A Tale of Two Eulogies

Reverend Palmer: Thank you to everyone for coming. Let us bow our heads in prayer. Lord, we want to thank you for watching over us and thank you for the life we are celebrating today. He was everything to everyone in attendance today and we know he is better now at your side. He has suffered and is now at peace, although before his time. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Amen

Pat Riley: Earvin came into my life and instantly made it better. He made me a better person and made me a better coach. Watching him on the court, leading our team not only with his words but with his actions, he was everything that is right in the world of team sports. It pained me to see his physical attributes wear thin, although his infectious smile never did. My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Cookie, and to the entire Johnson family.

Jerry West: Earvin came into my life and instantly made it better. He made me a better person and made me a better executive. There were things on the court that only Earvin could do. Things only he could see. He was a winner in every sense of the word. High school, college, the NBA, the Olympics, he accomplished it all. I ask God why he had to cut his time on this earth so short. We still need him. His family still needs him. I still need him.

Jerry Buss: Earvin came into my life and instantly made it better. He made me a better person and made me a better owner. When signing Earvin, it was clear he was about winning and being the ultimate teammate. He did more for me than he knew. He put the Lakers on his back and in some ways put the entire city of Los Angeles on his back. When he made that announcement, I cried. When he was unable to continue speaking at Lakers events, I cried. When Cookie called me to tell me he passed away, I cried. 

Kareem Abdul-Jabaar: Earvin came into my life and instantly made it better. He made me a better person and made me a better player. It really was Magical timing when he came into my life. My career was extended in so many ways. That press conference was so tough to take. In my mind, it just wasn’t the way the hero was supposed to ride off into the sunset. Life just isn’t fair sometimes and Earvin’s life is proof of that. But I love him and I am going to miss seeing him at Lakers games. I’m going to miss seeing him anywhere. He was a true friend.

Larry Bird: Earvin came into my life and instantly made it hell. But he made me a better person and although I would never admit it at the time, he made me a better player. To steal a line from my speech at Earvin’s Hall of Fame Induction, “I was going to speak from my heart, but damn it, he broke my heart so many times I don’t know if I have any heart left.” The day of that press conference, we were playing Atlanta and that was the only time I didn’t feel like being at the arena. And from that day on, I valued every moment that I spent with Earvin. I always felt good whenever I knew I was going to see him. I just can’t believe I’ll never have that feeling again.

Cookie Johnson:  Earvin came in to my life and instantly made it better. He made me a better person and made me a better wife and mother. Most people would have thought I felt lucky to be married to Magic Johnson. But I felt luckier to be married to Earvin Johnson. The outside world has no idea the moments he and I shared. I cherished every one of them over the past 20 years. I guess I should be thankful I had  that long with him. There were days I laughed so hard I cried, and there were days I cried so hard until he made me laugh again. I would give anything to have the world feel the way I did with Earvin. He truly was my best friend. I’m sorry I just can’t continue.

Earvin Johnson Sr.: That day, November 7, 1991, it was a day that will live in infamy for me and my family. Now here we are twenty years later and I can’t believe he’s gone. A parent should never have to outlive their child. You may have known him as Buck, or famously, Magic, but to me he was simply Jr. I thank you all for coming and being such great friends to my son. He loved you all.

___________________________________________________________

Reverend Oliver:  Thank you to everyone for coming; let us bow our heads in prayer. Lord, we want to thank you for watching over us and thank you for the life we are celebrating today. He was everything to everyone in attendance today and we know he is better now at your side. Everyone thought his life would be cut short on the day he made that announcement, yet here we are decades later, celebrating his long life as an inspiration and great family man to his friends, family, wife, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. This is how he would want us to remember him. Today we praise you Earvin Johnson. Amen

James Worthy: Earvin came into my life and instantly made it better. He made me a better person and made me a better player. I have to say in a selfish way that I benefited on the court more than any other player by playing alongside Earvin. But it was more than just teammates with Earvin. I was honored to call him my friend. I also called him the godfather of my first born grandson. I will miss him dearly and thank him for the lifetime of memories.

