ST. LOUIS (UBSWA) – Earvin “Magic” Johnson, who transitioned from a Hall of Fame basketball career to become one of the most successful owners in modern sports, focusing on ethnically diverse and underserved urban communities, and whose foundation inspired awareness in HIV/AIDS education and prevention, will receive the 2026 Dean Smith Award from the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Monday night.
Johnson will be honored during the association’s annual awards banquet at the Missouri Athletic Club. The event, presented by Morgan Stanley, will be live-streamed at 7:45 p.m. ET on the Missouri Athletic Club's YouTube channel.
“From his time as a student at Michigan State, Earvin was wise enough to describe the difference between Earvin and Magic,” said Matt Norlander of CBS Sports, USBWA president during the 2025-26 season. “Magic was the athlete and performer, and Earvin was the person behind all that.
“As we celebrate Dean Smith’s legacy, we are honored to recognize Earvin for how he has embraced, supported and promoted the underrepresented in the spirit of all our honorees.”
As Johnson has said: “It’s not whether you can become successful…it’s how many people can you help become successful.”
Johnson is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Magic Johnson Enterprises, an investment conglomerate that provides high-quality products and services. Last year he was awarded the nation’s highest civilian award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, by President Joe Biden.
Johnson is a long-standing co-owner of the two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. In 2023 he became co-owner of the Washington Commanders of the National Football League. His portfolio includes the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA, the Los Angeles Football Club of Major League Soccer, the Washington Spirit of the National Women’s Soccer League and global eSports powerhouse Team Liquid.
He has been associated with 18 championships: A state basketball championship at Everett High School in Lansing, Mich.; Michigan State’s 1979 NCAA championship; 11 NBA Championships with the Los Angeles Lakers (five as a player, five as co-owner and one as an executive); one LAFC Major League Soccer title; one Sparks WNBA title and three Dodger World Series titles. Johnson was also a member of the gold-medal winning United States basketball team, the Dream Team, at the Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain.
The Dean Smith Award was created by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association to annually honor a person who embodies the spirit and standards of the late Dean Smith. The award recognizes an individual who uses his or her platform to be an agent of change beyond sport, and to influence and impact athletes, the campus community, those in need, and the community at large.
Smith coached 36 seasons at North Carolina, winning two national championships and an Olympic gold medal and appearing in 11 Final Fours. He retired in 1997 with 879 victories, which at the time were the most by any basketball coach in Division I history.
Smith is remembered not only for his coaching success but his accomplishments off the court. He took a stand on a number of social and political issues during his career, even though they were often unpopular. He championed racial equality and joined in protests on campus against segregation. He helped integrate a restaurant and a neighborhood in Chapel Hill, and in 1966, he recruited the first African-American player to North Carolina, Charles Scott.
Smith was opposed to the Vietnam War and the death penalty and spoke publicly in support of women’s rights. He also recorded radio spots to promote a freeze on nuclear weapons.
In 2013, President Barack Obama awarded Smith the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his “courage in helping to change our country.”
The USBWA was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. With more than 700 members worldwide, it is one of the most influential organizations in college basketball. The USBWA has selected an All-America team since the 1956-57 season. For more information on the USBWA and its award programs, contact executive director Malcolm Moran at malcolm@usbwa.com.
ALL-TIME DEAN SMITH AWARD WINNERS
2025-26: Earvin "Magic" Johnson
2024-25: Dick Vitale
2023-24: Mike Krzyzewski
2022-23: Tubby Smith
2021-22: None Selected
2020-21: George Raveling
2019-20: Bob McKillop
2018-19: Fran Dunphy
2017-18: Don Donoher
2016-17: Tom Izzo
2015-16: John Thompson