NBA Draft: Every team’s best pick ever

Jun 10, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) speaks to the media during a press conference after game four of the NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena. The Warriors won 108-97. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /

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INGLEWOOD, CA – 1985: Magic Johnson /

Los Angeles Lakers: Magic Johnson, No. 1, 1979 NBA Draft

The first overall pick in the 1979 NBA Draft, Earvin “Magic” Johnson wasted no time establishing himself as a star. The young man from Michigan State helped the Los Angeles Lakers win the championship in Johnson’s first season, with Johnson earning the Finals MVP award for his play. Johnson missed time his second season with a knee injury, but recovered the next year to lead the Lakers to another championship.

The “Showtime” Lakers, with Pat Riley at the helm, had established themselves as one of the best teams of the decade. The Lakers battles with Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics was the stuff of legends, and Magic helped the Lakers win two more championships. The fifth championship came against Isiah Thomas and the Detroit Pistons, and the two teams would meet again the next year with the outcomes reversed. Johnson announced that he had tested positive for HIV in 1991, and retired from the NBA. He came back for another season in 1995, but following a loss in the first round of the playoffs, he retired for good. He spent his entire career with the Lakers, and will always be a part of the franchise.

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