Now Milton, don't be greedy. Let's pass it along and make sure everyone gets a piece.

I've already made an impenetrable case as to why he's the best NBA player of all time, so I'll just stop down here to wish Lansing's favorite son a happy 50th birthday.

3 cheers and a big slice of cake for Earvin "Magic" Johnson, born on August 14, 1959. With 9 brothers and sisters, I wouldn't be surprised if there were some birthdays where he never got a piece of cake.

"Few athletes are truly unique, changing the way their sport is played with their singular skills. Earvin "Magic" Johnson was one of them."
(Read more of his NBA.com biography)

Some interesting trivia about Magic:

• Johnson's mother, a devout Christian, thought his nickname was blasphemous.
• Magic was the first overall draft pick in 1979.
• Magic is the youngest player to ever be named the NBA Finals MVP and was the first rookie to win the award.
• Magic was the head coach of the Mighty Lakers for the final 16 games of the 93-94 season.
• Magic holds the NBA record for blocked shots by a point guard (374).

Magic Johnson Quotes:

• "Ask not what your teammates can do for you. Ask what you can do for your teammates." (now you know where Kennedy got that line)
• "When you face a crisis, you know who your true friends are."
• "Standing on that platform, I said a silent prayer. I thanked God for giving me the strength and the opportunity to come back, to play basketball again, and to be part of that whole magnificent Olympic experience. It's a memory I will always cherish."
• "My father is my idol, so I always did everything like him. He used to work two jobs and still come home happy every night. He didn't do drugs or drink, and he wouldn't let anyone smoke in his house. Those are rules I adopted, too."
• "I want to be here for a long time, so I am going to do everything I have to do to be here. And I want to walk my daughter down the aisle and give her away to somebody some day. I want to make sure I am still here to make sure my two young sons become men."
• "My diet is mostly chicken and fish. I make sure I get a lot of vegetables, a lot of fruit. I am a big fruit man, I am a vegetable man anyway. And I also get a lot of rest. That's the key I may be up early, but I'm in bed early too."