Both schools pined for Johnson, especially following his showing at an AAU tournament in Florida. Johnson led the upstart team from Michigan into the finals against a club from Washington, DC. The twelve boys from the nation’s capital were clear favorites—among their ranks were forward Larry Spriggs, a future NBA player, as well as soon-to-be college standouts like Kenny Matthews, Earnest Graham, and Jo Jo Hunter. On the night before the big game, Spriggs and Co. knocked on the door of Johnson’s hotel room. “You’re the guy they call Magic, huh?” Spriggs said. “Well, you’ll be seeing the DC
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