Magic Johnson's 25th Anniversary

[KobeMVP888]

God bless him! Where were YOU when you got the news?

[NuggetsCountry]

I was on an aircraft carrier doing business.

[3Peatkb24]

I was actually at home taking a nap (I was only 20 years old) and my step dad came home and told me he had heard on the radio that Magic was going to retire because he had Aids. I immediately turned on the TV and there he was talking to the media. I was in such disbelief and was in shock the rest of the day, was actually in shock for weeks and wasn't even interested in Basketball for a while. I thought Magic was going to die as well so I was really depressed. Come to find out he didn't have Aids but HIV which there is a difference and luckily for him treatment/Meds got much better throughout the 90's.

To me this was the worst sports moment of my life and it still is. I cant think of anything that comes close to this regarding my fandom of my favorite teams. I have had the Cubs choking in the Playoffs in the past, Peyton Manning being let go by the Colts, even Kobe recently retiring but it was time for him, but I thought Magic was going to die and he retiring alone made me depressed as it was.

[KobeMVP888]

I was on the elliptical machine at 24 Hour Fitness in Mission Viejo. I couldn't believe my eyes. I was so bummed and scared for him. Later that evening, I got a call from my oldest friend who I have known since I was 4 (we were 35 at the time). He told me he was diagnosed that day with a fatal form of leukemia. Due to advances in medicine, both Magic and Donny are alive and very healthy today!!!

[3Peatkb24]

I was on the elliptical machine at 24 Hour Fitness in Mission Viejo. I couldn't believe my eyes. I was so bummed and scared for him. Later that evening, I got a call from my oldest friend who I have known since I was 4 (we were 35 at the time). He told me he was diagnosed that day with a fatal form of leukemia. Due to advances in medicine, both Magic and Donny are alive and very healthy today!!!

Damn, that is a double whammy! Luckily he and Magic are both healthy, hard to believe that it has been 25 years ago when this happened. I wasn't even 21 yet and still living at home with my mom and stepdad LOL.

[Lakers4Life]

I was in the mall conducting surveys with the customers passing by (1st real job). There was a Foot Locker right next store. I heard that Magic was having a press conference shortly. I said "I LOVE BASKETBALL"!!! Basketball is my life. So I forgot work to sneak inside and watched the TV with Magic eventually saying words that I didn't want to hear & didn't even understand. (20 years old also). Since Foot Locker has so many windows I had to hide from supervisor. She kept coming out looking for me. I was devastated by the news. Not only was Magic not going to come back to take back his throne from MJ but now he might even die?!?! WTF? This really rocked my World. I hated Jordan throughout the 90's because I always believed that Magic would had came back in 92 to win the Championship. (Like he always did). He lost once to Dr.J, Bird, Isaiah but always came back to win the next year. I wanted 1 more shot at MJ like Magic & Laker fans deserved. Disappointment. I had to spend the next 7 years watching Jordan win titles against a watered down league. He didn't have to face an all-time great team like Magic did throughout the 80's. The 80's Celtics, Sixers, Pistons etc... were a real challenge. But Magic still found a way to make it to 9 out of 12 Finals in his first 12 years in the league winning 5 titles (should had been 7) Thanks to Riley in 89' and Worthy & Magic making bone-head plays in 84'.

[3Peatkb24]

I was in the mall conducting surveys with the customers passing by (1st real job). There was a Foot Locker right next store. I heard that Magic was having a press conference shortly. I said "I LOVE BASKETBALL"!!! Basketball is my life. So I forgot work to sneak inside and watched the TV with Magic eventually saying words that I didn't want to hear & didn't even understand. (20 years old also). Since Foot Locker has so many windows I had to hide from supervisor. She kept coming out looking for me. I was devastated by the news. Not only was Magic not going to come back to take back his throne from MJ but now he might even die?!?! WTF? This really rocked my World. I hated Jordan throughout the 90's because I always believed that Magic would had came back in 92 to win the Championship. (Like he always did). He lost once to Dr.J, Bird, Isaiah but always came back to win the next year. I wanted 1 more shot at MJ like Magic & Laker fans deserved. Disappointment. I had to spend the next 7 years watching Jordan win titles against a watered down league. He didn't have to face an all-time great team like Magic did throughout the 80's. The 80's Celtics, Sixers, Pistons etc... were a real challenge. But Magic still found a way to make it to 9 out of 12 Finals in his first 12 years in the league winning 5 titles (should had been 7) Thanks to Riley in 89' and Worthy & Magic making bone-head plays in 84'.

1984 sticks in my crawl the most losing to Larry Bird and a Celtics team 4-3 that we were better than IMO. We should've at least had 6 Championships in that decade. Lakers were just finding ways to lose games down the stretch against the Celtics in that 84 series. In 1989 Byron not even playing and Magic going down was a killer but that was probably the Pistons year anyway as we barely beat them in 1988.

[KobeMVP888]

I said "I LOVE BASKETBALL"

You should have had that trademarked, you fool. I would have been happy to represent you in a Trademark Infringement lawsuit against MWP!

[Lakers4Life]

I said "I LOVE BASKETBALL"

You should have had that trademarked, you fool. I would have been happy to represent you in a Trademark Infringement lawsuit against MWP!

Well played my good man