Popular radio show host Howard Stern ridiculed former Los Angeles Lakers superstar Magic Johnson on ‘The Magic Hour’
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Magic Johnson is a household name. The Lakers legend gained unbound fame during the 80s. A supremely skilled point guard, the 12-time All-Star was a phenomenal passer.
Watching him play is a golden guide on how to pass for any guard. His vision remains unrivaled. The dude was 6’9″ and could move and pass like a modern 6’2″ pg.
He had, was fashionable and easily one of the top 5 Lakers players ever. In 1991, an off-season physical with the team diagnosed Johnson with HIV. Magic subsequently retired from NBA and became a major propagator of HIV/AIDS awareness.
He continued his fight against the life-altering disease after his retirement. And although he stopped playing, Magic continued to grow professionally. In 1998, he launched his own late-night show called ‘The Magic Hour.’
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Magic Johnson faced racist comments from guest Howard Stern on his late-night show
Howard Stern is known for having a big mouth. He often makes controversial statements that end up biting him back.
But the current Stern is a shadow of his former controversial self. Back in the 90s, he was a relentless offensive comment maker. He would spit out, one after the other, racist and misogynist content on his show.
But offensive sells. So, Stern gained so much popularity for his take on life in America, that he quickly became a household name.
Around the same time, he launched a vile attack on Johnson who had just launched his new talk show. The producer of Magic’s show booked Stern as a guest despite Johnson’s reluctance.
Stern appeared on the show and went into one of the most horribly racist rants ever on TV.
Howard Stern: “The thing you need to work on, in my estimation, is that you’ve gotta stop trying to talk like the white man,” Stern told Johnson on the show. “Everybody’s anti-Ebonics. I say, let it fly! What you need to do, ‘my brotha,’ is to really get down with it. You talk Ebonics all you want.”
He continued with the awful interview, taking below-the-belt shots at Johnson.
Stern: “Listen, you’re a Black man. I grew up in a Black neighborhood,” he continued. “I’m Blacker than you are, trust me. I’m the Blackest Black man you’ll ever meet. And I’m telling you right now, when I lived in Roosevelt, Long Island, which is a Black ghetto, everybody talked like this” — at this point, he did an ill-advised vocal impression of how he thought Black people sound — “I was a big marble mouth, but it was fascinating, because I was one of the people. Why does everybody have to understand every word you say? Who cares what you got to say? No difference what you say.”
As if his racist comments weren’t enough, the controversial radio show host even attacked Magic for having HIV. For a man who had contemplated suicide due to his diagnosis, public humiliation on the same must have felt like a living hell.
When Magic, who’s built a $600 million empire, was asked about the now infamous interview, he revealed:
“I was mad when they booked him. But there’s nothing you can do. When people look for ratings, this is what happens. It is what it is. I learned a lot from that. I’ve never put myself — or HIV and AIDS, or my race — in that position again, ever again.”
To be honest, Magic Johnson remained calm and composed throughout. He handled himself so admirably, facing Stern’s constant barrage of disgusting commentary without ever lashing back.
Would you have handled yourself in the same manner if you were to switch places with Magic?
