>>> AND WE ARE BACK.
THIS MORNING, WE’RE GOING TO
CATCH UP WITH A BASKETBALL
LEGEND.
MAGIC JOHNSON, FIVE-TIME NBA
CHAMP, THREE-TIME LEAGUE MVP, A
HL OF
HALL OF FAMER, THE LIST GOES ON.
>> AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, MAGIC
JUST AS SUCCESSFUL OFF THE
COURT.
USING HIS BUSINESS VENTURES TO
REACH DIVERSE AND UNDERSERVED
COMMUNITIES.
MAGIC HAS BEEN ESPECIALLY BUSY
THESE DAYS, HELPING SMALL
BUSINESSES DURING THE PANDEMIC.
THE ONE AND ONLY MAGIC JOHNSON
IS WITH US ON THIS TUESDAY
MORNING.
ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE YOU, IS IR.
>> GOOD MORNING.
HOW IS EVERYONE DOING?
WHAT’S UP, AL?
>> DOING GOOD, MY FRIEND.
>> SPECIAL SHOUTOUT.
>> ALWAYS.
>> ALWAYS HAVE TO SHOUTOUT AL,
CRAIG.
YOU KNOW THAT.
>> I DO.
>> TWO NATIONAL TREASURES, THIS
IS RARE.
>> ONLY ONE SHOULD BE BURIED.
>> MAGIC, LET’S START WITH THE
NBA.
YOU KNOW, THEY PLAYED IN A
BUBBLE LAST SEASON.
NOT A SINGLE PERSON IN THAT
BUBBLE CONTRACTS THE VIRUS.
THIS SEASON, THEY GET RID OF THE
BUBBLE, THEY’VE ALREADY LOST A
FEW GAMES BECAUSE OF COVID-19.
DO YOU THINK WE’RE GOING TO MAKE
IT THROUGH THE ENTIRE NBA
SEASON?
>> YEAH, I THINK WE WILL.
I THINK THAT ADAM SILVER, OUR
GREAT COMMISSIONER OF THE NBA,
HAS PUT IN REALLY ALL THE HEALTH
PROTOCOL
PROTOCOLS IN PLACE.
THE DOCTORS AND SCIENTISTS HAVE
HELPED HIM PUT THOSE PROTOCOLS
IN PLACE.
NOW, THE PLAYERS HAVE TO ADHERE
TO THAT, RIGHT?
IT’S GOING TO BE UP TO THE
PLAYERS TO DO WHAT THEY’RE
SUPPOSED TO DO.
SO FAR, SO GOOD.
I THINK THAT THE LEAGUE
ANTICIPATED THEY WERE GOING TO
MISS SOME GAMES, BUT MOST OF THE
GAMES HAVE BEEN PLAYED.
I THINK WE WILL FINISH THE
SEASON, AND THEN THE PLAYOFFS
WILL START.
WE WILL CROWN A CHAMPION
SOMETIME IN JUNE.
>> LAST WEEK, OF COURSE, HARD TO
BELIEVE IT WAS LAST WEEK, BUT IT
MARKED THE ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY
OF KOBE BRYANT’S DEATH.
WE ALL KNOW ABOUT THE SPECIAL
RELATIONSHIP THAT YOU AND KOBE
HAD.
MAGIC, WHAT DID IT MEAN FOR YOU
TO HAVE YOUR FORMER TEAM, THE
LAKERS, A TEAM THAT YOU LOVE SO
MUCH, WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP THE
SAME YEAR THAT WE LOST KOBE?
>> CRAIG, YOU KNOW, THEY
DEDICATED THE SEASON TO KOBE
AFTER HIS DEATH.
THE GUYS COMMITTED TO COMING
TOGETHER.
THEY SAID THEY DIDN’T WANT TO
LET HIM DOWN, RIGHT?
THEY WANTED HIS SPIRIT TO LIVE
ON THROUGH WINNING THE
CHAMPIONSHIP.
THEN THEY CAME THROUGH ITWITH IT
THEY WON THE CHAMPIONSHIP.
THE CITY IS STILL MOURNING.
THE COUNTRY IS STILL MOURNING,
AND THE WORLD IS STILL MOURNING.
KOBE BRYANT HAD A SPECIAL EFFECT
ON PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD.
THE THING I LOVE ABOUT KOBE IS,
HE REALLY AFFECTED CHANGE IN
WOMEN’S ATHLETICS AND WOMEN’S
SPORTS.
HE WAS REALLY A CHAMPION FOR
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL, THE
WNBA, ALL WOMEN’S SPORTS.
HE REALLY GOT INVOLVED, AND HE
TUTORED AND MENTORED A LOT OF
WOMEN ATHLETES, AS WELL AS MALE
ATHLETES, AS WELL.
