Magic Johnson is always smiling

This is a world gone bonkers. Two conservative radio talk show hosts are accused of saying that Magic Johnson faked AIDS.

According to a partial transcript and audio clip posted on a media watchdog site, mediamatters.org, the remarks came after a caller asserted that health care isn’t a basic right. Perry responded by asking about treatable diseases that a person can live with for a long time “if you just get some basic drugs.”

Baker responded, “Like Magic Johnson?”

Perry replied, “Like Magic with his faked AIDS. Magic faked AIDS.”

Baker said, “You think Magic faked AIDS for sympathy?”

Perry replied, “I’m convinced that Magic faked AIDS.”

“Me too,” Baker said.

Johnson was diagnosed with HIV in 1991 and then retired from the NBA at 32.

source

These guys are idiots. Magic has the HIV virus. He is extremely competitive and yet had to retire early from the NBA because of the virus. Earvin is now a very successful business man worth millions of dollars.

Magic is a huge hero at my school Michigan State University, where he led the team to an NCAA Basketball National Championship as a sophomore. There is a statue erected outside of the stadium of Magic. He is remembered in the area, because he grew up there and has family roots there. He has never forgotten where he is from.

He is an outspoken spokesperson in the battle against AIDS.

After announcing his infection, Johnson teamed up with his physician Dr. Lynn Montana to help educate the world’s youth about the risks associated with HIV.[14] Johnson also set up the Magic Johnson Foundation to help combat HIV,[75] although he later diversified the foundation to include other charitable goals.[76] In 1992, he joined the National Commission on AIDS, but left after only eight months, saying that the commission was not doing enough to combat the disease.[75] He was also the main speaker for the United Nations (UN) World AIDS Day Conference in 1999,[76] and he has served as a United Nations Messengers of Peace.
source

Photo source Newscom

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J-Rich sets one down

The nearly invincible Boston Celtics lost at home to the Charlotte Bobcats by the score of 95 – 83.

Jason Richardson dominated this game with 34 points and 9 rebounds. Gerald Wallace chipped in with 15 points and 10 rebounds.

…the Charlotte Bobcats stunned the Boston Celtics 95-83 for just their fourth loss of the season on Wednesday night.

The loss snapped a nine-game winning streak for Boston (29-4) and spoiled its bid for the fastest start in team history to 30 wins. The 1959-60 Celtics started 30-4 before going on to win the NBA title.

The Bobcats, who entered with an Eastern Conference-worst 1-11 road mark, also got 16 points and eight assists from Raymond Felton. source

Richardson is an incredible athlete and has had the misfortune to play on bad teams.

When J-Rich played at Michigan State University, he was a slam dunking machine with a not so good outside shot.

NBA Basketball Jason Richardson factoid - Richardson won the NBA Slam Dunk Contests in 2002 and 2003, joining Michael Jordan as the only players to have won in consecutive years. source

But Richardson’s game was raw and he worked on it constantly. Eventually he developed an outside game to rival his inside game. Now he is known for his 3 pointers.

Boston Celtics

Before you go crazy and attach all kinds of meaning to this game, maybe we ought to take a bigger look at things.

Kevin Garnett led Boston with 24 points and eight rebounds. Paul Pierce scored 13 points on just 4-for-14 shooting.

The Celtics’ only other loss at home came when Detroit’s Chauncey Billups hit two free throws with 0.1 seconds left in an 87-85 win on Dec. 19. Boston is 16-2 at the TD Banknorth Garden. source

A couple of key notes to take. Kevin Garnett was his usual MVP self and Paul Pierce had a bad night. It happens.

But the bigger issue may be the Celtics coming off of a huge victory over the Detroit Pistons on the Pistons home court. The letdown from that victory to playing the Bobcats took a lot of steam out of the Celtics.

Still, a victory over the Celtics is rare and the Bobcats earned it!

NBA Basketball Fan Question What if Jason Richardson played on a great team?

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Deron can handle the rock

Deron Williams is an up and coming star in the NBA.

That bears repeating, because for those of us that followed his career at Illinois, it did not always seem that way.

Now your intrepid author is a Michigan State University Spartan fan and grad. Izzo, baby, that is all that needs to be said. MSU finds themselves as a basketball school and oh do we not like that label. We want to be a basketball, football school.

Well, guess what, Illinois finds themselves in the same boat. There were some intense rivalry games between IU and MSU and Deron Williams was a part of quite a few of them.

In college, Deron seemed like an excellent passer, kind of fast, but not too quick, pretty good shooter, but not great. He played next to Dee Brown and Dee seemed to have all the star power in the year they went to the finals with only 1 loss.

Alan Anderson of the Spartans got hurt before the North Carolina game, during the weekend when my Spartys beat UK and Duke. The feeling around here, right or wrong, was that the Spartans would have beaten NC with a healthy Anderson and faced Deron Williams and the Illini in the finals.

That did not happen and NC defeated Illinois. Deron was only a Junior but pretty much had to declare pro with most of the Illinois graduating. There would not have been much team left and it could only hurt his draft status to stay.

Prediction for the Jazz

Who would have thought Deron would be such a great pro? With Deron at the point Johnny Ludden at Yahoo Sports is picking Utah to be first in the NorthWest Division.

Is that confetti in your hair? After an impressive run to the Western Conference finals, the Jazz made only a couple of minor tweaks to their roster. Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer, quickly resembling another formidable Utah pick-and-roll combo, anchor the team’s impressive core. Mehmet Okur is coming off an All-Star season and second-year guard Ronnie Brewer is making a strong bid to start. source

The NBA Draft

Deron is used to being the underdog and when he faced the NBA draft, once again Deron Williams had to prove himself to the doubters.

When it was time for Deron to take his collection of All-Big Ten awards and the ’05 Chicago Regional MOP trophy to The Greatest Show on Earth, he found that he had some believers out there. While some questioned his build and speed, Deron blew up during pre-Draft workouts, impressing the Jazz enough that they tabbed him with the third overall pick. Bigger-rep players Raymond Felton and Chris Paul followed.

Underdog

If Utah makes it a habit of winning all the time then that will probably cure the underdog stuff up with Deron and the fans, right?

Though his ball club is on the verge of regaining their once West Coast dominance, the playmaker can’t see the dim light raying on him any different. “People still don’t know my name. I go to [visiting] arenas, sometimes the announcers will call me Duh-RON. I have to make the PR people go and correct them,” he says. “So although a lot more people notice my game now, I still consider myself an underdog.”

Oh, well, if Deron is Underdog at least they have a movie about you!

NBA Basketball Fan Question Will Deron be an All Star this year?

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