One day after announcing former Spartan Earvin "Magic" Johnson would be honored with a statue in front of Breslin Center, Lansing area residents and basketball fans have mixed feelings about honoring their native son.
"I think for anybody with that stature, a statue's appropriate," said George Perles, MSU head football coach from 1983-94. "Not only for his MSU and professional career, but his business career. A combination of all of that is something MSU ought to be very proud of."
A Lansing native, Johnson has made contributions to Spartan surroundings both on and off the basketball court, but is best remembered for his role in MSU's first NCAA National Championship in 1979.
Though he left MSU after two years to pursue a professional career with the Los Angeles Lakers, Johnson has returned to his birthplace on numerous occasions, both for business and otherwise.
In 1999, Johnson attended the grand opening of Starbucks Coffee Co. His signed jerseys from his high school, college and professional career now adorn the wall off the coffee shop, located at 401 E. Grand River Ave.
For the past two years, Johnson has played with his Magic Johnson All-Stars against the MSU men's basketball team during preseason exhibition games held at Breslin Center.
On May 15 the NBA Hall-of-Famer returned to Lansing for the 11th Magic Johnson HP Inventor Center at the Black Child & Family Institute, 835 W. Genessee St.
The institute's treasurer Robert Proctor attended the center's opening, which was made possible by a grant from the Magic Johnson Foundation. Proctor said there was no question whether the athlete deserves a tribute.
"Certainly given the fact he led the school to the NCAA Championships and is connected to the community with business ventures and contributions to the institute, I think it's well deserved." Proctor said.
Izzone co-director Brian Doepker welcomed the idea of the statue, as long as the sports hero's accomplishments were kept in perspective. Doepker added the recognition might be a good publicity boost for the Spartans.
"I think that it wouldn't be right to place it right outside the Hannah Administration Building because I don't think that he does enough for the university," he said. "But to place it in front of a sports building like the Breslin is a great idea.
"I think it would be nice for people to go to the Breslin Center for a basketball game and associate the university with a legend like Magic Johnson. As a Lansing native, I figure, why not (build a statue) if it helps to bring attention to the University."
Staff writer Patrick Walters contributed to this report.
Dawn Klemish can be reached at klemishd@msu.edu.
