What Year Did Magic Johnson Get Drafted: The Coin Flip That Changed Everything

It is one of those sports facts that feels like it should be etched in stone, but the truth is actually much weirder. Magic Johnson was drafted in 1979. That’s the short answer. But if you stop there, you're missing a story involving a coin flip, a legendary rivalry that almost never happened, and a franchise that was basically saved by a single toss of a silver dollar.

Honestly, the NBA was a mess back then. It wasn't the global juggernaut we see today. TV games were often tape-delayed. Teams were folding. And the Los Angeles Lakers? They weren't "Showtime" yet. They were a team with a superstar center in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar who couldn't quite get over the hump. Everything changed on June 25, 1979, at the Plaza Hotel in New York City.

The 1979 NBA Draft: A Flip of the Coin

Most fans today are used to the Draft Lottery—the ping-pong balls, the percentages, the televised drama. In 1979, they kept it simple. And brutal. The two teams with the worst records in each conference would flip a coin for the number one pick.

The Chicago Bulls represented the East. The New Orleans Jazz (who were moving to Utah) had the worst record in the West. But there was a catch. The Jazz didn't own their pick. Years earlier, they had traded it to the Lakers as compensation for signing an aging Gail Goodrich.

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So, it came down to a long-distance phone call. Lakers owner Jerry Buss was on the line. The Bulls called "heads." The coin landed on "tails."

Just like that, the Lakers landed the rights to Earvin "Magic" Johnson.

What if Chicago won?

It’s fun to play the "what if" game. If Chicago wins that flip, Magic becomes a Bull. Magic himself has said that if he’d gone to Chicago, Michael Jordan probably never ends up there five years later. Think about that. The two most iconic players of the 80s and 90s could have had their entire legacies swapped or erased because of a single coin landing on its side.

Why 1979 Was the Perfect Storm

Magic wasn't just some random prospect. He was coming off the most-watched college basketball game in history. Earlier that year, his Michigan State Spartans beat Larry Bird’s Indiana State Sycamores in the NCAA Championship.

The NBA knew they had a goldmine.

But there was drama behind the scenes. Magic actually considered staying in school for his junior year. He wanted to make sure he was going to a team that could actually win, and he definitely wanted to be paid. Jerry Buss, who had just bought the Lakers, knew he needed a star to fill the seats at the Forum. He didn't just draft Magic; he embraced him. They famously went to lunch, and Magic told Buss he wanted to play for the Lakers, but he wanted a big contract.

He eventually signed for roughly $460,000 a year—a massive sum for a rookie in 1979.

The Impact of the 1979 Draft Class

While Magic was the headliner, the 1979 draft was deep. It wasn't just a one-man show. Here is how the top of that board looked:

1. Magic Johnson (Lakers) - The focal point of Showtime.
2. David Greenwood (Bulls) - A solid pro, but not the franchise-changer Chicago hoped for.
3. Bill Cartwright (Knicks) - Would later win rings as the starting center for Jordan's Bulls.
4. Greg Kelser (Pistons) - Magic's teammate at Michigan State.
5. Sidney Moncrief (Bucks) - A future Hall of Famer and defensive specialist.

It’s wild to look back and see Sidney Moncrief at five. In many other years, he’s a number one pick. But 1979 belonged to Magic.

The Bird Factor

You might be wondering: "Wait, where was Larry Bird?"

Technically, Bird was drafted in 1978. The Boston Celtics used a "junior eligible" rule to pick him 6th overall a year early, even though he stayed in school for the 1978-79 season. Because of this, Bird and Magic both entered the NBA as rookies in the 1979-80 season.

This coincidence saved the league. The two biggest stars in college basketball arrived in the two biggest NBA markets (LA and Boston) at the exact same moment.

Rookie Magic: 1979-1980

Magic didn't wait around to prove he was worth the hype. In his first-ever NBA game against the San Diego Clippers, he scored 26 points. But the most famous moment came when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar hit a game-winning skyhook. Magic, ever the enthusiast, jumped on Kareem and hugged him like they’d just won the championship.

Kareem famously told him, "Relax, kid. We have 81 more of these."

But Magic didn't relax. That rookie season ended with one of the greatest performances in sports history. With Kareem out with a sprained ankle for Game 6 of the NBA Finals against the 76ers, the 20-year-old rookie started at center.

He put up 42 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 assists.

He won Finals MVP as a rookie. Nobody has done it since.

Common Misconceptions About the Draft

People often get the details of the 1979 draft mixed up. For one, many think the Lakers were a "bad" team that earned the pick. They weren't. They were a playoff team that just happened to own the Jazz's pick. It would be like the 2024 Celtics somehow owning the rights to the number one pick today.

Another mistake? Thinking Magic was always a lock for the Lakers. If the Jazz hadn't made that trade for Gail Goodrich years prior, Magic would have likely started his career in New Orleans or Utah. Imagine Magic Johnson throwing transition passes in the Salt Lake City altitude. It just doesn't feel right.

Why it Still Matters

The year Magic Johnson got drafted marks the "BC/AD" split of NBA history. Before 1979, the league was struggling for relevance. After 1979, it became a global entertainment product.

Magic brought the "Showtime" style—no-look passes, fast breaks, and that infectious smile. He made basketball fun to watch for people who weren't even sports fans. He also proved that a 6'9" player could play point guard, breaking the mold of what a "big man" was supposed to do.

Key Takeaways for Fans

If you're researching this for a trivia night or just to settle a bet, keep these points in mind:

• Year: 1979.
• Team: Los Angeles Lakers (via a trade with the New Orleans Jazz).
• The Flip: The Lakers beat the Chicago Bulls in a coin toss for the pick.
• The College Connection: Magic had just defeated Larry Bird in the 1979 NCAA Finals months before the draft.
• The Immediate Result: Magic won the NBA Championship and Finals MVP in his first season (1980).

To truly understand the era, you should look into the specific details of the Gail Goodrich trade. It remains one of the most lopsided deals in sports history, as a veteran signing ended up costing a franchise a Top 5 player of all time. You can also research the 1979 NCAA Championship game box score to see how Magic and Kelser dominated together before becoming lottery picks.

Next Steps for Your Research
Check out the 1979-80 NBA season standings to see how much of a jump the Lakers made immediately after drafting Magic. You might also want to look up the "Junior Eligible" rule that allowed the Celtics to snag Larry Bird a year before Magic entered the league, which is the only reason their rookie seasons aligned so perfectly.