Magic Johnson’s devotion to the Los Angeles Lakers has prevented him from entertaining the thought of proudly owning some other NBA franchise.
The New York Knicks can be the one franchise that might make him have second ideas.
“I think it would be intriguing,” Johnson said Tuesday. “The solely workforce I’d really most likely take into consideration is the New York Knicks.”
Johnson arrived in New York for a talking engagement at a YMCA from Washington, the place the member of the Commanders’ new possession group watched his NFL workforce lose to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
Once again in Los Angeles, he’ll gear up for his Dodgers to start play in baseball’s postseason. But the basketball Hall of Famer repeatedly has handed on alternatives for possession within the sport he is aware of greatest.
Johnson named the Golden State Warriors, Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks as groups he turned down, relatively than discover himself in competitors with the Lakers. The Knicks, although, supply one thing totally different.
“I think because of the way fans love basketball you might have to think about that one, because I love coming to New York and going to the Garden and watching the Knicks play,” Johnson said in an interview with The Associated Press. “I really like being with followers who’re so keen about their workforce and the Knick followers are, they usually’re sensible. They’re sensible basketball followers and in order that one I’d have to consider. I believe that aside from that, I’d most likely by no means take into consideration ever being part of one other franchise.”
Johnson mentioned he hasn’t spoken with Madison Square Garden Executive Chairman James Dolan concerning the concept and is not in search of a chance, content material to observe the Lakers as a fan after serving as their president of basketball operations for 2 seasons earlier than resigning in 2019.
But if the dialog did occur, Johnson would pay attention.
“That one you would really have to think about, in terms of being a minority owner of that team,” he said. “But aside from that, I’d simply stick with the Lakers and even with my position now, simply being a fan, I’m joyful simply doing that with the Lakers as a result of, once more, I bleed purple and gold.”
Johnson, who was in cost when the Lakers signed LeBron James, believes they’ll play for a second NBA title in 5 years.
“I believe they’re going to be the most effective workforce within the West this 12 months,” Johnson mentioned.
Johnson, 64, needed to retire as a Lakers participant in 1991 after contracting HIV. Former NBA Commissioner David Stern allowed him to return and play within the 1992 All-Star Game, a choice Johnson believes helped encourage and educate folks within the struggle in opposition to AIDS.
He stays a passionate advocate for well being schooling and on Tuesday led a dialogue concerning the dangers of RSV, a contagious virus affecting the lungs and respiration passages that causes an estimated 14,000 deaths yearly in adults 65 and over.
“I’ve always talked about, whether it was HIV, AIDS and now RSV, it’s really important that I come to the people,” he mentioned of the ” Sideline RSV ” campaign from GSK, formerly known as GlaxoSmithKline. “It’s one factor to do a business, it’s one other factor to be dwell and in individual and shake folks’s arms and actually inform them: ‘Look, get your physicals. If you’re feeling one thing, go to the physician,’ as a result of loads of occasions what occurs, we don’t go once we first really feel one thing, proper, and RSV, you is usually a wholesome individual and don’t even know you have got it.”
Johnson instructed the viewers that early detection helped him when he was contaminated with HIV. He mentioned he will get a bodily each January and receives really useful vaccinations, with one for RSV now obtainable.
“I’m trying to be here for a long time,” he said, “so signal a brother up.”
Source: www.dailysabah.com