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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 30, 1996)
Emerald TUESDAY January 30. 1996 Magic faces whole new ball game When I clicked cm the TV Friday night. I wu I dux lml to mm an old. familiar face in an old. familiar setting, t didn't even have to listen to anything that Magic Johnson was saying in his interview with TNTs Craig Sager from a gym in Lm Ange lo* to know what wa* going on. Magi, wa* toying with the idea of coming back to the Laker* again Haven I we all seen this before? It was made official in a new* conference Monday afternoon With a five-year break from professional bas ketball behind him after he learned he had the HIV virus. Magic will return to play Tuesday for a home game against Golden State By my count, this is the third time {not counting the 1902 Olympics) that Magic has attempted a National Basketball Association comeback Think back to the days of Showtime, when Magic and his ultra-talented Lakers team i atapulted the NBA out of obscurity in the '70s to its popularity in the 'OOs Magic, along with pals lames Worthy. lUreem Ablul-idbbar and Byron Scott, throw a life preserver to the drowning NBA end turned it into the most pop ular professional sport America had ever seen Magic did more than save the NBA, he transformed the game into the fast breaking up tempo style that pet vades tbs league today. All the while, there was Magic, the league's poster boy. mugging for the cam eras and starring in shoe commercials He loved the camera as much as his patented no look passes and Showtime fast breaks At the height of his career. Magic was the prototype of the modern-day sports/media celebrity lie was just as at ease joking around with the press or making one of his 5,000 appearance* on the Arsenin Hall show as he was on the court At his peak. Magic's personality make* Deion .Sanders look shy by today's standards Magic did everything for the NBA Me won five chain pionahips. went to 11 All Star games, won an Olympic gold medal, coached the lakers, did color common Turn to SCHNEIDER Page 10 Ducks end successful California road trip ■ MEN'S TENNIS: The Ducks went 2 1 on iheir Itrsl road trip ol the year lo Southern California By Ryan Frank Span* *m*m The Dragon men* tennis team improved tl» record to 7-3 ovw the weekend »♦ it took cara of St, Min i 4 3 on Saturday and San Jo** Staia 6*1 on Sunday, but was cwepl by (California on Monday Dragon's two straight wins on Saturday and Sunday were iho firm! back to bai k win* for the Duck* sine* November. No I Hans Forsberg and No 2 Dougal Williams twitched rankings and both went on to victories that led (begun to the win over St Mary's Forsberg defeated Matt Crintsaig 4-6.6-3. 6-2 and William* defeated Ketta Arisawa 6-3. 6-4 |eff Strong ami Miguel Arriaga also won their matches Arriaga heat Hutnido Sumtda 6-3. 6-4 Only Arriaga and Williams won In straight sets The team of Forsberg and Williams were the only doublet imhi to win iheir nui« h ft 4 John DtVoru and Mika Goldstein lost lh«i( doublet match I t faff Strong and Michael William* did the tame, lining I t Tha loaa dropped St Mary * to 0-2 on the HONOR Oregon'( win over Son Jute State on Sun day did not com* at easy m tl would appear Only two thick* won their matches in straight sets No t tingles player Williams defeated Slate Rtley l-i, ft 4. while No ft Arriaga beat (anon Reeder ft-1.6 .1 Ryan Selltrhop pu ked up the only win for San low State by defeating Oregon't (laricm Navarro 7-5. I 6, 7-5 No 2 Forsberg, No 4 UeVorss and No 5 Strong alt won long matches Forsberg treat Toad Oissly 7-5. 2 ft, ft-2, IhVotu tieal Orion Wlehe 6-3, 3 6, 7 5 and Strong heat loeh Barut h 6 4. 2 fl, 7-5 Farslierg and Williams led the c harge for Oregon's double* teams with a 6 5 win OeVorss and tkddatem. along with the team of Navarro and M>. heel Williams, finished out the sweep of tlu* Spartans in doubles *W» *w*pt San |o*» Slate in doubt**." h«*d com h Cbri* ftuuall Mid "Thai w« th* tit*! limn it happanod tinea thn (all toaton Thai u vary promising for u* " In lha final match of tho thro® day road trip. No 14 Cal loai only two **l» a* it »waj*i *hn Dti< k* 7-0 «n Monday afternoon No 1 •inglat player Dougal William* and No 2 Fordwrg vww ihn only two who worn abla io push thiirtr mail W* to threw wtt Wilium* loai to MUhmd Mill 1*. ICO. n o and Foraban w«a twainu by Caaoy Lout* .16, n o. ft-2 Hill and Loui* worn ranked No 4 and No 23. reapoctivnlv in ihn national pm MMOn poll No 3 Navarro No 4 Strong. No 3 Gold itnin and No « Arriaga alt loai tn straight wl« And the loam* of William* and Fur* Iwrg. Strong and Coldstotn and Michael William* and Navarro w»m utwblo to mortar a win tn double* action (begun will travel tooth