MAGIC:

I TRUST ALL IS WELL. WHILE AWAITING YOUR RESPONSE TO MY DECEMBER 2 FAX, I TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO RE-READ YOUR COVER STORY IN THE MAY ‘99 BLACK ENTERPRISE MAGAZINE. I SEND MY SINCERE, BELATED, CONGRATULATIONS! EARL G. GRAVES HAS BEEN A HERO OF MINE FOR NEARLY TWO DECADES. SINCE SUBMITTING A MARKETING IDEA TO B.E. IN 1983, BEING ON THE COVER HAS ALWAYS BEEN A DREAM OF MINE. IT WAS MORE EXCITING SEEING YOU ON THAT COVER THAN ALL OF THE TIMES I SAW YOU ON SPORTS ILLUSTRATED. I MUST SAY, BEING IN POSITION TO DO BUSINESS WITH SOMEONE THAT HAS BEEN ON B.E.’s COVER IS AS EXCITING AS BEING ON IT MYSELF. I KNOW YOU REALIZE WHAT ADDED CREDIBILITY IT HAS GIVEN YOU. READING THE ARTICLE, I BECAME INCREASINGLY BAFFLED AS TO WHY A HARD WORKING “URBAN ENTREPRENEUR” LIKE MYSELF, WHO HAS PAID HIS DUES, IS HAVING SUCH A TOUGH TIME WORKING WITH “AMERICA’S LEADING URBAN ENTREPRENEUR.”

I LIKED WHAT LAWRENCE J. RUISI SAID ABOUT YOU, “WHEN YOU SIT DOWN AND TALK WITH HIM, WHAT EARVIN DISPLAYS IS THE ABILITY TO LISTEN AND LEARN.” THAT’S WHY I’VE BEEN TRYING TO GET ANOTHER MEETING WITH YOU, SO WE CAN SIT DOWN AND TALK AGAIN. I ALSO LIKED WHAT KENNETH LOMBARD SAID, “...ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS SIT IN A MEETING WITH HIM AND YOU WALK AWAY CLEAR THAT HE IS A VERY ASTUTE BUSINESSMAN.” THAT’S EXACTLY HOW I FELT AFTER OUR MEETING AT YOUR HOME IN SEPTEMBER 1996. AFTER NINETY MINUTES OF LISTENING TO YOU ESSENTIALLY SAYING WE WOULD BE DOING BUSINESS TOGETHER, YOU SHOOK MY HAND IN YOUR HALLWAY, WHILE SAYING, “NOW WE KNOW.” THAT WAS ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING MOMENTS IN MY LIFE! I FELT LIKE JUMPING ON YOU AND HUGGING YOU THE WAY YOU DID KAREEM THE FIRST GAME OF YOUR ROOKIE YEAR, BUT I PLAYED IT COOL. IN MY MIND, YOU’VE HAD “THE MAGIC TOUCH” LONG BEFORE BLACK ENTERPRISE’S DECLARATION, AND I LEFT YOUR HOME WITH COMPLETE CONFIDENCE. I LEFT WITH THE IMPRESSION HOWARD SCHULTZ VERBALIZED IN THE ARTICLE, “THERE’S A LEVEL OF INTEGRITY THAT MAGIC HAS THAT TRANSCENDS SPORTS.” AND I HAVE JUST ALWAYS BELIEVED YOU WILL DO WHAT YOU SAID YOU WOULD. I BELIEVED THAT OF YOU THEN; I BELIEVE THAT OF YOU NOW. I REALIZE YOU ARE AN EXTREMELY BUSY MAN, BUT I CAN NEVER FORGET THE SINCERITY IN YOUR EYES AND VOICE AS YOU WERE SHAKING MY HAND THAT DAY. SO THAT’S WHY I WAITED THREE YEARS TO TALK FACE-TO-FACE AGAIN.

