Magic Johnson Research Paper

Sports in the 1980s were characterized by several of the best athletes known in football and basketball and the growth of interest in ice hockey. Females and the disabled revolutionize the sports industry, proving that they can perform equally as well as ordinary male athletes and even outperform them. Leisure activities often included those that were developed the decade before but did not reach peak popularity until the ‘80s. One of the most admired athletes from the 1980s is Joe Montana, a star quarterback who played for the San Francisco 49ers from 1979 to 1992. He was an eight-time Pro Bowl player, Super Bowl MVP three times, and NFL MVP twice. Nicknamed “Joe Cool” for his ability to stay calm under pressure and lead his team to victory, …show more content…
He spent his whole career – a total of 13 years – with the LA Lakers, leading them to 5 victories in the championships within the 1980s. Magic Johnson was awarded the MVP Award and the Finals MVP Award three times each and inspired the new word “triple-double” to basketball jargon. After being diagnosed with HIV, he left the Lakers to focus on his health and, to this day, spread awareness for AIDS. Along with Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan was a celebrated basketball star, too. He won gold with the USA team in the 1984 and 1992 Olympics and led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships. His playing style on court inspired Nike’s Air Jordans that reached peak popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Jordan’s growing international fame in the late ‘80s marked America’s cultural transition from the Cold War to globalization. Martina Navratilova lived in Communist Czech until she defected to the US and became a tennis player in America. She is one of the first openly gay sports figures, coming out in 1981. Because she is female, gay, and Czech, Navratilova faced discrimination, but she steadfastly remained a vocal advocate for equal rights and pay and a strong supporter of many charities that benefit the LGBT