<p><b>The definitive biography of the basketball legend Earvin ¿Magic¿ Johnson, from the highly respected, career sportswriter and author of <i>Michael Jordan: The Life</i>.</b><br><br>Magic Johnson is one of the most beloved, and at times controversial, athletes in history. His iconic smile lifted the dowdy sport of American professional basketball from a second-tier sport with low ratings into the global spotlight¿a transformation driven by Magic¿s ability to eviscerate opponents with a playing style that featured his grand sense of fun. He was a master entertainer who directed the Los Angeles ¿Showtime¿ Lakers to the heights of both glory and epic excess, all of it driven by his mind-blowing no-look passes and personal charm.<br><br>Then, in 1991, at the height of his charismatic power, Johnson shocked the world with a startling cautionary tale about sexually transmitted disease that pushed public awareness of the HIV/AIDS crisis. Then out came his confession of unprotected sex with