When NBA legend Magic Johnson speaks, people listen. And when he is ready to give an apology for an opinion he held, people listen even even more.
That was exactly the case yesterday when the Oklahoma City Thunder utterly dominated the Minnesota Timberwolves to win Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals and punch their ticket to the NBA Finals. They now head to the Finals for the first time in 13 years and hope to win their first title since 1979, when they were still the Seattle SuperSonics.
For Magic, OKC’s dominance has led him to take a step back and reassess how he views the team. Following the game, he offered an apology to the Thunder for “underestimating them” and thinking that they weren’t ready to contend for a title.
“I want to apologize to the Oklahoma City Thunder for underestimating them and not thinking they were ready to compete for a Championship,” he wrote on X last night.
I want to apologize to the Oklahoma City Thunder for underestimating them and not thinking they were ready to compete for a Championship.
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) May 29, 2025
NBA fans were pleasantly surprised to see Magic do a 180 on the Thunder.
“Me too Mr. Johnson, who knew the Wolves would fold so easy,” one user remarked.
“I wouldn’t have even told everyone that you said that. I had no idea you didn’t know ball until now,” wrote another.
“On behalf of Oklahoma, we accept your apology. Now let’s enjoy the finals,” a third wrote.
“We appreciate you, as a great, acknowledging greatness.”
“Most of NBA Twitter need to come correct like this.”
The Thunder are only four wins away from claiming their first NBA title in decades. They’ll most likely face the Indiana Pacers, who currently hold a 3-1 lead over the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals and have already knocked off the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers. If the Knicks somehow manage to come back, they’ll have proven to be the biggest never-say-die team of the playoffs and maybe even playoff history.
If the Thunder do win the NBA title, they’ll have certainly earned it.
Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals will begin on June 5 at 8:30 p.m. ET and will air on ABC.
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