Magic Johnson was so anxious before meeting LeBron James to entice him to the Lakers that he sat outside of James' home in his car an hour before their meeting.

Johnson said he got out of his car and met with James at 9:01 p.m. PT on June 30, exactly one minute after NBA free agency started.

"We had a great time of going back and forth, here we are two guys, similar," Johnson said, via Spectrum Sportsnet. "Both from the Midwest. Both grew up poor. Both love to compete. Both love to win, and I think both excel at the highest level. We connected right when I walked in the door. Just two guys that talk free to each other, and talk basketball, and that's what I love about LeBron."

Johnson said he didn't need to sell James on the legacy of the Lakers and its history, since James already knew the team backwards and forwards.

"He didn't need to hear that. He already knew the team, maybe better than I did. He broke the roster down right in front of me," Johnson said. "... He knew every single guy, the strength and weaknesses on our team."

The day after the meeting, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said he received a text from James' agent that confirmed he would be a Laker.

"The text just said 'Congrats,' and it had balloons," Pelinka said. "It was one of those moments in life you'll never ever forget. Everything went in slow motion."