Lakers Great Magic Johnson Explains Decision to Buy Into NWSL Team

Why the three-time MVP embarked on another sports ownership adventure.

Sep 7, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Spirit owner Michele Kang and Washington Commanders owner Magic Johnson before the game against Portland Thorns FC at Audi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images / Brad Mills-Imagn Images

Former three-time MVP Los Angeles Lakers point guard Magic Johnson recently announced that he was buying into the ownership group of the Washington Spirit, alongside majority owner Michele Kang. In 2022, Kang purchased the team for a then-NWSL league record of $35 million.

Read More: Lakers Hall of Famer Magic Johnson Buys Portion of Yet Another Sports Team

On a recent episode of "CBS Mornings," Johnson and Kang made a joint appearance. The 12-time All-Star and five-time Lakers champ broke down his motivation for buying into the team, and adding to a growing portfolio of ownership stakes that also includes NFL squad the Washington Commanders, the MLB's Los Angeles Dodgers, MLS club the Los Angeles FC, and the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks.

.@MagicJohnson is joining the ownership group of @WashSpirit.

Johnson and Michele Kang, the Spirit’s majority owner, tell CBS Mornings about championing women’s sports: “I want to make sure that this sport, women’s soccer, can grow.” pic.twitter.com/hzP8VRlkKs

— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) September 5, 2024

“Michele cares about the same thing, and so we’re gonna help these women not only on the field. We want to win championships, so I got 14 world championships. I need 15 now. We’re gonna help them also after their career is over,” Johnson said, according to Chuck Schilken of The Los Angeles Times.

Johnson, a 6-foot-9 point guard, was selected with the top pick in the 1979 NBA Draft after claiming an NCAA title at Michigan State. He was an instant phenom at the pro level, as much for his charisma off the hardwood as his ingenuity on it. Under head coaches Jack McKinney and Paul Westhead that rookie season, Johnson and perpetual MVP honoree Kareem Abdul-Jabbar led Los Angeles to a 60-22 record and the Western Conference's No. 1 seed. The team went 10-2 in the West en route to an NBA Finals date with Julius Irving and the Philadelphia 76ers, besting the club in six games.

Over the ensuing decade, the Lakers would become Finals mainstays. By the time Johnson first hung up his sneakers in 1991, he had appeared in 10 Finals, winning five. His career ended prematurely after he contracted HIV. Johnson eventually returned to the hardwood for the end of the 1995-96 season, playing as a reserve power forward. The 10-time All-NBA honoree finished his career with 19.5 points on 52 percent field goal shooting and 84.8 percent foul line shooting, 11.2 assists, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.9 steals across 906 career regular season games (763 starts).

After wrapping up his run as one of the best Lakers in history, Johnson moved on to pursue business pursuits, opening a chain of highly successful movie theaters and buying into Starbucks before its 21st century explosion. He also had a sliced of the Lakers, too, winning five titles with the club as a partial owner.

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