Magic Johnson Lauds Late Jud Heathcote He Turned A Young Kid Into A Man

Heathcote died Monday at age 90. Johnson offered a tribute to the Spartans legend in a series of late-night tweets.

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With Johnson and Greg Kelser carrying out Heathcote’s strategy on the court, the Spartans defeated Larry Bird’s Indiana State Sycamores for the 1979 NCAA title. Johnson and Kelser left East Lansing for the NBA months later. Johnson was drafted first overall by the Lakers; Kelser was chosen No. 4 by the Pistons.

Kelser expressed his own thoughts about Heathcote on social media Monday evening.

Johnson won five championships in the pros; two of them came against Bird’s Celtics. But before all those titles, there was that magical March of ‘79, and the coach who pushed Earvin to be great.