THE ARTICLE STATED YOU WANTED TO BE “TAKEN SERIOUSLY AS AN URBAN ENTREPRENEUR,” SO DO I! AND I MUST ADMIT I’M MORE THAN A LITTLE PERPLEXED AS TO WHY AMERICA’S LEADING URBAN ENTREPRENEUR ISN’T TAKING ME SERIOUSLY. MAGIC, YOU’RE AN EXCELLENT EVALUATOR OF BASKETBALL TALENT. WHAT IS KEEPING YOU FROM BEING JUST AS ASTUTE IN RECOGNIZING MY MARKETING TALENT? IF YOU’VE READ THE AD/Rack™ PROGRAM I SENT YOU, YOU HAVE TO ADMIT I HAVE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF MARKETING TALENT. SINCE SEEING YOU IN SEPTEMBER OF THIS YEAR AT KEY ARENA, I HAVE BEEN TRYING MY BEST TO MEET WITH YOU FOR AN HOUR. AN HOUR TO NOT ONLY EXPLAIN THE BENEFITS OF THE AD/Rack™ PROGRAM, BUT TO REVEAL MY MARKETING TALENT IN AREAS WHERE YOU ARE ALREADY POSITIONED. MY “DRAWING BOARD” IS FULL OF SOME VERY INTERESTING PROJECTS I HAVE CREATED THAT ARE READY TO BE PRODUCED. WITHIN AN HOUR, I BELIEVE YOU’LL HEAR AT LEAST ONE THAT YOU REALLY LIKE AND WANT TO MOVE ON. I EVEN CAME UP WITH SOME IDEAS WHILE READING THE ARTICLE AGAIN.

HERE’S WHAT I MEAN: YOUR ASSOCIATION WITH STARBUCKS MAKES SEATTLE A PERFECT PLACE FOR MAGIC JOHNSON DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TO CONSIDER BUILDING A THEATER. YOU ARE PROBABLY IN SEATTLE A FEW TIMES A YEAR, SO IT’S AN IDEAL CITY TO BE “CREATIVE” WITH A MAGIC THEATER. FROM A MARKETING VIEWPOINT, THE YEAR 2000 WILL BE IDEAL FOR LAUNCHING PROJECTS. AND NEXT YEAR’S SEATTLE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (SIFF), WILL BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO EITHER GRAND OPEN OR ANNOUNCE THE GRAND OPENING OF A MAGIC THEATER. I’M SURE YOU KNOW THAT SIFF IS INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT AND INFLUENTIAL FILM FESTIVALS IN THE WORLD, AND SEATTLE FILMGOERS ARE COUNTED AMONG THE NATIONS MOST SAVVY. A MAGIC THEATER IN THE CENTRAL DISTRICT OF SEATTLE WOULD BE A GREAT VENUE FOR SIFF FILMS AND THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD A BRIDGE THAT WILL GET MORE SEATTLE MINORITIES INVOLVED IN FILM PRODUCTION. THAT “PILOT” COULD SPIN OFF INTO AN ANNUAL “MAGIC FILM FESTIVAL” AT ALL OF YOUR THEATERS, WITH YOU MAKING AN APPEARANCE IN EACH CITY FOR A DAY. A MAGIC FILM FESTIVAL WOULD CREATE ALL KINDS OF OPPORTUNITIES!

ANYWAY, YOU ARE ALREADY CLOSE TO ONE OF SIFF’s BOARD MEMBERS, SO YOU ALREADY HAVE A STRONG TIE TO THE EVENT. DURING THE FESTIVAL’S 25-DAY RUN EACH MAY, HUNDREDS OF FILMS AND DOZENS OF STARS ARE IN TOWN; YOU MAY AS WELL BE ONE OF THEM. YOU COULD DO PROMOS WITH STARBUCKS LIKE, “STAR MEETINGS @ STARBUCKS,” AND “CATCH 32.” YOU COULD GET STARBUCKS BUZZING IN A WAY THE CAFFEINE CAN’T! YOU SHOULD AT LEAST HOST AN EVENT AT GAMEWORKS STARTING NEXT YEAR; BRINGING YOUR WRITERS, DIRECTORS, PRODUCERS, AND ACTORS WHILE LOOKING FOR NEW ONES. THERE’S A MYRIAD OF POSSIBILITIES RIGHT THERE! NOW, YOU MAY NOT DO ANY OF THIS, BUT YOU HAVE TO ADMIT IT’S PRETTY CREATIVE, RIGHT?

