Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers
By Jon Weisman
Dodger ownership partner Earvin “Magic” Johnson has become the second ever recipient of the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year Legacy Award, which “celebrates individuals whose dedication to the ideals of sportsmanship has spanned decades and whose lifetime of achievement in athletics has directly or indirectly changed the world.”
Sports Illustrated today announced the award, whose only previous honoree was Special Olympics founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver in 2008. More from Ben Golliver at SI:
… Johnson will be presented with the award during SI’s Sportsman of the Year ceremony on Tuesday in New York.
“It is an honor to receive this award from Sports Illustrated,” Johnson said. “I grew up reading the magazine, which also gave me my first national exposure in its ‘Faces in the Crowd’ feature. Now, 37 years later, to be recognized by SI with a tribute that has only been given to Eunice Kennedy Shriver, a woman who has made the world a better place for millions with intellectual disabilities, is very special and humbling.” …
… “When he retired from the NBA, Johnson’s ubiquitous smile was a beacon to basketball fans the world over. It now represents much more: A life dedicated to creating opportunity for others as well as himself,” Sports Illustrated said in a statement. “Few athletes have done more with the stardom they gained between the lines of competition, which is why SI is proud to honor him with its 2014 Sportsman of the Year Legacy Award.”
Comments are closed.