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sports
Magic's big night
highlight of summer league
He may have been a
little older, noticeably bigger and definitely a step or two
slower, but there was still no denying he is what he is: Magic.
Earvin "Magic"
Johnson's much ballyhooed Summer Pro League appearance at
The Pyramid July 14 lived up to expectations, as the 41-year-old
former Laker guard dazzled the sellout crowd by showing more
than just flashes of his former brilliance.
The fact his team,
the Magic Johnson All-Stars, lost the game was inconsequential
-- the important part was seeing a legend play one more time.
Johnson spent the
night channeling the '80s, dishing no-look passes to teammates
and dropping a baby-hook the Boston Celtics remember all too
well in recording his trademark triple-double (20 points,
12 rebounds and 10 assists).
The crowd, understandably,
ate it up. So did the press, as all the major Los Angeles
media outlets covered the event like it was the NBA Finals.
Magic held court in a post-game press conference, showing
that he is still in his prime when it comes to handling the
media.
Sure, there were
other highlights from the game, like rap star Snoop Dogg scoring
10 points for the MJAS or Kansas City Chiefs' tight end Tony
Gonzalez and former UCLA star Ed O'Bannon, both playing for
the victorious Young Guns, scoring 26 points each to lead
all scorers.
But it was evident
from the start that it was Magic's night, and he made it clear
by playing to the crowd all night, once jumping on the scorer's
table following another incredible play and putting his hand
to his ear to soak up some much-deserved adulation.
Other stories came
out of this year's Summer Pro League, but it's apparent that
Magic's epic one-night stand will be the one talked about
years from now.
Mike Haubrich
is the Sports Editor of the Daily On-line Forty-Niner
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