Magic Johnson revealed in a recent interview that with some support from Karl Malone, he might’ve continued to play in the NBA despite his HIV diagnosis.
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In 1991, Magic was perhaps the most high-profile NBA name after 12 amazingly successful seasons with the Lakers. His retirement due to an HIV diagnosis in November sent shockwaves across the world.
Seen as one of the few figures to transcend his sport, Johnson’s retirement announcement caused a wave of reactions to emerge from people from all walks of life.
Also Read – “John Stockton & Karl Malone – the Best PnR Duo”: When Magic Johnson Declared Jazz Legends ‘Unstoppable’
Magic found support from all quarters, including his colleagues in the NBA. Charles Barkley changed his jersey number to 32 in his honor for his final Sixers season.
Magic was implored by people around the NBA to stage a comeback in 1992-93. Nearly all of his Dream Team teammates were willing to play him. However, Karl Malone thought differently. This is what he said:
“Look at this, scabs and cuts all over me. I get these every night, every game. They can’t tell you that you’re not at risk, and you can’t tell me there’s one guy in the N.B.A. who hasn’t thought about it.”
Magic Johnson says he felt betrayed after Karl Malone refused to play against him
Magic Johnson was a guest with Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe on his podcast last year. The two legends chopped it up over some nice liquor and had an enriching discussion about Magic’s career.
When it came to his retirement announcement and the events associated with it, Johnson could not hide his disappointment with his Dream Team teammate. He talked about how Malone’s words forced him to stick with his decision to retire:
“The same people that used to give you the dab and a love, hug, they weren’t there. Especially, Karl Malone, he came out publicly with it. I just played with you on the Dream team and practiced with you every single day, and now you don’t want to play against me. You could have just said that to me.”
“I didn’t want to damage the league. If they are going to look at me like that, then I don’t want to come back. We had some work to do, so I started educating everybody about the disease and everything.”
“I finally came back, played half a season, and I went out my way. They wanted me to come back, but I said no, I am good.”
What would Magic’s legacy be had he played for 4-5 more years?
Even during his playing days, Johnson was universally recognized as the premier point guard of all time. He was a walking dynasty by himself, just like LeBron James in the 2010s.
He retired with the highest assists per game average in league history. There’s a good chance that he’d be the no. 2 or no. 1 player on the all-time assists leaderboard had he played out a full career.
