Magic Johnson to boost LA Olympic bid
NBA legend and Olympic gold medallist Earvin “Magic” Johnson has been appointed to help boost Los Angeles's bid for the 2024 Games.
|||NBA legend and Olympic gold medallist Earvin “Magic” Johnson has been appointed to help boost Los Angeles's ambitious bid for the 2024 Games, a statement said Wednesday.
Johnson, a member of the fabled 1992 USA basketball “Dream Team” at the Barcelona Olympics, was appointed as a vice chair of the city's Olympic and Paralympic candidature committee, Los Angeles 2024 said.
“The only thing greater than bringing a sports championship to Los Angeles would be bringing the Olympics back to the best sports town in America,” Johnson said in a statement.
“I was here for the 1984 Games, and I saw a city that was united and honored to welcome the world. As a former Olympian, I'm proud to join the LA 2024 team and give them 'an assist' in returning the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games to the United States.”
Johnson is a prominent figure in Los Angeles, having played for the Lakers during a glittering career between 1979 and 1991. He was also part of the consortium which bought the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2012.
Los Angeles is bidding to host the Olympics for a third time after staging the Games in 1932 and 1984. It faces stiff competition from Paris, Rome, Budapest and Hamburg.
AFP