Many may remember Magic Johnson as a guest star in Michael Jackson’s short film “Remember The Time” in 1992.
Eddie Murphy and Iman also starred in the film and it was directed by John Singleton.
It turns out that Johnson had quite an experience with the King of Pop prior to the video.
During an appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show, Johnson talked about how Jackson contacted him. He didn’t believe it was Jackson.
“I got a call: ‘Magic, I want to talk to you,’ so I hung up,” Johnson said. “Two minutes later the phone rang: ‘Magic, this is Michael Jackson.’ I said, ‘This is not Michael Jackson,’ so I hung up again.”
Then Johnson received a call from Michael’s older brother Jackie.
“I knew his brother Jackie Jackson,” he said. “So his brother called me and said, Magic, that was actually Michael calling you. No! No! Please, I called him back. So I came back and apologized for an hour. I’m so sorry. I thought someone was playing a prank on me, right? So he said, I’m making this video. I want one with the two MJs, one with you and one with Michael Jordan. Can I come to your house last night? Can I come to your house?! What time do you want me to be there?!”‘
Michael Jordan appeared in Jackson’s Jam video.
Johnson went to Jackson’s Neverland Ranch for dinner. He ordered grilled chicken and vegetables from the chef. What Jackson ordered through Johnson caused confusion.
“I try to tell myself he eats healthy, so I’m going to eat healthy,” Johnson said. “I don’t want to disappoint my hero. So the guy lifted the lid, bam! Another guy came out with his (food), lifted the lid and it was a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken! I started screaming, ‘Michael, you’re eating Kentucky Fried Chicken?!’ Man, I said. ‘Wait, I have to get down there and share the bucket with you. I went down there, we were sitting on the floor and we tore up the chicken.'”
Talk about an unforgettable time.
Zachary Draves is a contributor to Back In the Day Hoops On SI. You can reach him at [email protected] and on Instagram at @zdraves0633.
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