Magic Johnson fires up Commanders with pre-practice meeting: ‘It was awesome’

ASHBURN — The Washington Commanders had a special guest at practice Wednesday: Magic Johnson.

The NBA Hall of Famer and Commanders limited partner was on hand at the team’s headquarters to take in practice and speak with players ahead of Sunday’s 1 p.m. kickoff against the Arizona Cardinals. Johnson will also attend an event Thursday when the Commanders’ charitable foundation visits a Boys and Girls club in Southeast D.C. 

On Wednesday, Johnson spoke with players before practice in a 40-minute meeting that was initially scheduled for just 10. 

Sam Howell didn’t mind the meeting ran long.

“As a team, it was our first time meeting him and it was awesome, man, just to be able to hear what he had to say and be able to ask him questions at the end and pick his brain,” the Commanders quarterback said. “We’re just so fortunate as players to have a guy like that as a part of this organization that has an open door and is always willing to help us and with any questions we have. Obviously, he’s been through so many different teams and not only as a player but as an owner and won so many championships on both sides of it, so he definitely knows what it takes.

“It’s fun to have him here.”

Howell said he asked Johnson, a five-time NBA champion as a player, about what separated his championship-winning teams from the years he failed to win it all.

“He just talked about, man, they believed in each other and they just stood together as a team, they policed each other and always held each other accountable,” Howell said. “There was definitely so much good information that he just gave our whole entire team. It was such a blessing to have a guy like that here.”