Four years after retiring from the NBA due to the contraction of HIV, Magic Johnson decided to return for the Los Angeles Lakers in 1995.
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Magic Johnson is one of the greatest players the basketball world has ever been blessed with. Several analysts even believed that Magic, along with rival Larry Bird, revived the NBA in the 1980s.
Johnson, regarded as the most prolific point guard in league history, was the leader of the Showtime Lakers. Since his addition to the squad, Dr. Jerry Buss’ franchise managed to win 5 titles, with Earvin winning 3 regular season MVPs and 2 Finals MVPs.
By age 31, Johnson was a 12-time All-Star, 10-time All-NBA Team member, 4-time assists champ, 2-time steals champ, and had already solidified his legacy as one of the greatest ever to represent the Purple & Gold.
In 1991 the Michigan State Spartan was forced to retire after announcing to the world about him contracting HIV.
Also Read: Magic Johnson revealed his prolific s*x life leading up to HIV diagnosis
However, a few years later, Johnson decided to get out of retirement and play alongside Nick Van Exel, Eddie Jones, and the other members of the Lake Show.
“Those who loved Magic Johnson knew that it was an enormous undertaking”: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Of course, Lakers Nation was delighted to learn that their star player was returning. However, according to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the people who loved Johnson knew how tedious the job was going to be for the 36-year-old.
Comparing the 6-foot-9 guard’s return to the biblical figure ‘Methuselah’, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer further mentioned:
The news that Magic was going to suit up again for the Lakers made everyone’s heart gladden. But those of us who loved Magic knew that it was an enormous undertaking. When you’re away from playing on a professional level for a few years and try to come back, it’s as if you’ve never played at all. Playing at 36 is hard enough, but playing point guard, with all the running back and forth, is like being Methuselah.
I felt for him. But I had no desire to return myself. I wanted to leave my legacy intact, not listen to people complain about Kareem stumbling around the court.
Much to everyone’s surprise, Magic wasn’t the impactful player he once was. That 1995-96 season, LAL finished with the 4th best record in the West, only to get eliminated by the Rockets in the first round of the playoffs.
Soon after the Lakers were knocked out, due to several reasons, Johnson decided to retire for good.
Yes, Magic is one of the most accomplished players in NBA history. However, his 2nd stint with the LA-based franchise could be regarded as a massive failure.
Also Read: Magic Johnson once claimed 5x NBA Champion was closer to Michael Jordan than LeBron James
