Magic Johnson shouts out Michigan native Alma Cooper on Miss USA win: "Represented the Afro-Latina community admirably
Magic Johnson offered his congratulations to Miss Michigan Alma Cooper for her Miss USA win. Johnson, who was born and raised in Lansing, Michigan, commended his fellow 'Michigander' with a friendly post on X.
"Cookie and I want to congratulate Alma Cooper, Miss Michigan for being crowned Miss USA 2024! Alma, you've made all of us Michiganders proud and represented the Afro-Latina community admirably! 👏🏾" Johnson posted on X.
Cooper took home Miss USA honors on Sunday, August 4. She is a second lieutenant and military intelligence officer in the US Army and graduated in the top five percent of her class at Army West Point. She is also a Knight-Hennessy Scholar at Stanford University, per her Miss USA bio.
During the interview portion, Cooper and the rest of the top five contestants all had to answer the same question: "How can we bridge the gap between different cultures and foster understanding and respect?" She responded:
"As the daughter of a migrant worker, a proud Afro-Latina woman, and an officer of the United States Army, I'm living the American dream. If there's anything that my life and my mother have taught me, it's that your circumstances never define your destiny," Cooper said.
Magic Johnson offers support to Noah Lyles after 100m win
After winning the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics in the men's 100m, one of the first congratulations Noah Lyles received was from NBA legend, Magic Johnson.
The Laker legend showed his support for the United States sprinter with a tweet on X.
"We're all on the yacht cheering for Noah Lyles after winning the Men's 100M race and remaining the fastest man in the world! It's the first time in 20 years that the US brings home the gold in the Men's 100! Wow - what an exciting race!! @LylesNoah," Johnson stated on X.
The race came down to a photo finish as Noah Lyles became the first American to win gold in the Men's 100m event since Justin Gatlin at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Lyles beat out Jamaican rival Kishane Thompson with a time of 9.79, beating Thompson by 0.005 of a second in the highly contested event.
Noah Lyles will look ahead to the 200m where he will have a chance to secure another gold medal finish. Should he do so, he should expect another shout-out from Magic Johnson.