MAGIC JOHNSON MANAGEMENT GROUP HAS AN ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION, BUT WHAT ABOUT MANAGING TALENT THAT IS CREATIVE, BUT NOT ENTERTAINMENT-ORIENTED? WHAT ABOUT A “CREATIVE DIVISION” SO TALENTED PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF CAN BE REPRESENTED DESPITE THE FACT WE DON’T SING, ACT, OR TELL JOKES? CREATIVITY IS CREATIVITY. PRODUCTION IS PRODUCTION. I BRING A POTENTIAL NINE FIGURES OF CREATIVITY TO THE TABLE READY FOR PRODUCTION, BUT I AM HAVING THE TOUGHEST TIME GETTING A MEETING WITH YOU. BESIDES “THE WORLD’S MOST POWERFUL SPORTS DRINK ADVERTISING PROGRAM,” I’VE CREATED AN EXTREMELY VIABLE SPORTS TV SHOW THAT WOULD BE A WINNER FOR THE TELEVISION DIVISION OF MAGIC JOHNSON ENTERTAINMENT. THE CONCEPT IS EXTREMELY CUTTING EDGE; REALLY CAN’T GET ANY SHARPER. BECAUSE OF THAT, IT WILL MEET WITH SOME RESISTANCE, BUT YOU HAVE THE WHEREWITHAL TO MAKE IT A GO. WITH “MILLENNIUM MARKETING,” THE SHOW WILL BE WILDLY ACCEPTED AS A NATURAL BY THE FANS.

WHILE I’M ON THE SUBJECT OF ENTERTAINMENT, I ALSO HAVE A CONCEPT FOR THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY THAT WOULD MAKE A PERFECT PARTNERSHIP WITH A KEY CONTACT OF YOURS IN LAS VEGAS. THIS CONCEPT, WITHOUT QUESTION, WOULD BE THE “MOST TALKED ABOUT ATTRACTION OF THE YEAR.” I’VE ALSO CREATED AN ENTERTAINMENT WEBSITE (I LAUNCHED A MAJOR SPORTS WEBSITE EARLIER THIS YEAR) THAT WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY “OFF THE HOOK” WITH YOUR INVOLVEMENT! SPEAKING OF THE INTERNET, I HAVE TWO SOFTWARE PROGRAMS I’VE CREATED THAT WILL BE THE NEXT BIG “TECH HITS.” I EVEN HAVE A DEMO I PRODUCED OF A REMADE 70’s SONG FROM AN IDEA I HEARD ON THE ARSENIO HALL SHOW. WITH A PLAYER YOU COULD BRING TO THE TABLE, MAGIC JOHNSON MUSIC COULD PUSH THIS RECORD TO PLATINUM, EASILY.

SPEAKING OF MUSIC, FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS, I’VE HAD THE BOMB IDEA FOR A CONCERT THAT COULD BE THE EVENT OF 2000 FOR MAGIC JOHNSON PRODUCTIONS. AS THE WEST COAST DIRECTOR OF THE NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION ROCK & WRAP IT UP (PLEASE SEE WWW.ROCKANDWRAPITUP.ORG) FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS, MY CONTACTS IN THE CONCERT INDUSTRY ARE ESTABLISHED WELL ENOUGH TO CO-PRODUCE THIS CONCERT. THE SHOW IS A BONAFIDE WINNER AND THE CABLE TV RIGHTS WILL BE A SOLID MONEY MAKER! SPEAKING OF SHOWS, THE TIMING IS PERFECT FOR EDDIE MURPHY TO DO ANOTHER STAND-UP SHOW. THE TIME THAT HAS GONE BY SINCE “EDDIE MURPHY: RAW,” COUPLED WITH MATURITY AND NEW LIFE EXPERIENCES, ADDS UP TO GREAT POTENTIAL FOR A HIGH-GROSSING, COMEDY SHOW OF THE YEAR. HE’D PROBABLY DO IT WITH YOU.

