The Day Magic Johnson Changed The World.

[Antonio_]

Magic was great. 5 titles. The only guy to win an NCAA and NBA title back to back.

Playing C.

[Juronimo]

I remember the day that Magic announced he had aids like it was yesterday. I had came home from school, turned on the TV and saw the announcement. I remember they were saying he had the flu. We were supposed to tear shit up that year, after losing to the bulls in the finals the year before. Anyway, he makes the somber announcement and my heart sank to the pits of my stomach and my eyes got watery. I grew up watching Magic, he was my hero growing up, I wanted to be like him, play like him. That hit me hard, like I had lost a loved one. I remember the room spinning.

I'll never forget that and I could never imagine that he would still be healthy and prospering this very day.

Magic is the GOAT.

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

I still remember everything about it...

When I first heard about it, I was only six and in 2nd grade, and I remember he was my favorite player (still is). I had never heard of AIDS or HIV and didn't know what it was at all...and my parents were tryin to explain it to me without bein too graphic. I even remember exactly where I was.....in the car with my mom outside of my aunt's house in South Central on 60th and Bryhhurst. My mom started cryin when she heard it. Everybody in L.A. was trippin on it...my dad even did a tribute song to him at our Church for Men's day. We ALL thought he would have died within five years, and had no idea he'd still be around and as active as he is.

I remember him at the 92 Barcelona Olympics when we RAPED everybody, and the other teams were gettin him and Jordan's autographs after the game...and the epic 92 All Star Game when he hit those crazy ass threes at the end...I still have it on tape, and I probably watched that tape a good 15 times back in the day. I went to the first game when he came back in 96 too....I remember it bein on a school night, playin the Warriors, and he came off the bench as PF. Elden Campbell got two quick fouls, and as soon as Magic stood up and took off his warm up shirt, the whole crowd erupted.

Do you remember when he got back in the Lakers as a PF? The first game? He did an amazing no look pass. He was fat, walking on the floor, but that move was just incredible. He took the whole opponent team to school.

Word...He was good in his return, fuck Malone for ruining it. BTW, he came back as a SF off the bench, not a PF...PeACe

Very strange role, he was basically a point forward, but his body was too fat and he was too slow to play SF or guard. Anyway his numbers were impressive as usual even in that bad shape (15.3 ppg, 8.5 rpg and 6.5 apg). That was the year before Shaq. We already had Nick, Eddie, Cedric, EC and Vlade. A very skilled team, but Houston destroyed us in the PO. But man, that move in his returning game was something extrahordinary! If i remember it correct it was against Golden State?

Yea...we lost in the playoffs because everything fell apart that summer. Ceballos really started it all, I honestly believe we had a chance to win it all that year...And if Magic woulda' been there when Shaq and Kobe came, it woulda' been REALLY nice...PeACe

[Antonio_]

LOL @ Ceballos surfing.

[R-Tistic]

I still remember everything about it...

When I first heard about it, I was only six and in 2nd grade, and I remember he was my favorite player (still is). I had never heard of AIDS or HIV and didn't know what it was at all...and my parents were tryin to explain it to me without bein too graphic. I even remember exactly where I was.....in the car with my mom outside of my aunt's house in South Central on 60th and Bryhhurst. My mom started cryin when she heard it. Everybody in L.A. was trippin on it...my dad even did a tribute song to him at our Church for Men's day. We ALL thought he would have died within five years, and had no idea he'd still be around and as active as he is.

I remember him at the 92 Barcelona Olympics when we RAPED everybody, and the other teams were gettin him and Jordan's autographs after the game...and the epic 92 All Star Game when he hit those crazy ass threes at the end...I still have it on tape, and I probably watched that tape a good 15 times back in the day. I went to the first game when he came back in 96 too....I remember it bein on a school night, playin the Warriors, and he came off the bench as PF. Elden Campbell got two quick fouls, and as soon as Magic stood up and took off his warm up shirt, the whole crowd erupted.

