Magic Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers comes out of retirement, helping lead the Lakers to 128-118 victory over Golden State at the Great Western Forum with 19 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists. Johnson had last appeared in an NBA game during the 1991 NBA Finals against Chicago.
After retiring in 1991, Johnson never strayed far from the game of basketball. He made an aborted comeback in 1992, coached the Lakers briefly in 1994, and split time between playing exhibitions with his own touring team and expanding a number of business interests.
Thanks to less concerns of the HIV/AIDS virus over the years, Johnson decided to return to the Lakers in 1996, signing for 2.5 million dollars for the remainder of the 1995-96 season and changing his role from point guard to power forward. On January 30, 1996 Magic Johnson officially returned to the NBA. And he came back with a bang.
Johnson scored 18 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and dished out 10 assists in his first game back, helping the Lakers defeat the Golden State Warriors 128-118. It was truly a special performance and validated the greatness of Johnson that he could play so well after five years away from the league. Cedric Ceballos led the Lakers with 33 points while Tim Hardaway led the losing Warriors with 24 points and 10 assists.
When Johnson came off the bench to check into the game, the ovation he received was one of the greatest ever witnessed in the NBA. Whether you were a fan of Johnson or not, everyone admired his courage to come back and play the game he loved. "I can't even begin to tell you how I feel," said Johnson. "It's one of the most exciting days of my life, ever."
Johnson despite being well past his prime averaged just under 15 points, seven assists, and six rebounds in 32 games (9 starts) for the Lakers, helping lead the team to a 53-29 record, and the fourth seed in the Western Conference. Before the return of Magic, the Lakers sat at 24-18, they went on to finish the season 29-11.
The Lakers would fall to the Houston Rockets 3-1 in the 1st round of the 1996 NBA playoffs and Johnson would retire permanently after the season and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002.
