Former NBA Agent Recalls Moment He and Magic Johnson Competed to Sign Same Player originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Longtime East Coast Sports Management Group NBA agent Ernest Ruffin, Jr. Has transitioned from representing star athletes to helping form the young minds of tomorrow. He founded a nonprofit, YES (Young Entrepreneurz Solutions), that helps equip high school and college students with the resources to develop entrepreneurial skills — including national competitions, mentorship opportunities, and real business development exposure.
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During an extensive interview with NBA insider Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson, Ruffin recalled some highlights from his days as a player agent, when he represented the likes of former No. 1 pick Joe Smith, center Kurt Thomas, and two-time champion shooting guard Vernon Maxwell.
Intriguingly, Ruffin looked back on a little-known rivalry moment — when he and Hall of Fame former Los Angeles Lakers point guard Magic Johnson, then also testing out the world of sports representation, competed to sign the same player ahead of the 1998 NBA draft, power forward DeMarco Johnson.
Johnson would go on to enjoy an 12-year pro career, although he played pretty sparingly in the NBA. After he was drafted by the New York Knicks, Johnson suited up for Italian club Sony Milano during the 1998 lockout, and missed the Knicks' NBA Finals run the following spring. Across five contests for New York in 1999-2000, the 6-foot-9 big man averaged 1.2 points and 1.4 rebounds for New York.
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He continued his career overseas and with lesser stateside leagues after that inaugural NBA season.
"So Magic had retired the second time on his own in ‘96 or ‘97 and he decided to become a sports agent and it was this kid out of University of North Carolina-Charlotte named DeMarco Johnson who I had been working for a while and when Magic decided to become a sports agent, he put his name under to represent DeMarco Johnson and DeMarco was Conference USA player of the year," Ruffin explained.
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In a bit of a shock, DeMarco Johnson stayed loyal, and wound up not signing with Magic Johnson. He was selected by New York with the No. 38 pick in the second round of the '98 draft.
"DeMarco’s parents wanted Magic — I mean, who doesn’t want Magic? He’s Magic!" Ruffin allowed. "And you know, DeMarco and I established a relationship and he liked what I was offering and the other players that I was working with so he signed with me."
The move represented a massive underdog victory for Ruffin, who by that point had proven pedigree of getting young talent appreciated in the league at large.
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"And with Magic, we never met but we met after DeMarco signed with me and he was cordial even to this day if I ever see him we shake hands, say hello," Ruffin said. "But yeah, I went one on one with Magic Johnson in the business world and got a brief victory with DeMarco Johnson but, that same guy made me quit the sports agent business!"
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 25, 2025, where it first appeared.