Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.news From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Magic retires again Date: Tue, 3 Nov 92 15:19:55 EST Message-ID: \SE A \HD Magic retires again \SH NBA players objected to his return \BY David Hutchinson \CR THE WASHINGTON TIMES During an NBA preseason game last week against the Los Angeles Lakers, Washington Bullets forward Harvey Grant was standing at the foul line and had a brief chat with a veteran Laker. It went something like this: Grant: "I bet you guys are happy to have Magic back." Laker: "Well, I'm happy, but not all of us are." Amid mounting controversy surrounding his return to professional basketball, Lakers guard Earvin "Magic" Johnson - who has tested positive for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS - made what appears to be his final farewell to the NBA yesterday as he announced his retirement for the second time within a year. The announcement came just four days before the start of the NBA regular season. At issue wasn't so much Johnson's health, but that of those who played with and against him. Anonymous teammates and marquee NBA players alike objected to Johnson's return. Dr. Michael Mellman, Johnson's personal physician and the Lakers' team doctor, said Johnson was physically fit to play and that the chances of Johnson infecting another player were almost nil. "It [chances of transmitting the HIV virus through playing] is infinitesimally small," Mellman said. "We have no numbers that make any sense because we are talking about such a low-risk situation, according to the experts. This [Magic's retirement] is not based on his doctor's advice. It's his lifestyle decision." In September, Johnson, who announced his retirement last November after revealing he was infected with the HIV virus, decided to return to the NBA after participating in February's NBA All-Star game and the Summer Olympics in Barcelona. At the time, players and fans lauded his courage and health. But the good cheer was tempered somewhat when Johnson stated his intention to resume his career full time. Some players, including Dream Teamer Karl Malone, voiced concern about playing against Johnson. "Look at the cuts and scratches I get now," said Malone. "All of a sudden, the last second of the game, and here comes Magic to the basket. It's the same as, what if I had the virus as a player and what if a Buck Williams or a Charles Barkley comes in? It is a physical game, and you do get kicked and scratched. I do have concerns, just like anybody would have. It's not a thing of kicking a man when he's down." Michael Jordan, a close friend of Johnson's, said he respected Malone's comments but said he had no problem playing against Johnson. Sources said a feature story in Sunday's New York Times in which several players voiced their displeasure about Johnson's return was the final blow that pushed Johnson to retirement. Gerald Wilkins, a former New York Knick now with the Cleveland Cavaliers, was one of those players. "Everybody's talking about it," Wilkins said. "Some people are scared. This could be dangerous to us all, but you're dealing with Magic Johnson, so people are handling it with white gloves. They're not going to say how they really feel." Also at issue was the limited schedule Johnson said he would play this season - 50 to 60 games of the 82-game regular season. That didn't sit well with all of his Lakers teammates. He took a roster spot from a player and was taking minutes from others. Lakers general manager Jerry West clearly was uncomfortable with Johnson's return although he refused to say so publicly. In short, the trouble-free return Johnson expected was filled with turbulence. Tension, whether real or imagined, followed Johnson everywhere he went. Players didn't rally behind him as he thought they would. Things just weren't the same as when he left the game. When he announced just over a month ago that he was returning to the NBA, league officials reportedly warned Johnson to expect some resistance. Playing in a pressure-free All-Star game and leading a romp in the Summer Olympics is one thing. But going to the basket hard in the closing seconds of a one-point NBA game is quite another, players concluded. Also, rumors questioning his sexuality began to circulate recently and likely contributed to his decision to leave the game. "It has become obvious that the various controversies surrounding my return are taking away from both basketball as a sport and the larger issue of living with HIV for me and the many people affected," Johnson said in a statement released through the Lakers organization. "After much thought and talking it over with Cookie and my family, I decided I will retire - for good - from the Lakers." Said a source: "It was not the same for him. It was not fun for him any more." Added another source: "[Johnson] probably thought he would be above any kind of controversy because he's Magic. But he discovered that wasn't going to happen." Johnson played in five of the Lakers' eight preseason games, averaging 10.4 points and nearly 12 assists a game. First-year Lakers coach Randy Pfund said Johnson's agent, Lon Rosen, called him Sunday night with the news. "I think everybody realized going in it might not have worked as perfectly as we would have wanted it to," Pfund said. Nicole Russo, a spokeswoman for AIDS Project Los Angeles, said Johnson was experiencing "the kind of discrimination people with HIV experience every day. It's sad. This is another example of the fear people experience when they're around people who are HIV positive, so it's a form of discrimination. It's unfortunate. They're afraid," she said. This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM