European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 14, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 22 c the stars and stripes thursday november 14,1991johnson s 1st reaction it s Over wants to play in olympics according to is Story new York up magic Johnson remembers thinking a a it Sall Over a after being told he had the aids virus. Johnson who retired from the los Angeles lakers last week after testing positive for his wrote about his experience in a first person sports illustrated Story that hit the Newsstands wednesday. Johnson now vacationing in Hawaii wrote the article in conjunction with Roy Johnson no relations sports illustrated writer and author of the basketball stars biography. Among other Points magic Johnson makes in the Story a his biggest fear was that his pregnant wife was infected. She tested negative. A he denied rumours he is Gay insisting he became infected after not using a condom and having sex with a woman. A he still wants to play in the 1992 olympics. Johnson said he Learned he had the virus after or. Michael Mellman the lakers team physician called him in Salt Lake City and asked him to come Home to los Angeles immediately. When Johnson saw his doctor Mellman told him a a you re his positive. You have the aids a suddenly i Felt sick a Johnson writes. A i was numb. In Shock. And yes i was he said his first thought was about his wife of two months cookie who was seven weeks pregnant. A my biggest fear was that she and the baby were also infected a he wrote. A that would have been More devastating to me than anything i might have to go through in fighting aids the disease with no known cure. As for myself i had Only one other thought its All now Johnson says he is More optimistic even claiming he will beat the disease that has no cure. Johnson admits he was ignorant about the disease at first Johnson said rumours that he was homosexual began during the 1988 Aba finals when he and Detroit pistons guard Isiah Thomas kissed each other on the Cheek before each game. A by now i m sure that most of America has heard rumours that i am Gay a he said. Quot Well you can forget that. I have never had a homosexual encounter. Never. A i am certain that i was infected by having unprotected sex with a woman who has the virus. The problem is that i can to pinpoint the time the place or the woman. Its a matter of numbers. Before Larry Bird and Michael Jordan former coach pay Riley and talk show Host arse Nio Hall. A Larry cried a he wrote. A so did arse Nio. Isiah just did no to want to believe it. Pat and Michael listened in stunned Johnson tried to keep an upbeat tone throughout the article even predicting he would beat aids. A we knew that i would probably contract aids within 10 years a he wrote. A a. I also said i was going to beat the disease. And i Johnson was one of 10 players selected i was married i truly lived the bachelors in september to represent the . Bas life. In a no Wilt Chamberlain but As i netball team at the summer olympics. At travelled around Aba cities i was never at a loss for female companionship. A i confess after i arrived in . In 1979, i did my Best to accommodate As thinking it Only affected a Gays and drug Many women As i could a most of them users. Not for someone like through unprotected he also relates a i did no to know the difference Between the virus and the disease. While my ears heard his positive my mind heard Johnson wrote that he cried while telling his teammates before making his Public announcement. First he called five of his closest friends a Aba rivals Thomas olympics. His news conference last week Mellman said Johnson would not play any More basketball. A a done to count me out for the �?T92 olympics in july a Johnson said. A if in a healthy i might very Well be on the floor or the opening tap in Barcelona. In be won every major award there is. But i done to have an olympic Gold medal. I want it. God willing ill get made mistakes but he also impressed by Bill Barnard a basketball writer new York a anyone who saw Kenny Anderson play in his Hometown for the first time in a new Jersey nets uniform could see he has a Bright Aba future. Anyone who saw Patrick Ewing Block Andersons shot with 1 33 to go could see its not always going to be easy even for one of the leagues most exciting players. A Kenny Anderson had some Bright moments but he also had some faults a coach Bill Fitch said after the nets 98-96 loss to the kicks at Madison Square Garden on tuesday night. A when you re behind you need to create things. Kenny does that for us. He a going to be a great Anderson despite being signed by the nets just four Days before was in the Middle of rallying his team in the fourth Quarter scoring nine of his 15 Points. But one of his mistakes came with the nets trailing 96-93 with 1 33 left when Anderson was open coming off a screen and challenged Ewing who blocked the Layup attempt. A i was foolish to take the Ball to the Basket a said Anderson who also had six rebounds and five assists. �?o1 should have pulled up. 1 had an open shot off the following the Block Ewing started up court then turned briefly to glance at Anderson sprawled on the floor. A the looked at me but he did no to say anything a Anderson said. A a in a sure he was saying to himself a Welcome to the Aba Fitch complained loudly last week when the nets waived both Jud Buechter and Dave Feitl to make room for Anderson under the salary Cap. He also was upset when Anderson missed training Camp and the first week of the regular season. A i never questioned How Good Kenny is i just questioned How much better he would be if he had been around for 30 More Days a Fitch said. A the will be even better when the other Guys around him get Fitch said that when Anderson creates opportunities for his teammates a they have to learn to Benefit from what he can do. And he a never played with Guys who have this much skill. A a a in a just trying to get accustomed to my teammates a Anderson said. A this game was the nets against the kicks not me against the kicks. It was just my second Anderson admitted the game was special a because in a Home. I expected a lot. Of pressure out there a and i got it. But i Felt really comfortable. I need to work on some things but Overall in a a file Kenny Anderson impressed in Aba debut like he did As Star at Georgia tech last , courier Advance in at tourney Frankfurt Germany a Andre Agassi tamed Boris Becker s serve with hard returns and began defense of his at tour world championship title tuesday night with a 6-3, 7-5 Victory. Earlier top seeded Jim courier came from behind to beat Karel Novacek 6-7 8-67-5,6-4. Also Ivan Lendl making his 12th straight appearance in the year end event routed Guy forget 6-2,6-4 in 73 minutes. Agassi never dropped his serve and broke Becker once in each set to Post his fifth straight Victory Over the German. Becker was forced to stay at the Baseline much More than he usually prefers. He was pinned Back by Agassi a passing shots. The year ending $2.25 million tournament pits the top ranked eight players in the world. They Are split into two groups with the top two from each group advancing to the semifinals. Courier broke Novacek in the third game of the third set and that proved to be the decisive Point of the match. Novacek was a late replacement for the injured Stefan Edberg the top ranked player in the world but came close to upsetting the american. Courier no. 2 in the world was a break Down in each of the first two sets and had to Battle hard for More than 2vi hours to outlast the czechoslovak. The american dropped his serve at love in the third game but broke Back in the next game. He saved one set Point in the tiebreak but lost the set when he sent a lob Long and then could not return a service Winner by Novacek. Courier gained the decisive Edge in the 11th game of the second set. A Fine forehand Down the line and two errors by Novacek allowed courier to break his rivals serve and take a 6-5 Lead. He served out the set despite a double fault. After breaking Novacek at love in the third game of the third set courier was never in trouble again. Lendl a five time Winner of the event formerly known As the masters demolished forget with a powerful All court game. Forget is ranked sixth in the world one spot below Lendl