again, (hi* lima to f«<» Arinina Sum and Artxona tn tuck, to tuck null b»* on F«t> 4 and 5 New-look Lakers to use Magic against Warriors ■ COMEBACK: Saying this was the time to return. Magic Johnson makes it official on Monday INGLEWOOD, C«llf. (APS — Magic Johnson returned la the NBA today from an off and on retirement ha entered after learning in 1991 that ha had tha AIDS virus Johnson signed a contract for tha remainder of tha Muon and will return to tha t-os Angela* Laker* on tonight whan they plav the (uhlan State Warrior* at the Forum il'» now or never, Johnson laid after practice Monday "I'm tft If thi* l« tha la*t hurrah. *o be It. if IF* nest year, we'll tea ”1 can Hill do some of tha things I'm used to doing.” he said Johnson, who ha* been prac ticing with tha team for two weeks, won t he playing point guard — tha position he played whan he led the laker* to five NBA championship* in the l oho* Instead, he'll be in the lineup as a forward, and much of the offense will probably run through him “After I practiced with tha talker*. I real trad 1 could *11II do tome thing* that will help this team They don't have to fit in with me. I have to fit in with them ” Johnson will be playing in hi* first NBA game other than exhi bition* since June 13, 1901 He retired five month* Inter. ju*t prior to the tout 92 season, after testing positive (or tha virus that cause* AIDS Johnson said he wa» "not wor ried” about experiencing the kind of negative reaction that some player* expressed about competing with someone who is HIV positive during an abortive comeback in ibe 1992-93 pro Mason. He said NBA commissioner David Stern "has done a won derful Job of educating the play ora." Johnson said be ha* competed son HISTORY • sum 2k Wt—imnkmmhmaMrtmmmtrn** #«,* *< *• 19/9 1MH ■ «*?*». 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Lam Rouen, •aid the Laker* great tigned a contract )u.i befure practice at Loyola Marytnounl University and cold hia intereat in lh« Lak er* He will be playing tomorrow night: No 32 will be back." Rouen Mid There have been several abort ed Johnson comeback* *tnce hi* original retirement, and severer other speculative comeback* Johnaon continually changed hi* mind and finally, last iumm«. •aid he would never return For Johnson. however, the word "never" hasn't been a def inite thing. "We're happy to welcome Earvin back." Stern Mid. "Even UAH OMITO after hi* retirement from the NBA, he i ontinued to bring Joy to million* of fan* from around the world through hi* global iravaia W«'r» pleased that ha ha* decided to once again allow caa# to NBA fan* hi* talent and unique enlhu»ia*m for the game '• Ko*en *aid lohncon will decide following thi* *ea*«n what he want* to do thereafter fohnnon will be 37 by the time the I Mb 07 **«*on *tart* "He'll continue in all hi* buat ne**e»." K»*en *aid "Hi* tour ing team will postpone it* tour" Laker* coach Del Harris expressed excitement about luhnarn'i move "if* an exciting day. ubvioua ly. for everybody," Ham* said. "There’* no doubt the player* are looking forward to playing with him on a real baai* "I've been excited about it for some time The team'* playing well ami now «*« aspect lo play even batter I'm mum happy for Earvin, really. than anything else “ He adds *o much," laker* guard Sedate Threat! said He can play five positions I think team* will have lo concentrate on him and. with the nucleus we already have, it will make us the le st team til the Weal Teammate Cedric Cuba lien said Johnson wanted lo play Tuesday to "warm himself up fur Michael Iordan." The l.aier» play the Chicago (lulls on Friday night at the Forum "I'm on rec ord, coast to coast, as saying I've always been in favor of it, and our team is in favor of it." Hams had said prior to the announcement Johnson was surrounded by reporters when he arrived at practice, working oui at center ami forward “Yes. I am back, and I'll see you guys later," he said "Hey, I'm back It's that lime. I have to go to work " Before hi* retirement. Johnson led the Lakers to five MBA championships in 12 seasons and won three most valuable player awards Often referred to aa the world's tallest point guard. Johnson retired as the NBA career assist leader, a posi tion since passed by Utah's John Stockton In his comeback. Johnson is espected lo spend most of his lime at power forward "We had a few guys on the team who callad him and told him we want him back." the takers' Eddie Jones said "Whai he brings lo the team l» a win ner's attitude " Johnson left Michigan Stele after his sophomore season in l»79 and Joined the lakers as the NBA's No. 1 draft choice Johnson, who led Michigan Slate to the NCAA champi onship in his final season, helped the lakers win the NBA crown as a rookie
