At last month's NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, Mateen Cleaves led Michigan State to its first national championship in 21 years. The last time the Spartans took the title was when former Los Angeles Laker and Basketball Hall-of-Famer Earvin "Magic" Johnson played there.
Johnson told a crowd of about 400 at University Hall last night that seeing his alma mater rise to victory made him feel as if he had achieved a dream.
Johnson's speech, sponsored by University Union's Speakers Committee, touched a great deal on dreams and the importance of staying true to yourself.
Johnson emphasized he "had a lot of problems and he also had a dream," which allowed him to rise above his troubles.
"Dream and go after it," he said. "Students have a life after college and they should not get down if they don't first succeed."
He noted many top collegiate scholars may start at the bottom of the professional world, but maintained you often have to start low to move higher in the future.
"It was my friends who told me I would never make it to the NBA," Johnson said. "And I couldn't wait to see them when I got drafted."
Johnson met his own roadblock in 1991 when he tested positive for HIV. He said the hardest part of the ordeal was telling his wife and worrying that she and their baby daughter may have contracted the virus.
"HIV made me give back to the community more, educate people more and speak more," he added.
Johnson now leads a $200 million corporation, Magic Johnson Enterprises, through which he provides training and jobs for inner-city minorities. The corporation owns franchises of several businesses, including Starbucks and T.G.I. Friday's.
He said he believes if corporations come to inner-city areas, they will find financial success as well as provide services for disadvantaged Americans.
"It's important for me to supply jobs," Johnson said. "I'm doing just what I want to do."
He said his NBA career was geared toward the public as well - he wanted to give something back to the community through basketball.
"I played for you guys. I played to win and I played for you," he added. "I played to entertain you."
Some audience members said Johnson's speech was impressive and motivating.
"You can never do enough to go for your dreams," first-year College student Kim Keller said.
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