Kobe Bryant: Earvin came into my life and instantly made it better. He made me a better person and made me a better player. Growing up in Italy, I would have my grandparents tape NBA games and send them over so I could watch my favorite player. Magic Johnson is the reason I became a basketball player. When playing for the Lakers, I always felt I was responsible for carrying on the greatness of the franchise, the greatness he started, continued and passed on to me and those after me. Never has there been a better ambassador for the great game of basketball. I appreciated his kind words at my jersey retirement ceremony. I appreciated all the times we spent at NBA events. More than anything I appreciated the man he was. I am honored that I was asked to speak today and am thankful that it is Kobe Bryant “the old man” that gets to do it.

Derek Fisher:  Earvin came into my life and instantly made it better. He made me a better person and made me a better commissioner. It was he who was instrumental at the end of my playing career battling the owners and executives in the strike of 2011. It was also Earvin who advised me during my tenure as head coach of the Lakers. Earvin also convinced me to become commissioner of the NBA after my coaching days. Most remember his accomplishments on the court. I remember him as much, if not more, for his accomplishments off the court. His work in the community, his business savvy, his willingness to make things better for everyone: those are the things that will stick with me the most.

Shaquille O’Neal: Earvin came into my life and instantly made it better. He made me a better person and made me a better player. He was a major reason for me coming to Los Angeles and winning three championships. I had worked out with him before I was drafted and he taught me about the life of an NBA superstar. He prepared me for a career as a player, but also as a businessman.  Way back when Kobe and I weren’t getting along, it was Magic who showed me both sides. We talked about how he and Kareem co-existed. I wish I had listened to him more. Now look, today Kobe and I are good friends and I have Magic to thank for that. Magic, I love you. There will never be another.
 

Elisa Johnson: My father came into my life and instantly made it better. He made me a better person and made me a better family member. I did not know my dad as the great basketball player, but I did know him as the world’s best father. He was loving, fun, inspirational and taught me so much. For those who are unaware, he and mom adopted me at a young age. While dad was overseeing many business ventures, working within the Lakers organization, doing his media gigs and everything else, he always made time for me and made sure I knew he loved me. Nobody loved and appreciated that smile more than me. I love you daddy and want to say thank you for all you have done, especially for loving mommy.

Cookie Johnson: A long, long time ago, the world thought my husband was going to die a very slow and painful death. I’m not going to lie, the days, weeks and months after that day in November 1991, were extremely difficult. We had only been married a couple months and I was pregnant with our son Earvin the 3^rd. The press and media killed him and it killed me to hear and see it. But he was strong and it allowed me to be strong and it made our marriage and our relationship stronger. He always said he was “going to beat this thing.” In some way, I always knew he would. But he not only took it upon himself to beat the virus, he became a spokesman on the issue. He became one of the first people to speak out about sex and teach the youth of America what schools and the communities were not teaching. Lest we not forget, the man could play basketball. I got to see him from the beginning in the green and white at Michigan State. I had a boyfriend in high school prior to Earvin who begged me not to go to Michigan State because he believed I was going to meet Magic Johnson and fall in love. I still smile when I think about that story. Speaking of a smile, I just melted when Earvin smiled. He could solve everything with his smile. He won five championships with his intensity and work ethic, but he won the hearts of the sporting world with his smile. He gave all he had to everyone he loved. I am so thankful that Earvin lived a full life. No one, and I truly mean no one, lived life to the fullest like my husband. Let me leave you with this; Earvin Johnson was funny. He was warm and caring. He was a great basketball player. He was a successful businessman. And now that he has passed away as a wrinkled old man, he passed away happy, thus giving us his greatest accomplishment. In the game of life, Earvin Johnson was the best ever.