Magic Johnson shared a heartwarming photo more than 40 years in the making on Saturday as he recognized the Basketball Hall of Fame’s newest media honoree.
In 1981, early into his legendary career with the Lakers, Johnson hosted a basketball camp for kids.
And of the attendees was now-esteemed journalist J.A. Adande, who received this year’s Curt Gowdy Award for print journalism.
With Adande being honored by the Hall of Fame this weekend, Johnson pulled out an old photo of the pair and wrote a heartwarming message on X.
‘Who would’ve thought at my basketball camp back in 1981, I would take a picture with the 2024 Curt Gowdy Print Media Award Recipient from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame!,’ he wrote, tagging Adande.
Magic Johnson shared this photo with a young J.A. Adande from back in 1981
Adande, seen with Steve Nash in 2015, established himself as a respected NBA reporter
Johnson was inducted into the Hall of Fame himself in 2022 following a stellar career
‘I am so proud of you and the man that you’ve become! Congrats on the Hall of Fame.’
Adande, currently the director of sports journalism at Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism, held previous roles with ESPN and the Los Angeles Times.
Per his Medill bio, he’s covered 20 NBA Finals, Super Bowls, the World Series and the World Cup, among many other big events.
He was announced as the print winner for the Gowdy award back in February.
Meanwhile, longtime analyst and television commentator Debbie Antonelli won for electronic journalism.
And Slam Magazine and the television show ‘NBA Inside Stuff’ received the awards for transformative media.
Johnson, who last played in 1996, has been in the Hall for quite some time.
Following a career featuring five titles and four MVPs, he was inducted into Springfield in 2002.
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