Starbucks and Slam Dunks: Magic Johnson’s Urban Business Brew
From Basketball Stardom to Boardroom Brilliance: Magic Johnson’s Winning Strategy

Earvin “Magic” Johnson is a name synonymous with basketball brilliance, but his off-court game is just as legendary. In the latest episode of The Deal with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly, recorded live at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, the NBA icon-turned-business mogul dished on the deals that transformed him from a court king to a boardroom titan. Spoiler alert: coffee and football play starring roles.
From Layups to Lattes: The Starbucks Slam Dunk
In 1998, Magic Johnson didn’t just score a franchise deal with Starbucks—he rewrote the playbook for urban investment. Convincing then-CEO Howard Schultz to let him bring the coffee giant to underserved communities was no small feat. But Johnson’s vision to build sustainable businesses in urban markets sealed the deal. “It gave the stamp of approval,” he told Rodriguez and Kelly, crediting the Starbucks partnership as the cornerstone of his business credibility.
This wasn’t just about slinging Frappuccinos. Johnson’s Starbucks franchises proved that urban markets were goldmines waiting to be tapped, paving the way for his ventures like the Magic Johnson Theatres chain. With a knack for spotting opportunity where others saw risk, he turned coffee shops into community hubs, proving that purpose and profit can coexist.
