"Welcome the GOAT of Chess" - Magic Johnson thrilled as Magnus Carlsen joins $440 million esports powerhouse Team Liquid

NBA legend Magic Johnson was thrilled as he reacted to Team Liquid signing the top-ranked chess player of all time, Magnus Carlsen to its roster on Friday. Johnson took to X, formerly Twitter, to share his excitement at the news.

"I'm so excited to see my @TeamLiquid welcome the GOAT of Chess @MagnusCarlsen into their fold of champions!" Johnson tweeted.

Earlier in the same day, Team Liquid also onboarded the third-highest-rated chess player of all time, Fabiano Caruana, as the $440 million esports powerhouse made the ultimate power move into the world of professional chess. As per Chess.com, Caruana is currently the no. 2 player in the world, just behind Magnus Carlsen.

Alongside Michael Jordan and more, Magic Johnson is an investor in Axiomatic Gaming, the parent company behind Team Liquid. It is one of the most successful esports organizations in the world and is best known for its dominance in games like Dota 2 and League of Legends.

Magic Johnson congratulates Kevin Durant after milestone achievement

Earlier this week, Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant found himself in elite company after surpassing the 30,000 career points milestone. Durant dropped 34 points against the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday to cross the mark as he joined an exclusive group of just eight players in NBA history to have achieved this feat.

Reacting to Durant's milestone achievement, Magic Johnson took to X to congratulate the two-time NBA champion. Johnson also highlighted that Durant was the third fastest to achieve the feat behind NBA legends Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan.

"Congratulations future Hall of Famer and All-Time NBA great Kevin Durant on becoming only the 8th player in NBA History to score over 30,000 points!" Magic Johnson tweeted. "He’s the 3rd fastest to do so, only behind Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan 👏🏾"

Kevin Durant achieved the feat in his 1101st game in the league. In the post-game interview after the 119-112 loss against the Grizzlies, Durant reflected on what the achievement means for him.

“It’s a true honor to be in the same category as those players who helped shape the game and pushed the game forward,” Durant said. “That’s always been my goal is to get the most out of myself every day, get the most out of my career. To be mentioned with those guys, I must be doing something right.”

Kevin Durant has been one of the game's most efficient scorers. Across his 17-year career, the 15-time NBA All-Star averages 27.3 points per game while shooting 50.2% from the field, including 38.8% from deep.