No. 32 for the Los Angeles Lakers is about to lead No. 137 for the Tournament of Roses. Earvin “Magic” Johnson galvanized Inglewood crowds during his NBA playing days, and he’ll pace Pasadena through the annual Rose Parade on New Year’s Day. The Hall of Fame point guard and L.A. luminary is the grand marshal for the 2026 festivities.
Johnson is the latest pro athlete to accept the honor, and his duties conclude during the College Football Playoff quarterfinal game between Alabama and Indiana at the Rose Bowl. Here’s what viewers should know.
How to watch the 2026 Rose Parade
- Location: Pasadena, Calif.
- Time: 11 a.m. ET, Thursday
- TV: ABC, Fox, NBC, CNN, Great American Family, Telemundo, Univision (national); KTLA (in market)
- Streaming: Fubo Sports Network (Stream Free Now)
ABC, Fox and Great American Family are currently available on Fubo. ABC, Fox and NBC are also available for free over the air.
Known as “America’s New Year celebration,” the Rose Parade program dates back to 1890 and is shown across major television networks. It includes marching bands, horseback riders and floral floats, with a network of community volunteers (“White Suiters”) maintaining the operations. Johnson was officially announced as grand marshal on Oct. 8. Fittingly, this year’s tagline is “The Magic in Teamwork,” though there’s also an underlying recovery effort in the wake of the Eaton and Palisades fires.
Last year’s grand marshal was also pulled from the sporting world. Billie Jean King, the all-time tennis great with 39 Grand Slam titles, marshaled a 2025 theme of “Best Day Ever!” U.S. Olympic gymnast Laurie Hernandez was one of three selected in 2020. And a trio of Olympians — sprinter Allyson Felix, swimmer Janet Evans and diver Greg Louganis — led the 2017 ceremony.
For the 2015 parade, Olympian and World War II hero Louis Zamperini was chosen as grand marshal two months before he died in July 2014. He was still honored during the parade, where he was represented by his family. A year prior, Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully was the 2014 grand marshal in one of the most memorable recent turns. As expected, his golden voice was suited for such responsibilities.
Earlier marshals include baseball icon Jackie Robinson (a posthumous honor in 1999), Olympic gold medalists Carl Lewis and Shannon Miller (1997), World Golf Hall of Famer Chi Chi Rodríguez (1995), “King of the World Cup” Pelé (1987) and Pro Football Hall of Famer/actor Merlin Olsen (1983). Hank Aaron held the 1975 title to commemorate his career home run record, and Arnold Palmer did it in 1965 after he became the first four-time Masters winner.
In 1944, Amos Alonzo Stagg became the first athlete to be named grand marshal of the Tournament of Roses. Stagg, the pioneering “patriarch of American athletics,” was an All-American football player at Yale and coached multiple college sports over the course of 70 years.
For the 137th Rose Parade, it’s Johnson’s turn. He has remained a fixture in Los Angeles since his NBA retirement in 1996. He’s a member of the ownership groups for the Dodgers (MLB), Sparks (WNBA) and LAFC (MLS) — though his NFL (Washington Commanders) and NWSL (Washington Spirit) stakes are not with any of the L.A. teams.
While Johnson’s 2017-19 tenure as Lakers president of basketball operations is remembered mostly in memes now, he was instrumental in the franchise’s acquisition of LeBron James. His Magic Johnson Foundation has been active in the area for more than three decades, as well.
Johnson’s Michigan State Spartans have not played in a Rose Bowl since 2014, and the program struggled mightily in 2025. But the grand marshal still sounds enthusiastic about the pregame coin flip. Maybe it’s because earnestness has become his online calling card, or maybe he really digs the playing style of Fernando Mendoza. Indiana’s Heisman Trophy winner leads his Hoosiers against the Alabama Crimson Tide, with a 4 p.m. ET (1 p.m. local time) kickoff.
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