Do you remember when he got back in the Lakers as a PF? The first game? He did an amazing no look pass. He was fat, walking on the floor, but that move was just incredible. He took the whole opponent team to school.

Word...He was good in his return, fuck Malone for ruining it. BTW, he came back as a SF off the bench, not a PF...PeACe

I remember it was PF, because I put him on my Live 96 as PF..and I remember Elden gettin those fouls, seemingly on purpose, just so Magic could come straight in for him. I just did a quick internet search, they're all sayin he came as PF. His size was more of a PF size at that point that anything else, but he was still bringin the ball up court and all else.

Damm though, just for fun, I wish he could have stayed one more year, just so we could look at that roster now and laugh our asses off.....Kobe, Shaq, Magic, Van Exel, Ceballos, Eddie Jones....hahahaha damn that woulda been dope, even though Kobe was too young and Magic was too old then.

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

I still remember everything about it...

When I first heard about it, I was only six and in 2nd grade, and I remember he was my favorite player (still is). I had never heard of AIDS or HIV and didn't know what it was at all...and my parents were tryin to explain it to me without bein too graphic. I even remember exactly where I was.....in the car with my mom outside of my aunt's house in South Central on 60th and Bryhhurst. My mom started cryin when she heard it. Everybody in L.A. was trippin on it...my dad even did a tribute song to him at our Church for Men's day. We ALL thought he would have died within five years, and had no idea he'd still be around and as active as he is.

I remember him at the 92 Barcelona Olympics when we RAPED everybody, and the other teams were gettin him and Jordan's autographs after the game...and the epic 92 All Star Game when he hit those crazy ass threes at the end...I still have it on tape, and I probably watched that tape a good 15 times back in the day. I went to the first game when he came back in 96 too....I remember it bein on a school night, playin the Warriors, and he came off the bench as PF. Elden Campbell got two quick fouls, and as soon as Magic stood up and took off his warm up shirt, the whole crowd erupted.

Do you remember when he got back in the Lakers as a PF? The first game? He did an amazing no look pass. He was fat, walking on the floor, but that move was just incredible. He took the whole opponent team to school.

Word...He was good in his return, fuck Malone for ruining it. BTW, he came back as a SF off the bench, not a PF...PeACe

I remember it was PF, because I put him on my Live 96 as PF..and I remember Elden gettin those fouls, seemingly on purpose, just so Magic could come straight in for him. I just did a quick internet search, they're all sayin he came as PF. His size was more of a PF size at that point that anything else, but he was still bringin the ball up court and all else.

Damm though, just for fun, I wish he could have stayed one more year, just so we could look at that roster now and laugh our asses off.....Kobe, Shaq, Magic, Van Exel, Ceballos, Eddie Jones....hahahaha damn that woulda been dope, even though Kobe was too young and Magic was too old then.

Naah man, it was small forward, that's where the disputes between him and Ceballos began...Maybe he was listed as power forward or something, but I read a book with a whole chapter dedicated to this, he was playing as a small forward, eating up Ceballos' minutes...PeACe

[Don Jacob]

I still remember everything about it...

When I first heard about it, I was only six and in 2nd grade, and I remember he was my favorite player (still is). I had never heard of AIDS or HIV and didn't know what it was at all...and my parents were tryin to explain it to me without bein too graphic. I even remember exactly where I was.....in the car with my mom outside of my aunt's house in South Central on 60th and Bryhhurst. My mom started cryin when she heard it. Everybody in L.A. was trippin on it...my dad even did a tribute song to him at our Church for Men's day. We ALL thought he would have died within five years, and had no idea he'd still be around and as active as he is.

