Dear Isiah, I hope this letter finds you well. I wanted to take a moment to express my regret regarding the way things unfolded between us in the past. **First and foremost, I want to apologize for any hurt or disappointment I may have caused you.** Our relationship meant a great deal to me, and I am deeply sorry for any pain I may have inflicted upon you. Looking back, I now realize that I made some mistakes and allowed my ego to cloud my judgment. **I deeply regret not taking the time to truly understand your perspective and failing to communicate effectively.
Jordan in Episode 5: “It was insinuated that I was asking about him, but I never threw his name in there… Based on the environment and camaraderie that happened on that team, it was the best harmony. Would Isiah have made a different feeling on that team? Yes.
Jason Hehir The Last Dance director on the Jalen Jacoby Aftershow More than one person told me that Joe Dumars is the guard that would have been chosen for the Dream Team because he was a defensive stopper in the backcourt and they had Magic Johnson in the backcourt. The latter two points of contention have been blown out across the sports media universe since Episodes 3 and 4 of The Last Dance debuted, with Episode 4 chronicling the Bulls rivalry with the Bad Boy Pistons and the walk-off, and Episode 5 detailing Thomas being left off the Dream Team.
**I deeply regret not taking the time to truly understand your perspective and failing to communicate effectively.** I understand how important it is to truly listen and seek to understand the feelings and needs of others, and in this regard, I fell short. **I want you to know that I value our friendship immensely** and would like nothing more than to find a way to make amends and rebuild the trust that was lost.
Magic Johnson shares his 1 massive business regret
Magic Johnson remains the gold standard for professional athletes turned businessmen. But even he has made decisions he would like to have back. During a promotional appearance this week for McDonald’s, the retired Los Angeles Lakers great shared his one enormous business regret — choosing to sign with Converse over Nike in 1979. Johnson had been offered options in Nike stock to sign with them but chose the cash that was being offered to him by Converse instead.
“I never heard of stock at 19 years old, so I took the money,” Johnson said. “You know, usually [you think] ‘I gotta take this cash!’ Man, I would’ve been a trillionaire by now. You think about 1979, getting that stock then and what it’s worth today? Yikes! So that kills me every single time I think about that. I’m like, ‘Man, Michael Jordan would’ve been making me so much money.'” Johnson’s infamous decision was depicted during a recent episode of HBO’s “Winning Time.” The Basketball Hall of Famer, who is being portrayed by actor Quincy Isaiah, was shown meeting with Nike co-founder Phil Knight. In the episode, Knight offered Johnson $100,000 in Nike stock options as well as a $1 royalty for every shoe sold. The show ran a graphic estimating that Johnson cost himself $5.2 billion by turning down that offer. While it is hard to gauge how accurate the numbers given by the show were, we know Nike had its IPO (initial public offering) in Dec. 1980, debuting at $22 per share. Since then, Nike stock has split a total of seven times on a 2-for-1 basis each time. That means someone who purchased just one share at the time of Nike’s IPO would own 128 shares today. Nike’s closing price on Wednesday was $127.49, meaning that the one IPO share would be worth over $16,300 (not even counting the quarterly cash dividend Nike has paid to shareholders since 1985 and any such reinvestment of those dividends). It is also probably safe to say that Johnson would have owned a whole lot more than just one share of Nike if he had accepted their offer back then. Granted, it is tough to fault Johnson for his choice as he was just a teenager at the time. Converse was the big dog on the porch during those days, and even Jordan was seen as taking a risk when he signed with Nike five years later in 1984. Johnson also got to star in some memorable Converse commercials with Larry Bird and other NBA stars. Johnson, who now has an estimated net worth of over $600 million, has also succeeded with many other business ventures. He has several cash-cow investments (including his ownership stake in the Los Angeles Dodgers and his investment company Magic Johnson Enterprises, which owns countless businesses and franchises). Now 62, Johnson has made sure to pass on his business acumen to the next generation of NBA stars as well. H/T theScore Photo: Mar 23, 2018; Omaha, NE, USA; NBA former player Magic Johnson watches during the first half between the Clemson Tigers and the Kansas Jayhawks in the semifinals of the Midwest regional of the 2018 NCAA Tournament at CenturyLink Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
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The latter two points of contention have been blown out across the sports media universe since Episodes 3 and 4 of “The Last Dance” debuted, with Episode 4 chronicling the Bulls’ rivalry with the Bad Boy Pistons and the walk-off, and Episode 5 detailing Thomas being left off the Dream Team.
The experiences we shared were meaningful to me, and I am sincerely sorry for the way they ended. **Moving forward, I promise to take the lessons I have learned to heart and strive to be a better friend and communicator.** I understand that actions speak louder than words, and I am committed to making positive changes in my behavior. It is my hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me for my past mistakes. **I genuinely regret any pain I have caused you and want to make things right.** If there is anything I can do or say to repair the damage, please do not hesitate to let me know. Thank you for taking the time to read this letter, Isiah. **I hope that we can find a way to heal our friendship and move forward together.** You are an important person in my life, and I truly value our connection. With sincere regret and hopes for reconciliation, Magic.
Reviews for "Magic Johnson's Emotional Apology to Isiah Thomas: A Story of Regret and Healing"
- Amy - 2 stars - I just couldn't get into "Magic expresses regretfulness to Isiah". The storyline was confusing and the pacing was uneven. The characters lacked depth and I couldn't connect with any of them. Overall, I found it to be a disappointing read.
- John - 1 star - "Magic expresses regretfulness to Isiah" is simply not my cup of tea. The writing style felt forced and pretentious, making it difficult to follow the plot. The characters were unrealistic and their actions were often inconsistent. I had high hopes for this book, but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations.
- Sarah - 2 stars - I struggled to finish "Magic expresses regretfulness to Isiah". The narrative lacked cohesion and the dialogues felt forced. The author seemed more focused on including extravagant descriptions rather than developing a captivating story. I found myself constantly flipping back to previous pages to try and make sense of what was happening. Overall, it was a disappointing reading experience.