Back In The Day NBA

Magic Johnson Used To Host An Epic Summer All-Star Game During The 1980s

Shandel Richardson

Jun 2, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; ESPN analyst Magic Johnson before game one of the 2022 NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Boston Celtics at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 2, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; ESPN analyst Magic Johnson before game one of the 2022 NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Boston Celtics at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
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During the 1980s and `90s there was the NBA All-Star Game and the offseason All-Star Game.

Back then, Hall of Famer Magic Johnson hosted his annual "Midsummer Night's Magic" at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion. It was essentially the NBA's second game featuring the best players in the world. The clip below shows highlights featuring Larry Bird, Isiah Thomas, Charles Barkley, Dominique Wilkins and Mark Aguirre.

The event was the hottest ticket in Los Angeles during those days. Perhaps Johnson should consider bringing it back. The city still hosts the Drew League, which attracts NBA players like LeBron James, Damian Lillard and the late Kobe Bryant.

But it hardly compares to the atmosphere for those games Johnson hosted at UCLA.

RODMAN'S DAUGHTER WINS GOLD

The USA walked away with gold in women's soccer for the first time since 2012, largely due to the play of Trinity Rodman, the daughter of NBA legend Dennis Rodman.

The trio of Rodman, Sophia Smith, and Mallory Swanson led the United States to a 1-0 victory over Brazil on Saturday. Swanson scored the lone goal in the 57th minute. Not only is this their first gold medal since the 2012 London Games, but it's also their first Finals appearance.

Rodman, the 22-year-old forward, is widely regarded as one of the brightest faces in women's soccer. She, along with Smith, recorded three goals each in the 2024 Paris Olympics, placing them within the top six scorers.

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Back In The Day Hoops On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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Shandel Richardson

SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star.  TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com