Magic Johnson Eyes MSU Post : Basketball: The Lakers star wants to return to his alma mater, Michigan State, as a member of the university’s board of trustees.

Lakers star Earvin (Magic) Johnson, who led Michigan State University to the NCAA championship in 1979, wants to return to his alma mater as a member of the school’s board of trustees.

Top Michigan Democratic Party officials confirmed that Johnson plans to run for a seat on the board in the November general election.

In order to run, Johnson would have to re-establish Michigan residency no later than Aug. 8 and then be nominated by the Democratic Party at its state convention Sept. 8-9 in Flint.

If Johnson wins, he would fill the seat being vacated by MSU trustee Malcolm Dade, a Democrat who is retiring. The board has eight members, two of whom are elected every two years to staggered, eight-year terms. Democrats dominate the current board, 5-3.

Gov. James J. Blanchard, the leader of the Democratic Party, strongly supports Johnson’s candidacy and helped recruit the two-time NBA most valuable player for the job, the governor’s friends and aides said.

Democratic Party officials said Johnson’s popularity would attract traditional Democratic and independent voters to the ticket, which would help Blanchard in his tough challenge from state Senate Majority Leader John Engler, the likely GOP candidate in November.

Joel Ferguson, a Democratic Party activist and longtime Johnson friend, said the Lakers star is scheduled to return by early next week to his hometown, Lansing, to re-establish voter registration so he can legally be on the Nov. 6 ballot.

“Earvin has agreed to do it. All we have to do is work out the logistics of the matter,” Ferguson, a Lansing developer, told the Detroit News. “He’ll be back very soon to take care of all the details.”

Through his agent, Johnson said from Los Angeles on Tuesday that he wants to serve MSU. “I would love to be part of it, yes, I would be interested,” he said. “I would be very interested.”

Johnson, 30, starred in basketball at Lansing Everett High School and stayed home to play guard for MSU in 1978-79. He left MSU after his sophomore year to join the Lakers, where he has led the team to five world championships.