Kareem Abdul-Jabbar compared the decision of Magic Johnson returning at 36 y/o to biblical figure ‘Methuselah’
Four years after retiring from the NBA due to contracting HIV, Magic Johnson decided to return to the Los Angeles Lakers in 1995.
magic johnson he is one of the best players the basketball world has been blessed with. Several analysts even believed that the Magic, along with rival Larry Bird, revived the NBA in the 1980s.
Johnson, considered the most prolific point guard in league history, was the leader of the Showtime Lakers. Since his addition to the team, Dr.
Jerry Buss’ franchise has managed to win 5 titles, with Earvin winning 3 regular season MVPs and 2 Finals MVPs.
At 31, Johnson was a 12-time All-Star, 10-time All-NBA Team member, 4-time assist champion, 2-time steal champion and had already cemented his legacy as one of the greatest to represent the Purple. and gold.
In 1991, the Michigan State Spartan was forced to retire after announcing to the world that he contracted HIV.
Also read: Magic Johnson revealed his prolific sex life before HIV diagnosis
However, a few years later, Johnson decided to come out of retirement and play alongside Nick Van Exel, Eddie Jones and the other members of the Lake Show.
“Those who loved Magic Johnson knew it was a huge company”: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Of course, Lakers Nation was delighted to learn that their star player was back. However, according to Kareem Abdul-Jabbarpeople who loved Johnson knew how tedious the job would be for the 36-year-old.
Comparing the 6-foot-9 point guard’s return to the biblical figure ‘Methuselah,’ the NBA’s all-time leading scorer mentioned:
The news that Magic would suit up for the Lakers again made everyone’s hearts happy. But those of us who loved Magic knew that it was a huge company.
When you’re away from playing professionally for a few years and you try to come back, it’s like you’ve never played.
Playing at 36 is hard enough, but playing point guard, with all the back and forth, is like being Methuselah.
I felt sorry for him. But I had no desire to return myself. I wanted to leave my legacy intact, not listen to people complain about Kareem stumbling on the court.
To everyone’s surprise, Magic wasn’t the impactful player he once was. That 1995-96 season, the LAL finished with the fourth-best record in the West, only to be eliminated by the Rockets in the first round of the playoffs.
Shortly after the Lakers were eliminated, for various reasons, Johnson decided to retire for good.
Yes, Magic is one of the most successful players in NBA history. However, his second stint with the Los Angeles-based franchise could be considered a huge flop.
Also read: Magic Johnson once claimed that the 5x NBA champion was closer to Michael Jordan than LeBron James
