Marginal celebrities often auction their credibility to the highest low-rent bidder: Montel Williams shills for payday loans. George Lopez and Russell Simmons have sold prepaid debit cards. Hulk Hogan, post-divorce and reportedly struggling financially, did commercials for Rent-A-Center in 2010. But Magic Johnson is not a D-list celebrity and, as his stake in Los Angeles Dodgers indicates, he is not desperately in need of money.
“You would think the advantage of being Magic Johnson is never having to sell your name to low-rent enterprises,” says Rivlin, the Broke U.S.A. author. “But then you’d be wrong.”
Why doesn’t Magic take more heat? Maybe the Magic Johnson Award provides a clue. Each year, the members of the Pro Basketball Writers Association gives said award out; when Steve Nash won it two years ago, Arizona Sports ran the news under the headline “Steve Nash wins Magic Johnson Award for being a good guy.” That’s the gist of the prize, which is usually awarded to a well-liked player with a big smile. But the Johnson Award, first given in 1996, isn’t technically for being a good guy. It’s officially for “cooperation with media and fans,” and that’s something that Johnson always specialized in during his Lakers career. He’s a natural glad-hander, and his charisma in dealing with the press and public has served him well during his post-career transformation into a business icon. He’s accessible, friendly, and powerful — not the kind of person that someone in the sports press particularly wants to alienate with tough questions. But those questions still ought to be asked.
Article Appeared @http://www.buzzfeed.com/zacbissonnette/how-magic-johnson-uses-his-name-to-exploit-low-income-consum