Basketball royalty was on the campus of South Carolina State University yesterday…
Magic Johnson spoke to students, alumni and guests at SC State in conjunction with the school’s Executive Speaker Series. Magic stressed hard-work and education during his speech.
“Most young people just think that it happened overnight and that’s not the way it happened. A lot of hard work went into going from Ervin Johnson to Magic Johnson and then going from Magic Johnson to Mr. Johnson took even more work. First it started on the basketball court but also getting a good education at the same time,” said Johnson.
“It was a tough journey but I also believed in myself, I’m a sponge so I love to learn and get things for myself and I apply that in my everyday walk in life.”
A student in attendance asked Johnson if he would partner with the university that has been in the headlines recently because of bankruptcy and the threat of closure. I response Magic, who is a respected and wealthy businessman in his own right, said he’d consider it.
“I look like them, I’ve gone through the same situations they have, but I think they understand that education and hard work can pay off for them,” Johnson told reporters afterward.
It’s always great to hear an inspiring story, especially in the wake of controversy. I must give props to SC State, their students and alumni. They’re fighting to keep the university they love open and a beacon of education for African American students in South Carolina.
H/T: WCNC