Los Angeles Lakers legend Earvin 'Magic' Johnson was one of the biggest names in the NBA who wore Converse shoes. Johnson, Larry Bird, and Julius Erving were the faces of the Boston-based shoe brand during the 80s. All three wore Converse kicks until they retired, but not all were happy with their deal.
Magic was known for his infectious smile, but behind that beaming look was an unhappy camper who wanted out of his shoe deal as early as 1987, when the Showtime Lakers were at their peak.
“I’m going to leave Converse,” Johnson said . “I have to get a different shoe. I’ll go to one of the other ones--Adidas, Reebok.”
Magic didn't like how Converse marketed him
Johnson had been with Converse from Day 1, so it was surprising that after nearly a decade with them, he just wanted out. According to Johnson, he didn't feel as if Converse was marketing him the way Nike and Reebok did their stars. Because of that, he is missing out on potential income.
At that time, however, Converse had just released the 'Weapon,' a new shoe for which he and Bird did several commercials. The shoe was a big hit and became the symbol of 80s basketball. Johnson remained with Converse, and the company stood by him after his HIV announcement. But during the 1992 Olympics, Magic once again voiced his displeasure about his shoe sponsor.
"Converse as a company is stuck in the '60s and '70s. They think the Chuck Taylor days are still here," Johnson told the Baltimore Sun via Esquire. "I've never really been happy with them. Nike and Reebok pour money into advertising; I've been trying to get out for years. It's been 12 unhappy years," he continued. "I'm calling them all the time, telling them how bad the company is."
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Magic could have earned $5.2 billion
Magic never made good on his threat to leave Converse. Looking back, however, his animosity towards the Chevron Star brand may be rooted in his first shoe deal. At that time, the Michigan State product received offers from both Converse and Nike, but because the Swoosh Brand was just a startup in 1979, it could not match Converse's cash offer of $100,000. Instead, Phil Knight offered Magic $100K worth of Nike stocks. But Earvin took the cash and ended up missing out on a massive $5.2 billion windfall .
"Now, I’ve never heard of stock at 19 years old," said Johnson. "I had to take the money; I had to take the cash. Man, I would have been a trillionaire by now. If you think about 1979, getting that stock then, what it’s worth today? Yikes. It kills me every single time I think about that. Man, Michael Jordan would have been making me so much money.”
Michael Jeffrey Jordan changed the NBA sneaker landscape with his iconic Air Jordan shoes. After the release of Air Jordan 1 in 1985, Jordan single-handedly pushed Nike ahead of then-industry leader Reebok as the top shoe brand in the NBA.
Mike and Nike have been making a killing ever since. Magic could have benefited from that iconic tandem, but he chose Converse and spent the rest of his career literally regretting that decision.
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