Magic Johnson
Perhaps best known as a National Basketball Association (NBA) legend, two-time Hall of Famer, and Olympic Gold Medalist, Earvin “Magic” Johnson has enjoyed an equally successful second career in business. He is a Major League Baseball owner, an Entrepreneur, a Philanthropist and a Motivational Speaker, successfully parlaying his skills and tenacity on the court into the business world, propelling his company to the status of #1 Brand in Urban America.
Chairman and CEO of Magic Johnson Enterprises (MJE), Mr. Johnson’s company provides high quality products and services that focus primarily on ethnically diverse and underserved urban communities through strategic alliances, investments, consulting and endorsements.
The conglomerate is comprised of multiple business entities and partnerships which includes Yucaipa Johnson, a $500 million dollar private equity fund; EquiTrust Financial Services, a fixed annuities and life insurance services company; SodexoMAGIC, a food service and facilities management company; ASPIRE, an African-American television network; The Marvel Experience, a virtual 3-D attraction centered around Marvel characters; Los Angeles Football Club, a new Major League Soccer team; and Magic Johnson Bridgescape Academies, a high school drop-out prevention program.
In the business world Mr. Johnson is most noted for his unprecedented Starbucks partnership, which served as the catalyst for redevelopment in urban communities and is literally the blueprint for Corporate America’s engagement and success with urban consumers.
In 2010, the savvy businessman divested his Starbucks, and Los Angeles Lakers shares in excess of $100 million dollars.Mr. Johnson in 2012, as a member of Guggenheim Baseball Management (GBM), became an owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, a Major League Baseball Franchise. In 2014, Mr. Johnson with some of the partners from GBM purchased the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA. Mr. Johnson also serves as Chairman and Founder of the Magic Johnson Foundation, where his unwavering commitment to transform Urban America continues through HIV/AIDS Awareness & Prevention Programs, Community Empowerment Centers, and the Taylor Michaels Scholarship Program. Celebrating over 20 years of success, the Magic Johnson Foundation has become one of the most recognizable philanthropic organizations around the world. Magic Johnson is a most requested Celebrity Sports Speakers
Orel Hershiser
“I’ve watched Orel Hershiser from the press box since he came up to the majors in 1984. From a distance he seems too good to be true. Now that he’s joined us (ESPN) as a broadcaster, I’m discovering that he’s not. Orel is the real thing.” – Sports Commentator Chris Berman
Orel Hershiser, a former Major League Baseball pitcher and Cy Young winner, returned to ESPN as a game and studio analyst prior to the 2006 season and currently contributes to the network’s Sunday Night Baseball telecasts and Sports Emmy Award-winning Baseball Tonight show. In addition, Hershiser serves as an analyst for ABC & ESPN’s coverage of the Little League World Series.
Hershiser previously served as a baseball analyst during ESPN’s and ABC’s coverage of the Little League World Series from 2000-01 and as an MLB commentator on ESPN’s Wednesday Night Baseball in 2001.
Before re-joining ESPN, Hershiser spent four years as a member of the Texas Rangers organization, as pitching coach from 2002 until 2005 and as their executive director in the front office.
Hershiser, a three-time National League All-Star, pitched 18 years in the Major Leagues for Los Angeles (1983-94, 2000), Cleveland (1995-97), San Francisco (1998) and New York Mets (1999).
In 1988, he won the Cy Young Award and was named World Series Most Valuable Player, Associated Press Athlete of the Year and Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year. After missing the 1990 season due to shoulder surgery, Hershiser returned to the Dodgers in 1991 and was named UPI Comeback Player of the Year. Considered one of baseball’s premier Celebrity Sports Speakers – Orel Hershiser
Steve Lavin
One of our most popular celebrity sports speakers – Steve Lavin, frequently an invited keynote speaker throughout the country for business, community and collegiate events. He addresses a wide range of topics including effective communication, motivation, management, recruiting, leadership, and naturally, college basketball. His riveting speech is very motivational and he touches on how he overcame the many obstacles in his life including with family, competitively and professionally.
Steve Lavin is a Basketball Analyst on ABC and ESPN. Lavin’s coaching perspective was forged over 15 years as a Division I college basketball coach at both UCLA and Purdue University. As UCLA Head Basketball Coach from 1996-2003 Lavin compiled a record of 145-78. In his inaugural season as head coach, Lavin directed the Bruins to the 1997 Pac-10 Championship and the NCAA Elite Eight. During Lavin’s tenure as a head coach, he was one of only two coaches in the country, along with Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, to lead his team to five NCAA “Sweet 16s” in six years (‘02, ’01, ’00, ’98, ’97). Lavin guided UCLA to six consecutive 20+ game winning seasons and to six consecutive NCAA tournaments. As head coach, his career record in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament is 10-1.
Steve is known as one of the best recruiters in the history of College Basketball.
