• Magic Johnson talks to the crowd while reflecting on his time as an Everett Viking.

LANSING - Earvin 'Magic' Johnson participated in a rally thrown by the Joe Biden and Kamala Harris campaign at Everett High School.

The NBA legend was joined at his old high school by Congresswomen Elissa Slotkin, Senator Gary Peters and Senator Debbie Stabenow.

"He is a decent, civil, just lovely person in how he interacts with people but also how he played on the court," said Slotkin. "He was known as the guy who passed exceptionally and made other people look good and glued his team together and I can't think of a better representative of our state."

Johnson, a former Michigan State University basketball standout, came to Lansing to encourage people to vote in the 2020 election.

"It's very important that we tell our friends, our family members, get out and vote and vote early," said Johnson. "Voting is easier than it's ever been before so we gotta take advantage of it, so we don't have to stand in those long lines in November."

All the speakers addressed the importance to vote either in person or with an absentee ballot.

"Elections, the voting is starting now, it ends November third, it doesn't start November third, it's right now," said Stabenow. "My 94-year-old mom a week ago went a mile from here to vote at the South Washington annex."

Lansing was Johnson's second stop in Michigan after he spoke earlier at a Detroit event that encouraged black men to vote.

"I got involved in politics a long time ago and I knew how important it was," said Johnson. "You talk about policies that's going to affect my life, my family’s lives, my friends’ lives, so it's important that we understand why it's so important for all of us to vote."

The voting rally was open to members of the public that signed up in advance, and COVID-19 precautionary measures were put in place for all participants and speakers in attendance.

"Billionaires have more money, but they still just get one vote. We all get one vote," said Peters. "We just got to get out there and vote, we gotta get our friends out to vote we gotta do everything we can to make sure we mobilize the strength."