THERE YOU HAVE IT. I JUST OUTLINED UPWARDS OF $100 MILLION OF CREATIVITY. WHEN YOU GIVE ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO FILL IN THE DETAILS, YOU WILL SEE THAT MY ENTREPRENEURIAL TALENT IS EQUAL TO THE TALENT OF ALMOST ANYONE PLAYING SPORTS. IT SEEMS LIKE YOU WOULD BE INTERESTED IN REPRESENTING ME THE WAY YOU WOULD REPRESENT ANYONE ELSE WITH THE TALENT THAT COULD PRODUCE THOSE TYPE OF NUMBERS. IF I PLAYED HOOP ON THE LEVEL THAT I CREATE MARKETING IDEAS, EVERYONE WOULD WANT TO REPRESENT ME. IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY, WE STRESS THAT NOT EVERYONE CAN PLAY SPORTS, ACT, OR SING AT THE HIGHEST PROFESSIONAL LEVEL. BUT YOU KNOW THAT DOESN’T MEAN WE CAN’T USE OUR GOD-GIVEN TALENTS AND ABILITIES TO REACH THAT LEVEL IN OTHER AREAS. THAT’S HOW I DID IT. I TOOK THE DREAM I HAD AS A KID, TO BE A PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL PLAYER, AND TRANSMUTED IT INTO MY DESIRE OF BEING A PROFESSIONAL BUSINESS PLAYER. YOU KNOW I’VE GOT HEART. YOU KNOW I HAVE INTELLIGENCE. YOU KNOW I HAVE VISION. YOU KNOW I HAVE PERSISTENCE. YOU KNOW I CAN CREATE. YOU KNOW I CAN PRODUCE. YOU KNOW I WILL FOLLOW THROUGH. YOU KNOW I THINK BIG. THOSE ARE ALL QUALITIES YOU WANT IN A POINT GUARD, WHY AREN’T THEY EQUALLY APPRECIATED IN A “POINT MAN?”

IN THE B.E. ARTICLE, YOU TOOK THE STANCE OF NOT BEING A FIGUREHEAD BY STATING, “I HAVE TO HAVE SOME KNOWLEDGE AND I HAVE TO KNOW MY FIGURES.” WELL, YOU KNOW THAT I’M ONE OUT OF 10 PEOPLE WHO COMES UP WITH A VIABLE IDEA F0R A USABLE PRODUCT. YOU KNOW THAT I’M ONE OUT OF 100 PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY MARKETS THE PRODUCT THEY INVENT. BY NOW, YOU HAVE TO KNOW THAT I’M ONE OUT OF 1,000 THAT HAS THE COURAGE AND PERSISTENCE TO PERSEVERE AGAINST ALL OPPOSITION IN GOING AFTER MY DREAM. YOU KNOW THAT I’M ONE OUT OF 10,000 THAT HOLDS A UNITED STATES PATENT. YOU KNOW I’M THE ONLY ONE ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH WITH “THE WORLD’S MOST POWERFUL SPORTS DRINK ADVERTISING PROGRAM.” FROM YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH PEPSI-COLA COMPANY, I’M SURE YOU KNOW ALL-SPORT IS THE COMPANY’S SPORTS DRINK PRODUCT. YOU KNOW THE AD/Rack™ PROGRAM HAS A $15 MILLION U.S. POTENTIAL; $30 MILLION GLOBALLY. AS YOU WOULD SAY, “THE MATH ISEASY.”

THE ARTICLE ALSO MADE IT CLEAR THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF DUE DILIGENCE AND “...JUST HOW IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIPS ARE.” ALTHOUGH YOUR MANAGEMENT TEAM ON PAGE 76 IS NOT INDIVIDUALLY IDENTIFIED, YOU KNOW THAT I SPENT THREE YEARS BUILDING A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FIRST PERSON IN THE PHOTO, DARWIN PAYTON. YOU HAVE TO KNOW THAT DARWIN TOOK THREE YEARS OF DUE DILIGENCE TIME BUILDING A RELATIONSHIP WITH ME THAT EVENTUALLY LED TO THE 1996 MEETING IN YOUR HOME. DARWIN KNOWS I’M “REAL” AND “FOR REAL.” I’M A REAL, DOWN-TO-EARTH PERSONALLY AND FOR REAL, AGGRESSIVE, PROFESSIONALLY. WHAT YOU MAY NOT KNOW IS THAT I HAVE THE UTMOST RESPECT FOR DARWIN PAYTON. BUT I’M CERTAIN THAT YOU KNOW DARWIN HAD CONSIDERABLE INPUT ON THE AD/Rack™ PROGRAM, AND THE PROGRAM OPENS A HUGE DOOR TO CROSS-PROMOTIONS.

