A few years ago, Magic Johnson told a story about Michael Jackson that seems almost unimaginable today. In the 1980s, the former Los Angeles Lakers superstar invited Jackson to a Lakers game, an invitation the singer was initially hesitant to accept because he was worried that his presence would create too much of a frenzy. As it turned out, those fears were justified. 'He sat down; people went crazy,' Johnson recalled to Variety. 'They were running from upstairs, the sides. We had to stop the game to get him out.' As popular as Beyonce, Taylor Swift, and Drake are, all have attended sporting events without causing a stoppage in play. But Michael Jackson, after he became famous, was different. He existed on a truly singular plane of stardom'and nearly 20 years after his death, he still inspires a unique level of obsession, devotion, and curiosity from fans, even those who weren't alive to see him in the flesh. The enormous success of Michael, the recently released biopic about...
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