Magic Johnson, Jackie Robinson, L.A. Dodgers, Baseball
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

April 19, 2024

Magic Johnson Acknowledges Jackie Robinson Before Major League Baseball Tribute

'I couldn't be an owner of the Dodgers without Jackie breaking the color barrier.'

While celebrating the legacy of Jackie Robinson on April 15, 77 years after he made his Major League Baseball debut, becoming the first Black player to do so, Los Angeles Lakers legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson spoke about the significance of Robinson’s contributions to the sport.

According to MLB.com, Johnson, one of the owners of the Los Angeles Dodgers, took the podium to speak on how Robinson paved the way for him and other Black athletes. For the past four years, the team has gone to the Jackie Robinson statue in the center field plaza to gather before the day’s game begins to acknowledge and recognize the MLB Hall of Famer.

“You know Jackie paved the way for me. I just said that between Jackie Robinson and Muhammad Ali, they opened the door for me to be an owner of the Dodgers, Magic told the crowd. “I mean, Jackie paved the way for that, right? I couldn’t be an owner of the Dodgers without Jackie breaking the color barrier, you know, and playing in Major League Baseball when he did for the Brooklyn Dodgers, so this is, again, a great day for the Robinson family, but for baseball and for the Dodgers.”

According to Sports Illustrated, the league celebrated Jackie Robinson Day on Monday, with every Major League team wearing Robinson’s number 42 on their uniforms.

MLB.com reported that the Washington Nationals, the team the Dodgers faced on April 15, also joined them to honor Robinson and his contributions to Major League Baseball.


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