IN THE ARTICLE, YOU STATED, “...I RUN ALL OF MY COMPANIES...IF THEY COME IN HERE AND WANT TO DO SOME BUSINESS, THEY’LL FIND THAT OUT FAST ENOUGH.” YOU WENT ON TO SAY, “I DON’T NEED KEN OR ANYONE ELSE TO TALK FOR ME...KEN CAN’T TELL THEM ANYTHING BECAUSE THEY WANT TO HEAR IT FROM ME.” WELL, I’VE WAITED SIX YEARS TO DO SOME BUSINESS WITH YOU AND THREE YEARS TO HEAR FROM YOU FACE-TO-FACE HOW WE CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN. SINCE YOU KNOW HOW TO WORK WITH “MOM-AND-POP STORES,” CERTAINLY YOU CAN WORK WITH ME. JUST LIKE MR. GRAVES TOOK YOU ON AS A PARTNER TO EXPAND HIS DEAL AND GOT YOU “PLAYING ON A MAJOR LEAGUE LEVEL,” I NEED YOU TO TAKE ME ON AS A PARTNER TO EXPAND MY DEAL AND GET ME ON THE MAJOR LEAGUE LEVEL I’VE WORKED HARD TO BE ON. I HAVE ALWAYS THOUGHT OF THE MEETING IN YOUR DEN AS BEING “CALLED UP TO THE MAJORS.” MR. GRAVES SAID, “IT WAS CLEAR THAT HE REALLY WANTED TO BE A BUSINESSMAN AND BE SOMEONE THAT OTHERS WOULD TAKE SERIOUSLY,” AND THAT’S WITH YOU STARTING OFF AS MAGIC JOHNSON!!!! WHY CAN’T YOU SEE THE SAME THING IN ME; A GUY THAT STARTED OFF AS HOMELESS?

ERIC L. SMITH WROTE THAT YOU “TOOK YOUR GAME TO A DIFFERENT ARENA, ONE WHERE THE OBSTACLES ARE HIGHER AND THE CHALLENGES GREATER.” WELL, I’M IN THAT ARENA AND CHALLENGE YOU TO FIND A WAY FOR YOU, “AMERICA’S LEADING URBAN ENTREPRENEUR” AND ME, “URBAN ENTREPRENEUR ON THE RISE” TO PARTNER AS YOU HAVE WITH CORPORATE AMERICA. IN FACT, I CHALLENGE YOU TO PRODUCE “THE WORLD’S MOST POWERFUL SPORTS DRINK ADVERTISING PROGRAM.” I BRING CAPITAL TO THE TABLE AS YOU DID IN YOUR FIRST MAJOR LEAGUE DEAL. HOWEVER, I BRING NO RISK; IT’S BEEN ALL SQUEEZED OUT. YOU HAVE, AS KEN SMIKLE SAID, “...OPENED THE DOOR FOR CREATING PARTNERSHIPS WITH MAJOR RETAILERS INTERESTED IN BLACK CONSUMERS.” IN SO DOING, YOU HAVE ALSO OPENED THE DOOR FOR CREATING PARTNERSHIPS WITH BLACK PRODUCERS INTERESTED IN MAJOR RETAILERS, HAVEN’T YOU?

AS AMERICA’S LEADING URBAN ENTREPRENEUR, YOU ARE NOT ONLY PARTNERING WITH CORPORATE AMERICA, ARE YOU? YOU ARE SEEKING TO WORK WITH OTHER TALENTED URBAN ENTREPRENEURS, AREN’T YOU? “THE MAGIC TOUCH” IS GOING TO BRING MINORITY SELLERS TO THE TABLE AS WELL, ISN’T IT? THE LAST PARAGRAPH OF THE B.E. COVER STORY HAS YOU SAYING, “I WANT TO BE REMEMBERED FOR MY BUSINESS, BECAUSE IT HELPED MY COMMUNITY AND MY PEOPLE...AND I WANT TO BE ONE THE BEST.” THAT’S MY HOPE FOR BOTH OF US, MAGIC! YOU WERE THE BEST IN THE NBA, BECAUSE YOU GOT EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THE GAME. YOU MADE KURT RAMBIS A STAR, SO I KNOW YOU CAN WORK ME INTO YOUR “BUSINESS OFFENSE.” I LIKE WHAT YOU TOLD LEE BAILEY OF THE ELECTRONIC URBAN REPORT, “...WE ALL HAVE TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER...”

Magic's repsonse?