I remember him at the 92 Barcelona Olympics when we RAPED everybody, and the other teams were gettin him and Jordan's autographs after the game...and the epic 92 All Star Game when he hit those crazy ass threes at the end...I still have it on tape, and I probably watched that tape a good 15 times back in the day. I went to the first game when he came back in 96 too....I remember it bein on a school night, playin the Warriors, and he came off the bench as PF. Elden Campbell got two quick fouls, and as soon as Magic stood up and took off his warm up shirt, the whole crowd erupted.

Do you remember when he got back in the Lakers as a PF? The first game? He did an amazing no look pass. He was fat, walking on the floor, but that move was just incredible. He took the whole opponent team to school.

Word...He was good in his return, fuck Malone for ruining it. BTW, he came back as a SF off the bench, not a PF...PeACe

I remember it was PF, because I put him on my Live 96 as PF..and I remember Elden gettin those fouls, seemingly on purpose, just so Magic could come straight in for him. I just did a quick internet search, they're all sayin he came as PF. His size was more of a PF size at that point that anything else, but he was still bringin the ball up court and all else.

Damm though, just for fun, I wish he could have stayed one more year, just so we could look at that roster now and laugh our asses off.....Kobe, Shaq, Magic, Van Exel, Ceballos, Eddie Jones....hahahaha damn that woulda been dope, even though Kobe was too young and Magic was too old then.

'
that's just how they started him, he was really playing point guard in all honesty. yeah Nick was out there but it was dual points. the lakers are/were famous for doing that , dual sf's dual PF and dual points... worthy and magic would play double small forward roles and byron scott would run the point or magic and byron would both run the point, sometimes  we'd have two power forwards in there and magic would play shooting forward , ect, ect...that's what made showtime fun to watch, and that's why they WON so much is because the unique way they played, and they only lost to the celtics and the pistons who were doing their own innovative methods,  everyone kind of forgot about that when shaq and kobe showed up and started winning with the one-two punch method that was brought over from orlando.

["THE" MoSav]

I still remember everything about it...

When I first heard about it, I was only six and in 2nd grade, and I remember he was my favorite player (still is). I had never heard of AIDS or HIV and didn't know what it was at all...and my parents were tryin to explain it to me without bein too graphic. I even remember exactly where I was.....in the car with my mom outside of my aunt's house in South Central on 60th and Bryhhurst. My mom started cryin when she heard it. Everybody in L.A. was trippin on it...my dad even did a tribute song to him at our Church for Men's day. We ALL thought he would have died within five years, and had no idea he'd still be around and as active as he is.

I remember him at the 92 Barcelona Olympics when we RAPED everybody, and the other teams were gettin him and Jordan's autographs after the game...and the epic 92 All Star Game when he hit those crazy ass threes at the end...I still have it on tape, and I probably watched that tape a good 15 times back in the day. I went to the first game when he came back in 96 too....I remember it bein on a school night, playin the Warriors, and he came off the bench as PF. Elden Campbell got two quick fouls, and as soon as Magic stood up and took off his warm up shirt, the whole crowd erupted.

Do you remember when he got back in the Lakers as a PF? The first game? He did an amazing no look pass. He was fat, walking on the floor, but that move was just incredible. He took the whole opponent team to school.

Word...He was good in his return, fuck Malone for ruining it. BTW, he came back as a SF off the bench, not a PF...PeACe

I remember it was PF, because I put him on my Live 96 as PF..and I remember Elden gettin those fouls, seemingly on purpose, just so Magic could come straight in for him. I just did a quick internet search, they're all sayin he came as PF. His size was more of a PF size at that point that anything else, but he was still bringin the ball up court and all else.

Damm though, just for fun, I wish he could have stayed one more year, just so we could look at that roster now and laugh our asses off.....Kobe, Shaq, Magic, Van Exel, Ceballos, Eddie Jones....hahahaha damn that woulda been dope, even though Kobe was too young and Magic was too old then.

Yeah i thought Magic came back as a PF

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

I still remember everything about it...

