The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES - Magic Johnson is getting back into TV five years after his late-night talk show failed.

The NBA great said Wednesday he will produce and occasionally appear in the MTV reality show Who's Got Game. It will document the lives of 12 street basketball players competing for fame and a $100,000 prize.

Johnson wants to play to his strengths as an athlete. His attempt to be a comedian and interviewer on The Magic Hour in 1998 received heavy criticism. The late-night show was canceled after two months.

"This is what I'm all about: basketball. I grew up playing street basketball. I wasn't myself in The Magic Hour," he said.

The Hall of Famer plans to visit neighborhoods in Washington, New York, Chicago, Houston and Los Angeles the next two months to scout contestants.

"I want the guys who are just street ball players," he said. "They're not as famous as guys in college and the NBA, but they're famous in their own neighborhoods or playgrounds."