At the tumultuous tail end of his career, Magic Johnson ended things on his own terms. However, after years without any basketball action, Johnson desperately yearned to play and finally decided to give his NBA career one last chance. Consequently, amid an evolving awareness regarding HIV and AIDS around the country and among fans, Johnson received the opportunity to return to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1995-96 season.

Interestingly, despite all the missed time, the grueling NBA schedule did not affect Johnson gravely. However, his family suffered a great deal. Cookie Johnson corroborated the hectic details while her husband was under the spotlight again.

Magic Johnson returning to the NBA was not easy for his family

Magic Johnson’s passion and love for the game didn’t stop him from occasionally suiting up for the hardwood in his retirement. All the stars aligned for the Hall of Famer when HIV awareness took center stage and he was no longer an outcast for the league and its members. The 5x NBA champion finally suited up for the Lakers one last time in 1996. However, his joy on the court came on the back of significant sacrifices from his wife and family.?

Magic’s wife, Cookie Johnson, was not the biggest fan of his plans to return to the NBA. She issued major pushback against his plans. However, Johnson seemingly disregarded most of Mrs. Johnson’s concerns and went through with his plans. Consequently, in an interview with the New York Times in 1996, Mrs. Johnson harped on her mixed feelings about her husband’s return to the NBA. Moreover, she also shed light on her difficulties with her husband on the road again.

She said,?“I try to go to all the home games, but the road, it’s not practical for me, We have children, the children are in school, when do you have time to go? I’m not going to leave my children, and I’m not going to drag them across the country. What’s happening now — this is something I have to get used to.” But she held her own because she wanted Johnson to play on the hardwood one last time after all those harrowing years. Likewise, down the line, the former Finals MVP gave her the due credit.

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Magic Johnson had quite a career in the NBA as a player. Many fans regard him as the greatest point guard in league history despite a shortened career. But after contracting HIV, he was no longer the golden boy of Hollywood.

After an abrupt retirement in 1991 due to the heightened stigma, Johnson seemingly walked off into the sunset only to return again years later. However, after his one last hurrah in 1996, Johnson walked away from the game as a player for good. But he remained active as an executive on the Lakers’ top brass.

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