When I first heard about it, I was only six and in 2nd grade, and I remember he was my favorite player (still is). I had never heard of AIDS or HIV and didn't know what it was at all...and my parents were tryin to explain it to me without bein too graphic. I even remember exactly where I was.....in the car with my mom outside of my aunt's house in South Central on 60th and Bryhhurst. My mom started cryin when she heard it. Everybody in L.A. was trippin on it...my dad even did a tribute song to him at our Church for Men's day. We ALL thought he would have died within five years, and had no idea he'd still be around and as active as he is.

I remember him at the 92 Barcelona Olympics when we RAPED everybody, and the other teams were gettin him and Jordan's autographs after the game...and the epic 92 All Star Game when he hit those crazy ass threes at the end...I still have it on tape, and I probably watched that tape a good 15 times back in the day. I went to the first game when he came back in 96 too....I remember it bein on a school night, playin the Warriors, and he came off the bench as PF. Elden Campbell got two quick fouls, and as soon as Magic stood up and took off his warm up shirt, the whole crowd erupted.

Do you remember when he got back in the Lakers as a PF? The first game? He did an amazing no look pass. He was fat, walking on the floor, but that move was just incredible. He took the whole opponent team to school.

Word...He was good in his return, fuck Malone for ruining it. BTW, he came back as a SF off the bench, not a PF...PeACe

I remember it was PF, because I put him on my Live 96 as PF..and I remember Elden gettin those fouls, seemingly on purpose, just so Magic could come straight in for him. I just did a quick internet search, they're all sayin he came as PF. His size was more of a PF size at that point that anything else, but he was still bringin the ball up court and all else.

Damm though, just for fun, I wish he could have stayed one more year, just so we could look at that roster now and laugh our asses off.....Kobe, Shaq, Magic, Van Exel, Ceballos, Eddie Jones....hahahaha damn that woulda been dope, even though Kobe was too young and Magic was too old then.

'
that's just how they started him, he was really playing point guard in all honesty. yeah Nick was out there but it was dual points. the lakers are/were famous for doing that , dual sf's dual PF and dual points... worthy and magic would play double small forward roles and byron scott would run the point or magic and byron would both run the point, sometimes  we'd have two power forwards in there and magic would play shooting forward , ect, ect...that's what made showtime fun to watch, and that's why they WON so much is because the unique way they played, and they only lost to the celtics and the pistons who were doing their own innovative methods,  everyone kind of forgot about that when shaq and kobe showed up and started winning with the one-two punch method that was brought over from orlando.

I like it like that...That's how we have it this year, so many combo players switching all the time... you have Odom sometimes bringing the ball up, playing as a point guard, then the next play you can have him posting up on the block as a 4 or sometimes even a 5, or playing from his natural position on the wing as a 2 or 3...You have Mo Evans, comnig off the bench switching between the 2 and 3 spot, Turiaf, Kwame, Cook, and probably even Mihm when he returns playing both the 4 and 5. Vlad Rad is a 3 and 4, Smush plays the 1 and 2, Sasha plays the 1 and 2, Luke can switch between the 2, 3, and 4...I really like what we got going this year...PeACe

[WILL-I-DIE]

I grew up on watching Magic and the Lakers.Those were the days

[The Big Bad Ass]

I was rockin his converse shoes in middle school bball when all this came down. It was one of the worst days I ever had. My alltime sports hero ended up being Reggie Miller when everything was said and done, but when I was a kid, Magic was IT! My brother would wear the bird shoes/clothes, I would wear the magic, and we would hoop it up every day tryin to be those guys. I watch clips of Magic on epsn from time to time, and that shit gives me chills. No one did it better, and IMO, Magic was the greatest to ever lace em up. I have mad respect for Jordan, but Magic was something special, and something different. A true team player with absolutly no me first bullshit like so many stars have today. I'm sad his career was cut short a few years. The NBA really missed out.

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

^^A few years? I'd say his career was cut pretty much in half...No reason a dude like him couldn't have played through 1999, and I truly believe he would have, maybe even longer!...PeACe