds to play, walking it up the court as the crowd continued to cheer. Smiling now, he passes off and tries to get a return pass but Jordan is all over him. He gets free on the right side, dribbling with 20 seconds left. With under five on the shot clock, Magic backs the defender down and steps back just beyond the 3-point line, putting up a shot as he leaned back to create some space.
The shot—just like his other two 3-point attempts of the sequence—goes in. Magic pumps his fist and the crowd roars. All-Stars from both teams celebrate with him as Enberg narrates the moment perfectly.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” he says. “You just can’t orchestrate it better than that, but when you’re great, you deliver on cue.”
The final 14.5 seconds of the game simply weren’t played. Everyone there got what they came to see. It was a final moment of greatness for a career tragically cut short. Johnson finished with 25 points, 9 assists, 5 rebounds and 2 steals to win his second All-Star MVP Award. Though he would briefly return to the game in 1995 after a 4-year absence, Magic’s All-Star triumph is the defining exclamation point to his amazing career.
