Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson is not only one of the greatest basketball players in the history of the franchise, and basketball period, but he has also been a fixture of the Los Angeles community for many decades. As such, Johnson being selected as the Grand Marshal of the 137th Rose Parade was an honor he was more than deserving of.
Of course, the weather in Southern California has not been cooperative over the past couple of weeks, but that didn’t stop Magic from being there and fulfilling his duties as Grand Marshal, which started during the Tournament of Roses Parade in the morning and culminated at the Rose Bowl Game, a College Football Playoff quarterfinal between Indiana and Alabama, in which he participated in the coin toss:
What an incredible honor it was to serve as Grand Marshal of the 137th Annual Rose Parade. From the moment I arrived, I felt the love, history, and pride that make this tradition so special.
Thank you to Mark Leavens- President of the Tournament of Roses Parade and the entire… pic.twitter.com/Ky5sHbnCaQ
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) January 2, 2026
Magic in Pasadena 🌹 Grand Marshal of the @RoseParade, Magic Johnson is here 🙌 pic.twitter.com/M33HYATZRL
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) January 1, 2026
Magic Johnson at the Rose Bowl for Alabama-Indiana pic.twitter.com/wTy5xpusJ7
— Alabama Crimson Tide | AL.com (@aldotcomTide) January 1, 2026
Magic Johnson did a great job handing the coin to the referee for The Rose Bowl coin toss pic.twitter.com/jjFccMP6dl
— Nick Farley (@farlesbarkley62) January 1, 2026
Unfortunately for Johnson and the fans in attendance at the Rose Bowl, the game itself was a dud as top-seeded and undefeated Indiana dominated perennial power Alabama 38-3. Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza threw for three touchdowns in the victory and while Magic surely would have preferred his alma mater Michigan State to have been part of the College Football Playoff, at least his Big Ten conference mates got the win.
Johnson is the latest athlete to serve as Grand Marshal, joining the likes of Billie Jean King, Hank Aaron, Pele and Carl Lewis along with many others to hold this role over the years. The tagline for this year’s Rose Parade was a fitting one, “The Magic of Teamwork.” Additionally, the parade also continued the ongoing recovery effort in the wake of the wildfires that plagued Southern California months ago.
Magic has always remained a fixture in the Los Angeles area well after his playing days for the Lakers were done. He has ownership stakes in the Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Sparks and LAFC, while his Magic Johnson Foundation has been amazing work in the community for years as well.
Lakers legend Magic Johnson left off Cade Cunningham’s all-time starting five
Johnson is the greatest point guard of all-time in the eyes of most, but the Lakers legend was left off current Detroit Pistons All-Star Cade Cunningham’s all-time starting five, though multiple other Lakers made the cut.
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