In 2001, after the Bruins finished 23-9, Lavin was honored with the Pacific-10 Coach of the Year award. He is the only head coach in NCAA Men’s Basketball history to lead his team to victory over the No. 1 team in the country in four consecutive collegiate seasons (Arizona ’03, Kansas ’02, Stanford ’01, Stanford ’00). Lavin had a 12-4 record in contest involving overtime periods. Additionally Lavin’s Bruins had a 10-4 record against the rival USC Trojans. During his time working the sidelines at both Purdue and UCLA, Lavin’s teams qualified for 13 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances (1989-2002). Lavin was an assistant coach on the Bruins 1995 National Championship team that finished with a 32-1 record.
Grateful beyond words for a 27 year run associated with college basketball. In particular I’m thankful for being afforded the opportunity to teach young men at institutions with the exceptional basketball heritage of UCLA and most recently, St John’s University for the last 5 years.
Larry Krystkowiak
Creating a Winning Culture
Larry Krystkowiak is entering his fifth year as the head coach of the Runnin’ Utes. Krystkowiak was introduced on April 4, 2011 as the new men’s basketball coach at the University of Utah and the man to lead the Runnin’ Utes into the next phase of their storied history. Krystkowiak, who has prior head coaching experience in the NCAA, CBA and NBA, left a position as an assistant coach with the New Jersey Nets to become the 15th head coach in Utah men’s basketball history.
Creating a winning culture was a key component to turning the Utes program around and Larry Kystkowiak did just that.
Krystkowiak, led the Utes to a 26-9 record, a berth in the Sweet 16 and a No. 15 final national ranking during the 2014-15 season. Utah was ranked in the top 25 for 19 weeks in — its most time spent in the national polls since the Final Four campaign of 1997-98. Utah also had its best finish since joining the Pac-12, placing third with a 13-5 conference mark and reaching the semifinals of the Pac-12 Tournament for the second time in three years.
The Utes defeated Stephen F. Austin and Georgetown in the NCAA Tournament before losing to eventual national champion Duke in the Sweet 16, 63-57.
The resurgence of Utah basketball under Krystkowiak has also ignited Utah’s fan base. The Utes averaged more than 12,000 fans to its home games this season, its highest attendance average since 2000-01
Striving for success, both on and off the court, are trademarks of the Krystkowiak era and due to improvements in both areas, the Utah head coach was rewarded with a five-year contract extension that runs through the 2023-24 season.
In his previous collegiate head coaching post, Krystkowiak led his alma mater, the University of Montana, to a 42-20 record and two NCAA appearances as the Grizzlies’ from 2004-06 before joining the NBA coaching ranks.
Hired as an assistant coach by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2006-07, “Krysko” was elevated to head coach with 17 games remaining in the season. He was retained as the Bucks’ head coach in 2007-08. Among the players he coached was former Ute All-American Andrew Bogut. Krystkowiak’s other head coaching experience was in the CBA with the Idaho Stampede in 2003-04.
After a nine-year NBA playing career in six cities, Krystkowiak’s first coaching job was as an assistant coach at Montana from 1998-2000. The Grizzlies were the Big Sky champions in 2000. He then moved on to Old Dominion as an assistant in 2001-02 before signing on as the head coach of the CBA’s Idaho Stampede. In his lone season with the Stampede in 2003-04, he led the team to a 38-14 record and a berth in the CBA Finals.
Krystkowiak spent the next two seasons as the head coach at Montana. The Grizzlies were Big Sky champions in 2004-05, winning the conference tournament and earning an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. They appeared in the Big Dance in 2006 as well, earning an at-large bid and advancing to the second round with an upset victory over fifth-seed Nevada. It was UM’s first NCAA tournament win since 1975. Montana finished the season with a 24-7 record, after going 18-13 in Krystkowiak’s first season, losing to No. 1 seed Washington in the NCAA First Round.
The only three-time Big Sky MVP in league history and two-time Academic All-American for Montana from 1982-86, Krystkowiak is still the school’s all-time career leader in points (2,017) and rebounds (1,105). He was selected in the second round (28th overall pick) of the 1986 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls and played in the league for nine years with San Antonio (1986-87), Milwaukee (1988-92), Utah (1992-93), Orlando (1993-94), Chicago (1994-96) and the Los Angeles Lakers (1996). Over his NBA career, he averaged 8.1 points and 4.1 rebounds a game with his best season in 1988-89 when he averaged 12.7 points and 7.6 rebounds a game for Milwaukee.
Krystkowiak made the Dean’s List four times at Montana, including in 1996, when he completed the degree he began over a decade earlier in business administration. He graduated with honors, boasting a 3.5 grade point average.
Krystkowiak and his wife Jan have five children, sons Cam, Luc, Ben and twin daughters Samantha and Finley.
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