A new documentary about Magic Johnson is coming to Apple TV+. Over the weekend, the streaming service released a trailer for the docuseries They Call Me Magic. The trailer for the four-part documentary was unveiled at the 2022 SXSW Film festival in Austin, Texas, and the global premiere for the film is set for April 22.
According to the synopsis, They Call Me Magic, “explores Magic’s remarkable journey from being the face of the Los Angeles Lakers and cementing himself as an all-time NBA legend, to changing the conversation around HIV, and transforming into a successful entrepreneur and community activist. From his humble beginnings in Lansing, Michigan to becoming the global force he is today, They Call Me Magic charts the cinematic life of one of the biggest icons of our era.”
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Johnson will be featured in the series along with Cookie Johnson, EJ Johnson, Larry Bird, LL Cool J, Snoop Dogg, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neil, former President Barack Obama, Fred Stabley Jr., Dwayne Wade, Jerry West and Michael Wilbon. They Call Me Magic is directed by Rick Famuyiwa (Dope) and produced for Apple by XTR and New Slate Ventures. It’s also produced in association with H. Wood Media and Delirio Films.
The trailer comes out just as the series Winning Time: The Rise of the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty is airing on HBO. So far, the series has focused on Lakers owner Jerry Buss, played by John C. Reilly, buying the team and drafting Johnson, played by Quincy Isaiah. Entertainment Tonight, caught up with Johnson last week, and he explained why he won’t watch the show.
“It’s hard. I won’t watch it because it’s hard to duplicate,” Johnson said. “You can’t duplicate Showtime. “First, on the court, I mean, we just did our thing, it was up and down. And then off the court — because unless you were a Laker, or you’re a Buss family [member] — because you can’t duplicate Dr. Jerry Buss — and the Laker Girls and Paula Abdul and what that meant, I mean, it started on the court and it went all the way up.” Johnson spent played for the Lakers from 1979 to 1991 and again in 1996. He won five NBA Championships, won the NBA Finals MVP award three times, and the NBA MVP award three times.