>> SPEAKING OF CHANGE, I KNOW
YOU’VE BEEN VERY BUSY DURING THE
PANDEMIC, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT
COMES TO SUPPORTING SMALL
BUSINESSES.
SO YOU’RE WORKING TO MAKE SURE
MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED
BUSINESSES ARE GETTING PPP LOANS
AND OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT.
WHY IS THIS SO IMPORTANT TO YOU?
>> SHEINELLE, IT REALLY BROKE MY
HEART, AS WE LOST OVER 700,000
SMALL BLACK BUSINESSES.
THAT MEANT THAT WE LOST A LOT
OF -- PEOPLE LOST THEIR JOBS, I
SHOULD SAY.
THE PPP PROGRAM DIDN’T TRICKLE
DOWN TO SMALL BLACK BUSINESS
OWNERS AS WELL AS LATINO
BUSINESS OWNERS AND WOMEN-OWNED
BUSINESSES THAT FIRST STIMULUS
PACKAGE.
HOPEFULLY, THIS NEXT ONE WITH
PRESIDENT BIDEN AND VICE
PRESIDENT HARRIS, THEY’VE
ALREADY EARMARKED ABOUT, I
THINK, $500 BILLION WILL GO --
OR SOMEWHERE IN THAT
NEIGHBORHOOD -- WILL GO TO SMALL
BLACK BUSINESS OWNERS.
SO WHAT I DECIDED TO DO WAS PUT
UP $300 MILLION -- $325 MILLION
FOR BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES AND
WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES.
WE’VE ALREADY SAVED ABOUT 15,000
BUSINESS
BUSINESSES.
>> WOW.
>> SO HAPPY.
ONE OF THOSE BUSINESSES IS RIGHT
THERE IN NEW YORK, IN BROOKLYN.
BECAUSE OF THE FACT WE GAVE THEM
A LOAN, THEY WON A CITY CONTRACT
FOR OVER $1 MILLION.
THEY WERE ABLE TO KEEP THEIR
EMPLOYEES.
NOW, THEY’RE ABLE TO GROW THEIR
BUSINESS AND ADD NEW EMPLOYEES.
THAT’S WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT.
>> ONE OF THE BUSINESSES YOU
PARTNERED WITH IS CALLED UNCLE
BUD’S.
YOU ARE A PAID SPOKESPERSON, BUT
IT IS A SMALL, FAMILY-OWNED
BUSINESS YOU HELPED GROW DURING
THE PANDEMIC.
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT IT?
>> YEAH, THEY REALLY HAVE.
YOU KNOW, I PARTNER WITH THEM.
THEY HAVE OVER 75 PRODUCT
OFFERINGS.
YOU KNOW, HAND SANITIZER, FROM
THINGS THAT I USE MYSELF BECAUSE
I’M STILL WORKING OUT ALL THE
TIME.
I USE THE RELIEF ROLL-ON, AND
IT’S REALLY HELPED MY JOINTS.
BUT THEY’RE REALLY OUTSTANDING.
LIKE YOU SAID, IT’S A SMALL
BUSINESS, BUT THEY ARE DOING A
FANTASTIC JOB.
THEY JUST LAUNCHED A VITAMIN
SHOP.
REALLY GREAT TO SEE THEM ALL
OVER THE COUNTRY.
LISTEN, IF YOU NEED SOME LOTION,
IF YOU NEED SOMETHING LIKE THAT,
THEY’RE DOING A GREAT JOB.
>> ALL RIGHT.
I PROBABLY COULD USE THAT,
MAGIC.
GETTING A LITTLE CREAKY.
GIVE OUR LOVE TO COOKIE, ALSO.
>> I WILL.
YOU MAKE SURE YOU TELL YOUR WIFE
HELLO.
IT IS GOOD TO SEE EVERYBODY.
STAY SAFE.
STAY HELD THIHEALTHY.
THANK YOU FOR ENTERTAINING US,
GIVING US THE NEWS AND WHAT’S
HAPPENING DURING THIS PANDEMIC.
WE NEED IT, THE "TODAY" SHOW,
MORE THAN EVER.
THANK YOU.
>> MAGIC, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
WE APPRECIATE YOU JOINING US.
>> THANK YOU.
>> FOR A MOMENT HERE, IN TERMS
OF HALL OF FAME GUESTS SS ON THE
SHOW, MAGIC JOHNSON.
>> I MEAN --
>> PLUS, HE PUT UP $300 MILLION
OF HIS OWN MONEY TO SAVE SMALL
BUSINESSES.
>> $325 MILLION.
>> FOR HIM TO TELL US TO KEEP
DOING WHAT WE’RE DOING, PRETTY
COOL.
>> GO FROM THE DAYS WHERE I
REMEMBER MY BROTHERS HAD THE