European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 30, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse March 1985 the stars and stripes Page 23 commentary lakers magic act Hast changed when Earvin Johnson first came West to play anyone on Hollywood and Vine could have written the it was As predictable As a Warner As Star crossed As grand Here was this naive kid with this great big wide like a kid coming downstairs on Christmas and he was stepping into Angle the town that made its living off wide eyed country boys like and this one was a no one could do with a basketball the things Earvin Johnson and he came equipped with this Madero television Nick Louis Mayer would have Barnum would have put him on an Disney would have named a ride after Holly Woods agents sent cars after he came to the who were a be calmed team of they played a kind of bored like old men at pinochle in the they had Talent but it was kind of Mechanic they didst exactly Clank As they went through the motions but you found yourself checking around for knobs if would read third Pacific division or do not magic changed it he restored the pure Joy of he brought a gaiety to forum games that had not been there since the glory years of Elgin Baylor and Jerry the style of play went from baroque to Showtime magic shrewdly played to the egos of a team of Guys each conscious of his own magic was As unselfish As a he shot the Ball Only when it was a Choice of either do that or eat he brought the Ball he did the dirty work on the offensive he he worked and he How he he lit up the floor even when the going was the lakers had always been a team that it was As if they didst like each Guys stoking Ocean liners looked everybody liked he was like the Little brother who is the Clown in the family because that seems to be the Best Way to hold it the Wise Guys were impressed but not they had seen this act Errol Flynn had been a Young they knew what the next scenes would after magic was Only a College Sophomore when he first came the world looks like a balloon wait till he found out there was no Santa wait till he found out people that was six years by Hollywood Fig the Young Earvin Johnson would have found the same town other marquee names there would be a couple of failed there would have been a few 2oclockinthemorning mashups on Pacific coast a lawsuit Here and there would have been missed there would have been cryptic stories in the paper quoting unnamed teammates criticizing magic for hogging the hogging the clogging the fast there would have been feuds with the magic would have gone the route of nine of 10 Guys who make it big in was the betting at the better watering i who did magic think he was trying to kid four years the shoe seemed to there was trouble in the team had begun to Clank coming off a season Long was beside the smile became a Little the play he requested a he didst want to be a part of this Windup he wanted to play the kind of game where you could Grin again while doing the owner astounded the world by firing the no one was More astounded than i had invited him to fire not the he the damage was the Wise Guys had their what affirmation was needed that magic had gone Hollywood he want that Sweet kid from the Sticks he was a he was a proof of the adage that theres no Way a coach could Tell a hired hand what to the resultant most of it could either chasten or emitter a magic being it did what it did was Leach him a now he had to add coaches to the list of people whose Feath ers he was careful not to the lakers have won two Aba championships and have been in the championship finals four of the five years magic has played with the he still plays the kind of sctt Mcball game Hes always he Hast fired any coaches in he sat in his new Home in a secluded Canyon off Bel air the other Day and reflected on his career to a caller noted in a youve been a Digap youve disappointed All the types who would have bet youd Star in a couple of two Cadillac collisions and a brawling Ondisco Story by magic in sorry to he the although int the Ermine flashing sunken White nonwhite pad you might it is a Tudor mansion and As sedate As a Fox a Bronco not a sits in the you never go anywhere in an the caller you have 12 people hang ing on your every word who gets girls for you magic i know who i am and who i am i often drive to work by you get a lot of Good thinking done that the caller people tend to blame you when the team trips you hear people say Larry Bird outplayed you and that Why the lakers lost the title last that you made magic i he but i wont make those mistakes that the great thing about you always get next season to make up for your it is Clear that the timetable is running out for magic Johnson to turn into a or even a some a portrait is getting ravaged and dissipated and disillusioned and but the original still looks like the kid who got off the bus with a new suitcase and a bag of Shirley Temple could play the los Angeles times free scores 23 second half Points rebounding Cavaliers push bulls around 122114 by United press International its taking a but the Cleveland Cavaliers Are making believers out of rest of the thursday Chicago bulls coach Kevin Loughery became the latest this cant be the same team i read about last Loughery said after his bulls were Defeated by Cleveland they match up against people really their Bench outscored ours world free led the Cavaliers with 32 he also contained Chicago Rookie Michael in the third Quarter when Cleveland broke when i was a Veteran Boston guard Jojo White once ripped me free he told this is my i told the same thing to Michael Jordan when were on our were just no Roundup we pushed Chicago around in the second and scored 37 Points in the third it was won the season series with Chicago 42 and moved a game ahead of Idle Atlanta in the race for the Eastern conferences final playoff Chicago dropped to 3539 amid reports that Loughery Job is in i just want to talk about the said who also would not discuss tuesdays firing of his Good Chi Cago general manager Rod who was Loughery assistant on the new York nets of the american basketball association from was re placed by Jerry controversy just distracts Lough Ery Michael Jordan May have scored 35 but he didst play his free was out of our control with 23 Points in the second who scored 25 Points in the first went scoreless in the third leading 5857 with left in the third went on a 154 free scored seven Points in the spree and Roy Hinson six to give the cars a 7361 advantage with its a pleasure to see the Guys play As a Cleveland coach George Karl too bad teamwork cant be Cleveland held a 9175 advantage entering the fourth and held off a Chicago flurry in the closing John Bagley and Phil Hubbard each added 18 Points for the Dave Corzine followed Jordan with 23 in other games thursday Bucks kicks 116 new York Paul Pressey scored 25 Points and Paul Mokeski added a career High 21 to Lead Milwaukee to its fifth straight Triumph and 12th Victory in its last 14 the kicks lost their fourth clippers suns 110 los Angeles Derek Smith scored 34 Points and Norm Nixon added 20 Points and 10 assists to Lead the clip the Victory was Only the fourth for los Angeles in its last 11 the suns lost their third straight game and seventh in their last nuggets Kings 115 Denver Alex English and Calvin Natt each scored 32 Points to Lead the nuggets to their 19th consecutive Home court the nuggets moved five games ahead of second place Houston in the Midwest Kansas City got a season High 32 Points from Reggie Mcaa from Page 21 ment title game when Ewing played Only 19 in a hard fought 6054 East regional championship Triumph Over Georgia Ewing sat out 12 minutes of the Sec Ond in Ewing has averaged just minutes playing time in the Tournai in Johns Victory Over the redmen Hung on after building an 18 Point the hoyas shot poorly and committed numerous in the second the redmen handle the in the last the hoyas dominated the boards and shut Down Al America Chris Mullins passing game with a Box Andone they also virtually shut him Down in the second Johns coach Lou Carnesecca plans to play 7foot Bill Wennington head to head against abandoning the Sag Ging defense the redmen employed against the hoyas in the previous three Boeheim says the team to watch might be till be Tough for Villanova to get by Memphis Boeheim but id say Villanova has a better Chance than Johns to beat Georgetown because of their Villanova can play a slow Villanova had two hard games with Georgetown 5250 and 5750 and in both games they can we had led by seniors de Dwayne Mcclain and Gary my lain who made a pact As freshmen to reach the final four during their career pulled the shocker of the tournament by knocking off 2 the big ten in the second Memphis is led by 6foot 10 Al America Keith 70 William Bedford and guard Andre whose Las second shots beat Alabama birding Ham and Boston College in the Mcaa
