There is no illusion that athletes in college and university levels produce the world's greatest National Basketball Association (NBA) stars. There is also no illusion that University of Connecticut Huskies only graduates a quarter of their NCAA Basketball Athletes and the NCAA Basketball as whole graduates 66% of their male athletes according to a report by Steve Wieberg, USA TODAY. Some of these athletes leave school early to pursue a career as a professional athlete. So one may wonder if there is at least one college/ university athlete that played in the NBA and also is an employer of choice. This is not an illusion, Erving "Magic" Johnson has created opportunities for not only himself but for many minorities. His work ethic and ability to overcome diversity makes Erving "Magic" Johnson the businessman that deserves the title "Employer of Choice."

The creator of Magic Johnson Enterprises was born in 1959 in Lansing, Michigan. During his final year as a Michigan State University basketball player, he led his team to a National Championship. He was only a sophomore. Mr. Johnson or Magic as he is so well known has a Gold Olympic medal, has won NBA Championship, other NBA awards and is one of the Top 50 Players in the NBA. In 1991 he told the world that he had acquired AIDS according to nndb.com. His choice to have an open communication with his health put him in a position to coach people into fighting the odds and making the best out of any situation. Magic Johnson Enterprises also involves many people, especially minorities including the inner cities and women.

The son of a GM Laborer (father) and a janitor (mother) has made Magic with every business and personal choice he has made. A great Employer of Choice must always be able to become a mentor by giving self-help tips and give people an insight to his or her own life. Magic Johnson made this possible through four of his books. Three of which are memoirs and a self-help book called What you can do to avoid AIDS. This type of open communication has made him one of America's favorite persons. Magic Johnson's list of positive business moves ranges from 24 Hour Fitness Magic Johnson-Sport, Canyon Johnson-Urban Funds and ESPN. Each of these companies promotes a happy lifestyle through a commitment to healthy living, creating opportunities with positive funding. His charm and positive outlook is always appreciated as an ESPN analyst and commentator.

Canyon Johnson-Urban Funds which is one of several businesses that Magic Johnson is committed to has nearly $2 Billion dollars in capital according to their website www.cjuf.com. This company focus'investments in America's urban communities since 2001.

Magic Johnson leadership as a leading player and captain has created a coach in its own sense. ESPN.com reported Magic purchasing Major League Baseball team Los Angeles Dodgers in March, 2012. Magic Johnson has really lived up to his name Magic. He has been a survivor of AIDS for 20 years and he continues to create opportunities for himself and others, especially minorities. His coaching qualities have truly made him in high demand as an Employer of Choice.

His businesses do not end with the urban funding and athletic services. Magic Johnson is the real Whopper! He owns over 30 Burger Kings, 100 Starbucks, other food service companies and also a T.G.I.F. Restaurant. Great coaches teach discipline, the importance of gaining, and to continue winning even after a bad game. AIDS may have been that bad game but Coach Magic continues to win by making strong power moves. Often times, athletes spend their money and make bad investments. In my opinion, this happens because they are so eager to make more money without looking deep into the fine print.

Magic Johnson Enterprises involves many people with his prosperous and continually gaining companies. Aon.com is the site for his business AON Cornerstone Innovations Solutions. AON generates businesses and cultural knowledge for minority business enterprises. Value and strong business partnerships is the cornerstone of this company, which includes but is not limited to crisis development, bed bug insurance, and property risk control. The involvement of others with this company and others he owns and has partnered with allows him to people in positions to have a successful career.

The multiple NBA Defensive Player of the year did not stop there either. One may ponder, "What has Magic Johnson not done?" This businessman has Best Buy, Crescent and CISCO under his belt. To say he is an entrepreneur is an understatement. This Employer of Choice is a living inspiration for anyone who wants to follow his or her dreams.

Magic Johnson is also well known for AMC Magic Johnson Theatres, which is spread through out the United States. His state of the art theatres are also located in inner cities, which create jobs in the inner cities as well as a positive place for people to enjoy great movies and buttered popcorn. I am more than sure that this coach that involves many people and who uses open communication has inspired other athletes to make positive business decisions to become an advocate for something positive for our communities and to give back financially to improve the lives of others.