From: jamesd@techbook.com (James Deibele)
Subject: Re: Magic un-retires
Organization: TECHbooks --- Public Access UNIX --- (503) 220-0636
Date: Sun, 4 Oct 1992 03:09:03 GMT

In article <533@wavefront.wti.com> ravi@wti.com (Ravi Raj) writes:
>Most people linked Magic's retirement with his announcement of
>having contracted the HIV virus. In the light of that stunning
>announcement, few people are going to remember the previous season,

Fewer and fewer people can remember what they had for dinner last night.
What I remember about Magic's announcement is not wanting to belive is 
that he was HIV+, but there's a decade of magical basketball that 
outweighs even that stunning announcement.

>and least of all his flinging the ball down the court in game 6.
>And not too many people view retirement because of contracting
>the AIDS virus as "going out on a legendary note".

When you were a child, did you read about Lou Gehrig?  I realize that
we're getting to be more and more illiterate, but I think the kids that
are going to be growing up in a few years will read about Magic, or at
least watch "Legends of the game" videotapes or specials.  Magic loaded
the Lakers on his back and carried them two years ago.  The spell wore
off, but they stunned a Blazer team that was much better.  

If you could have switched places with Magic in 1979, knowing what you
know now, would you do it?  A <lot> of people would.  Consider the
number of Olympic athletes who answered "yes" when asked if they'd take
a drug that would give them a world record, but kill them in a year.  It
was well over half.

Magic's a competitor, just like those Olympians.  Are you going to enjoy
watching him, wondering how many days he's going to lose for each day he
plays?  How would you like to play against him?  Throw out any chances
of catching the HIV virus.  Do you try to exhaust him, running Hardaway
or KJ or Strickland past him?

>Now, if he came back for a season, led his underdog club from nowhere
>to a championship, that would be going out on a legendary note.
>And that would also go a long way in erasing the stigma that is
>associated with people who've contracted the HIV virus.

So is the glass half-empty or half-full?  I think it's terrible that
Magic was infected with the HIV virus, but he was MVP over and over
again, he obviously had a wonderful time and I had a wonderful time
watching him.  The Blazers never beat a Magic-lead team in the playoffs.
And that's something that's not going to change, because the Lakers
aren't going to make the playoffs for another few years (unless one of
the other teams falls completely apart).

There comes a time to retire.  What I got from postings from Celts fans
the past couple of years has been a sense of frustration because Larry
Bird couldn't be counted on.  You know Bird would play if he could, but
there were times he couldn't and times he shouldn't.  But how do you
tell Larry Legend he's eighth man?  So players and coaches couldn't make
solid plans, and the front office couldn't use that slot to get another
player (you don't "replace" Bird or Magic).  I think it was Magic's
time.  And if he's dead four years from now because the playing did
exhaust him, how good are you going to feel about him coming back?