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
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in enough exhibition game* to
allay (hose fear*
"If you play again*! player* all
lunmitt there * no different:#
with playing again*! them in a
game/' he Mid
lohnaon’* agent. 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