It’s 2025 and we’re still talking MJ.

Hey, it’s Arlesha! Back with another edition of Champion Takes.

It’s 2025 and we’re still talking about MJ.

No, not that MJ….the other MJ. 

Earvin “Magic” Johnson Jr. was and still is the blueprint.

Not because he is an NBA Hall of Famer. Not because of his five-championship legacy. But because of how he moves as a businessman, past and present.

In a landscape where more younger athletes desire to build lasting business legacies, it’s telling that his name still comes up—from Angel Reese referencing his playbook in interviews, to young NFL rookies using him as a north star. 

His influence + mentorship has modern-day range:

• As part-owner of the Commanders, he’s held closed-door sessions sharing his championship mindset with notable adoration and respect from players such as Jahan Dotson, Sam Howell, Terry McLaurin, and Chase Young.

• This year, Magic and Chicago Sky superstar Angel Reese launched a financial literacy initiative called Wealth Playbook targeting underserved youth. The program combines Reese’s foundation and Magic’s foundation to teach money management in Baltimore high schools.

• Magic acts as a business mentor to Alex Rodriguez, as ARod shouted out at the 2025 Milken Institute Conference:

Magic’s name circulates not only in sports business circles, but in player locker rooms, boardrooms, investment meetings, and on influential podcasts such as Earn Your Leisure, which recently aired a special blueprint Magic Johnson episode on June 7th.

So, what makes Magic’s approach still relevant—even for a new generation of athletes? Here’s his approach below that stands the test of time:

1. He Built with the Community In Mind, Not Just for It.

Magic understood early on that wealth wasn’t just about ownership—it was about alignment. He didn’t build in Hollywood to impress; he built in South Central to invest. From Starbucks to movie theaters, his ventures were rooted in cultural and economic insight, understanding what was best for the community and its customers–and ultimately what would resonate for the success of various businesses he planted in those communities.

2. He Treated His Name Like a Company.

Before “personal brand” was a buzzword, Magic was treating his name like EQUITY. He partnered with brands strategically, licensed his likeness smartly, and moved like a CEO with product-market fit. Young athletes today are seeing this as a case study in turning platform into enterprise. Here’s a quick snapshot of one of his early joint co-branded ventures with Sony Entertainment in 1994 with his Magic Johnson Theater partnership. (now, I know we have Netflix these days–but keep in mind just how biiiig business movie theatres were in the 90’-2000’s era. Again, we’re talking a blueprint that hasn’t aged and is timeless no matter the business model).

• Partnered with Sony Entertainment to launch a chain of movie theaters in underserved areas.

• Used his name and likeness in the branding (“Magic Johnson Theaters”) — this was a co-branded venture, not a sponsorship.

• He helped drive foot traffic and cultural cachet with his brand while Sony provided the operational muscle.

• Sold the theaters back to Sony in the early 2000s, reportedly for a strong return.

Magic didn’t just appear in commercials. He structured co-branded and licensed ventures where his name wasn’t just a tool: it was treated like intellectual property. That’s why today’s young athletes and veterans still reference him as the model and mentor: he monetized his name like an entrepreneur, not just a celebrity. For Magic, it was always about Platform, not Persona.

3. He Stayed Platform-Agnostic, But Principle-Driven.

Whether it was real estate, entertainment, or sports ownership, Magic didn’t stay loyal to one lane. He stayed loyal to a value system: empowerment, smart partnerships, and long-term impact. That’s why his strategy holds up today—it isn’t era-specific, it’s principle-specific.

4. He Didn’t Just Build Business—He Built Belief.

Magic’s success has always been tied to visibility. Young athletes see themselves in him. Not in a nostalgic way, but in a visionary one. He didn’t just open doors—he walked through them, held them open, and made sure the lights were on for whoever came next in the form of mentorship.

In an era where athletes are building media companies, venture portfolios, and foundations, the lesson from Magic in the year of 2025 is simple but profound:

Longevity comes from clarity & purpose, not clout.

In 2025, Magic Johnson is still relevant not because he was one of the first pioneers of athlete business—but because his frameworks were and still are foundational within this class of business.

Will today’s athletes (and adjacent talent in sports and entertainment) build for a moment or for a lifetime, like MJ? That’s the Champion question.

If you liked this issue, you might enjoy the thematic Champion Takes newsletter series “Platforms and Personas”. This series covers Talent who build and design Platforms—creating sustainable value for themselves and the brands and properties who partner with them. 

Catch up with the series here. 

See you again in the next two weeks–or so–for another edition of Champion Takes.

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Interested in learning more on how you can increase your market impact through strategic platforming? Reach out to me at Champion Strategies at: [email protected]…let’s talk about your own timeless blueprint!