'They Call Me Magic': What was Earvin Johnson's infamous 'No wives allowed' pool party?
Apple TV+'s 'They Call Me Magic' sheds light on the highs and lows of former Los Angeles Lakers star and legend, Earvin 'Magic' Johnson, and also discussed the notorious pool parties that the NBA superstar was famous for during his time with the Purple and Gold. In the documentary, Johnson talks about his parties and how it was something that everyone wanted to be part of.
“Well you know, I was known for my parties,” the NBA legend laughs. “I had the best parties in Hollywood. Everybody wanted to come to the pool parties.” Recently, an image of him with 12 women on a beach resurfaced and stirred up quite the buzz on social media.
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Michael Cooper, a former Lakers guard, and Johnson's teammate relived those parties on 'They Call Me Magic'. “It was fun, it was exciting," he said. "If you were a married guy, you’d get in trouble. If you were a single guy, you could get in trouble.” There were plenty of beautiful women at these parties, but wives and girlfriends were not part of the guest list and this ticked off his wife, future wife Cookie, with who he already had a start-stop relationship. The docu also sees him confess about his first child, Andre, who he had with his girlfriend Melissa Mitchell in 1981. It wasn't until 1991 that they got married.
It ended with her walking out on him. The two eventually married, but not before they had to endure their share of sailing on rough waters. The four-part documentary event covers Johnson’s time with the Lakers and the impact of his HIV diagnosis, community activism, and businesses. It also features first-hand accounts from Johnson, friends, family, and teammates, including Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdu-Jabbar, Shaquille O’Neal, Snoop Dogg, Spike Lee, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Barack Obama, and Bill Clinton.
Directed by Rick Famuyiwa ('Dope') with cinematographer Rachel Morrison ('Black Panther'), the four-episode docuseries is available for streaming on Apple TV+.