The phrase "They Call Me Magic" is often used as a title or slogan in various contexts. It can refer to books, songs, movies, or even personal statements. The meaning behind this phrase can vary depending on its usage and interpretation. In the literary world, "They Call Me Magic" may be the title of a novel or a collection of stories. It implies that the protagonist possesses extraordinary or supernatural abilities that set them apart from others. This could be a fantasy or science fiction story where the character's magic powers play a crucial role in the plot.

They Call Me Magic review – Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson is calm, pleasant and lacking a sense of humour

This drama-free, non-gripping documentary on the basketball star’s career sees him chuckling at banal anecdotes and breezing so easily through life that there’s only one winner – and it’s not the viewer

I n the fourth and final episode of They Call Me Magic (Apple TV+), Earvin “Magic” Johnson – one of the finest basketball players of all time – sits comfortably, smiles widely and assesses his own merits. “All the things I was on the basketball court, I am as a businessman. Disciplined. Focused. Building a strategy.” While these may well be the qualities needed to become a multimillionaire sporting hero, they are not the traits that make for a gripping sports documentary.

They Call Me Magic is a story of obstacles overcome, but Johnson hurdles them all so easily that no drama develops. He grows up in an honest, blue-collar family in Lansing, Michigan, his mother working in a school cafeteria while his father does long shifts at a car plant. Honing his basketball skills in pickup games against grown men, Earvin Johnson Jr soon has scalpers trading tickets outside his high school matches, is given the nickname “Magic” and proceeds smoothly to college level, where he leads Michigan State to the 1979 NCAA championship. The cloud of his unglamorous upbringing clears.

Johnson skips the final year of college and turns pro, joining the Los Angeles Lakers and helping them reach the 1980 NBA finals. When star player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar gets injured and is absent for the crucial Game 6, the 20-year-old Johnson takes over, operating out of position at center instead of point guard and turning in one of the greatest single-game performances in NBA history. The Lakers win and go on to dominate the 1980s, with Johnson coming out on top in his rivalry with the Boston Celtics’ Larry Bird. Meanwhile, Magic enjoys the celebrity lifestyle, refusing for years to commit to childhood sweetheart, Cookie, although in interview this doesn’t seem to have caused Cookie Johnson – so we know how that story ends – any great distress. Magic is worth dutifully waiting for: he’s busy being the best.

It’s not obvious as to how exactly Johnson ruled his sport since, although it has plenty of cracking archive footage of the media hoopla around the Lakers, the series features hardly any basketball action. Perhaps it’s afraid of alienating those with little knowledge of a game that, because it is high-scoring and based on gradually asserted supremacy rather than spectacular moments, is hard to sum up in clips. Combine basketball’s opacity with the blandly pleasant positivity of the interviewees, and you have a documentary where everything seems to just happen naturally.

Johnson is a calm, pleasant presence throughout, often laughing heartily at the end of the most banal anecdotes, in the manner of someone who has never failed for long enough to sharpen a sense of humour. The way serious issues pose virtually no threat to him does, however, border on comical. The NBA at the dawn of the 1980s is a ratty spectacle blighted by violence, scant live TV coverage and racial tensions, but Johnson’s arrival seems to fix all this overnight. The shock of him being diagnosed as HIV positive in 1991 leads only to a brief period of introspection before he cheerfully embraces the challenge of destigmatising the condition. Even the Rodney King riots in LA serve mainly as inspiration for Johnson’s post-retirement entrepreneurialism, giving him the idea to open cinemas, gyms and Starbucks franchises in previously desolate inner cities. This goes so well that he ends up buying the LA Dodgers, who duly win baseball’s World Series. Which is nice.

Any personal demons are soon straightened out, while Johnson’s enemies are charmed or easily vanquished, or both. The closest the Magic story has to an antagonist is probably Isaiah Thomas, the Detroit Pistons point guard who is Johnson’s practice buddy in the off season for years, until the Pistons face the Lakers in the 1988 NBA Finals. Johnson remorselessly smashes Thomas on the court, their friendship ends, and the Magic carnival moves frictionlessly on. You long for him to display the childish inadequacy of Paul Gascoigne, the cold supervillain vibes of Tom Brady or the addiction to conflict of Michael Jordan. Not that Jordan has any conflict with Johnson, despite helping to end his career by succeeding him as the NBA’s most dominant player: they hug after matches and then team up as the USA flatten all comers at the 1992 Olympics.

The makers of They Call Me Magic can essentially get whoever they like to appear, such is Johnson’s pull, giving the show a rich, luxury feel. The Lakers superfan celebrating how the team lit up life in his tough LA neighbourhood? Snoop Dogg. The old guy who remembers how big a deal it was when the NCAA regional final saw his local team, Arkansas, take on Larry Bird’s Indiana side? Bill Clinton. Barack Obama pops up a couple of times to say nothing of note.

Earvin “Magic” Johnson is the cream, the best, on a level above the A list – but when there’s such an overwhelming winner, there’s no sport.

They Call Me Magic

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Docuseries depicts a superstar's incredible life blandly.

This could be a fantasy or science fiction story where the character's magic powers play a crucial role in the plot. In the music industry, "They Call Me Magic" might be the name of a song or an album. It suggests that the artist has a unique talent or charm that captivates and intrigues the listeners.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Positive messages about perseverance, activism, an

Focuses on subjects who show leadership, accountab

Focuses on the men in and around Johnson's basketb

Limited to small incidents on the basketball court

A lot of talk about sex as part of the discussion

Consumerism is limited to promoting the NBA and so

Drinking, drug use, and smoking are not shown, but

Parents need to know that They Call Me Magic is a documentary series about NBA superstar Magic Johnson, from his early days on the Lakers to his evolution into an activist for HIV research. Magic's story, and especially his activism and charitable work, are fascinating and worth learning about, even if the…

Positive Messages

Positive Role Models

Diverse Representations

Focuses on the men in and around Johnson's basketball career, with some attention given to his wife, Cookie. Though there is racial diversity among the interviewees, race is not a topic of discussion.

Violence & Scariness

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Sex, Romance & Nudity

A lot of talk about sex as part of the discussion around Magic contracting HIV. However, sex is not talked about explicitly. Interviewees and archival footage only talk about sex in generalities and focus on implications.

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Products & Purchases

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

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Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that They Call Me Magic is a documentary series about NBA superstar Magic Johnson, from his early days on the Lakers to his evolution into an activist for HIV research. Magic's story, and especially his activism and charitable work, are fascinating and worth learning about, even if the docuseries doesn't go too deep beneath the story's surface. True to Magic's personal brand, the series keeps profanity to a minimum and only vaguely discusses about sex and other edgy topics.

The lyrics or the music itself may convey a sense of mystery, wonder, or enchantment. Similarly, "They Call Me Magic" can be a line from a movie script, indicating that the character being referred to is exceptional or has an extraordinary impact on the story. This can be seen in films where individuals possess otherworldly abilities, such as superheroes or wizards. On a personal level, someone might use the phrase "They Call Me Magic" to express their self-perception or a motto that reflects their individuality and special talents. It could be a manifestation of self-confidence or a way to embrace one's uniqueness and abilities. Overall, "They Call Me Magic" is a versatile phrase that can be interpreted in various ways, depending on the context in which it is used. It implies a sense of mystery, wonder, and extraordinary qualities that set someone or something apart from the ordinary..

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