Magic Johnson statue vandalized

EAST LANSING — Michigan State University on Thursday began cleaning up after the statue of Earvin "Magic" Johnson was vandalized overnight.

University of Michigan colors, a block M and "Beat State" were spray painted on the statue in front of the Breslin Center.

MSU spokesman Jason Cody said two other areas of campus were vandalized with U-M graffiti: a wall behind the Sparty statue and a sidewalk by Munn Field.

"I would like to think that most fans of both schools have a little more class," Cody said.

Therese Nugent of the university's Landscape Services Department said her department was alerted to the vandalism shortly after 7 a.m. Thursday. Nugent said she's certain the vandalism happened overnight, as the paint was dry when they arrived.

Nugent said it is the first time she can recall that the statue has been vandalized. The Spartan Marching Band guards the Sparty statue around the clock each year during the week of the MSU-Michigan game.

Cleaning the bronze statue was expected to take most of Thursday and expected to cost thousands of dollars, Nugent said. Besides elbow grease and a lot of water, utility worker Tracy Harris was using a product called "Mark Off" to try to remove the paint.

Cody said MSU officials do not know know who vandalized the statue and said he isn't sure if there are security cameras in the three areas where the vandalism occurred.

"Whenever we have situations like this with vandalism on campus, our police to the best of their ability will try to identify suspects," Cody said. "If suspects are identified, they will face criminal charges."

The statue was created by Highland Park, Illinois resident Omri Amrany, who told the Lansing State Journal Thursday it is about 12 feet tall and weighs about 6,000 pounds.

The statue is bronze with a granite base. Amrany said it took him about eight months to create it. It was dedicated Nov. 1, 2003 with Johnson in attendance. The Lansing Everett graduate helped lead the 1979 MSU men's basketball team to a national title before going on to play for the Los Angeles Lakers, with whom he won five NBA titles.

Amrany also designed a Johnson statue that stands outside the Staples Center, home of the Lakers. Amrany said he's a Magic Johnson fan who has met the Lansing native several times.

MSU in 2003 said the statue was valued at $250,000 and was funded by private donations.

Amrany said the bronze and granite used to create the statue came from Michigan. He recalls that bronze casting took place in Kalamazoo and that some glass work was done in Detroit.

If MSU officials have any questions on how to get the statue back to its original form, Amrany said he's more than happy to offer advice.

"They can call us and we can guide them," Amrany said. "We've had (vandalism) situations like this all over the country. People can get too excited."

What they said

Michigan State basketball coaches and players were asked during today’s Big Ten basketball media day in Rosemont, Ill., for their thoughts on the Earvin (Magic) Johnson statue outside the Breslin Center being vandalized:

TOM IZZO

“There’s a lot of great Michigan kids. There’s some idiots. And there’s some idiots on our side, too, that do crazy things. But messing with Sparty is a bad thing, like messing with their ‘M’ is a bad thing. But messing with Magic, that’s a worse thing. And we’ll make sure that from now on maybe the basketball team will sleep out. I know the band does and different people. But we’ll have him covered from now on. But I don’t look at that as the university, I look at that as a couple people defacing something that, the only problem I have with Magic’s thing, even more than Sparty for me, is Magic gave so much to the game of basketball and sports and people and our state of Michigan. Michigan fans, Michigan State fans, he’s one of the few guys who transcended all those things. And I know it’s a gimmick and it’s something but like I said, it’ll give me a good reason to keep our guys intact next year, because they’ll all be sleeping around that statue next year.”

SUZY MERCHANT

“I just think that there’s different places you can do that at to express yourself. It’s pretty upsetting, that’s an iconic figure in not only Michigan State history but in the history of the game of basketball. And he’s done so much for so many people. There’s a different way you can express your enthusiasm for the Michigan-Michigan State rivalry. It was upsetting. I saw that and I just, I felt my blood pressure go up. I was like, ‘I want to play! Let me call one play!’”

DENZEL VALENTINE

“That’s a new one for Michigan. The Sparty statue was well-guarded so they hit the next statue over. But we’ll be classy about it, we’ll let our game do the talking Saturday and come out with the win. … I mean, it’s all fun and games. It’s just gonna make it a little bit better once we beat them Saturday. It’s gonna be a little bit better, a little bit more satisfaction.”

MATT COSTELLO

“It is what it is. I mean, it’s gonna happen. College kids are always trying to do something funny like that. But it doesn’t reflect on everybody, all the Michigan fans. I don’t hold that against them, just like I hope they don’t hold it against us when we’ve done something against them. It is what it is. We’ve got a game on Saturday, let fans do what they want to do.”

Reporters Eric Lacy and Joe Rexrode contributed to this report. Contact Dawn Parker at 517-377-1056 or dlparker@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter at @arwen22266.