From: kompella@cs.ucsd.edu (Vachaspathi Kompella)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.basketball.pro
Subject: Magic's back
Date: 29 Sep 92 23:00:08 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: CSE Dept., UC San Diego


Here's what I read off clarinet:

        INGLEWOOD, Calif. (UPI) -- Magic Johnson said Tuesday he will return
to the Los Angeles Lakers this season, less than a year after he
announced his retirement because he has the AIDS virus.
        Johnson, one of the best and most beloved players in basketball
history, made the announcement with his wife, Cookie, at his side at a
news conference at the Great Western Forum.
        ``Since my wife has decided to let me play, I'm coming back to the
Lakers and I'm playing again,'' he said with a broad smile and a cheer.
``I've been working extremely hard to come back and I'm glad to be back.
''
        Johnson, a 12-time All-Star who led the Lakers to five championships,
said he made the decision to return after discussions with his wife, his
two doctors and his parents. He said he expects to play between 50 and
60 games.
        ``I'll try to avoid back-to-back situations and see how I feel,'' he
said. ``But we're talking about 50 games and we'll take if from there.''
        Johnson said he has not decided if he will play past the 1992-1993
season.
        ``One year for now and then we'll go from there,'' he said.
        He said he has gained weight and has been working out with weights.
He will return to the court wearing No. 32, the jersey that was retired
last season.
        ``One year for now and then we'll go from there,'' he said.
        He said he has gained weight and has been working out with weights.
He will return to the court wearing No. 32, the jersey that was retired
last season.
        ``God put me here to play basketball,'' he said. ``So I'm going to do
my thing on the court.''
        Johnson, 33, announced his retirement from basketball Nov. 7, 1991,
after testing positive for the human immunodeficiency virus that causes
AIDS. He returned last season to play in the NBA All-Star Game, where he
was named Most Valuable Player. He played last summer on the gold-medal
winning U.S. Dream Team at the Barcelona Olympics.
        ``Since the day that Magic Johnson announced that he has tested HIV
positive, our principal concern has been his personal well-being,'' NBA
Commissioner David Stern said. ``We have conferred with his doctors, who
have advised that they are comfortable with Magic's decision to return
to active competition. We are pleased that he feels well enough to
return.''
        Dressed in a blue suit and joking on the podium, Johnson spoke of his
love for the game and the understanding that he is taking a most serious
step.
        ``I'm not going to say it's not a risk,'' he said. ``But life's a
risk.''
        Dr. Michael Mellman, the Lakers' team physician, attended the news
conference and acknowledged the basketball player was stepping into
uncharted territory, since no one with the AIDS virus has attempted what
Johnson is planning. The doctor called him ``an experiment named Earvin
Johnson.''
        NBA consultant Dr. David Rogers, vice chairman of the National
Commission on AIDS, called Johnson's decision to return ``splendid.'' He
added there is ``no evidence'' other players would be in danger of
contracting the virus as the result of physical contact during a game.
        ``For him to resume his career is a very encouraging statement to
others that are HIV positive that they can lead normal lives.''
        Johnson quit the Lakers on the advice of his doctors. They told him
the travel and strain of playing in the NBA could weaken his immune
system and make him more vulnerable to life-threatening illnesses.
        Rumors had been circulating, particularly since the Olympics, that
Johnson was considering returning to the Lakers on a limited basis this
season.
        Since learning of his virus, Johnson has devoted much of his time to
fighting AIDS through educational videos, public appearances and other
efforts.
        Early this year he accepted President Bush's appointment to the
National Commission on AIDS. Last week he sent a scathing letter to
Bush, resigning his post because the Bush administration had ``dropped
the ball'' in efforts to fight the deadly disease.
        Johnson, a three-time MVP, established himself as one of the most
flamboyant and charismatic players in the game during his 12-year pro
career.
        He was the first player selected in the 1979 draft after leading
Michigan State to the NCAA championship as a sophomore. He joined the
NBA with Larry Bird and the two galvanized a league close to collapse.
During last summer, playing with Bird and other NBA stars in Barcelona,
Johnson said he became convinced he had the stamina and skills to
return.
        ``The true test was practicing with players on the Olympic team,'' he
said. ``Then coming back here, putting on 15 pounds, lifting weights and
playing every day.''
        He led the Lakers to the title in his first season and was the first
rookie ever named the MVP of the finals. Blessed with the size of a
forward and the dexterity of a guard, Johnson, 6-foot-9, was named MVP
in 1987, 1989 and 1990 and led the Lakers to the NBA finals nine times.
He is the NBA's all-time assists leader and was named MVP in the
playoffs in 1980, 1982 and 1987.
        Johnson spoke at his news conference with the same buoyancy and
optimism that he did when he announced his retirement last November.
        ``It's gonna be all right,'' he said.