The Post’s Steve Serby chatted with the legendary Lakers guard about Tiger Woods, Michael Jackson, life after basketball and much more.
Q: Advice for Tiger Woods?
A: He’s gotta come out and have a press conference and get it over with. These things always blow over, but it’s never gonna blow over if he doesn’t say anything. He has to build that image back up by getting out there and playing and doing all his charity work, and he will. I like Tiger a lot. I know he made some mistakes. He’s a pro’s pro. He’s a champion. He’ll be back.
Q: Your reaction when the Tim Donaghy scandal broke?
A: Disbelief. I think I’m still in disbelief. One good thing about Commissioner Stern, I knew he’d clean it up and get to the bottom of it.
Q: You’re convinced he was a rogue official?
A: Oh, yeah. You’re talking about the integrity of the game. I’m just happy we’re cleaning stuff like this up. And also, there’s tougher security.
Q: Announcing you had HIV (November 1991)?
A: It was a tough moment. You were scared as to how the public was gonna view you, I think.
Q: How have you defeated it?
A: I couldn’t do it without having (wife Cookie’s) support. And (the late) Elizabeth Glaser told me I was gonna live a long time. She told me, “This disease needs a face, and you should be the face of this disease.” Dr. (David) Ho really helped me, and I owe everything to him. He’s been my doctor ever since.
Q: The 1979 NCAA Championship game, you and Michigan State against Larry Bird and Indiana State?
A: Just how big the moment was . . . Larry Bird, 33-0 . . . and how we just stopped the country. The country stopped!
Q: Your book (with Bird), “When The Game Was Ours.”
A: It’s an easy read, and then there are two guys who are similar — one being black, one being white. But they played the game the same way — wanting to only win, and make their teammates better. They really, really loved basketball.
Q: How did you two become friends?
A: It was at a (Converse) commercial shoot (1986) at his house in French Lick, Ind., of all places. We had really never said more than two words to each other. During a break in the commercial, we went up to his house and his mother had prepared lunch for us, and that sorta broke the ice.
Q: You and Isiah Thomas and your eventual wives used to vacation together.
A: The thing that started to sour our relationship was when we met back-to-back for the championship in ’88 and the following year. And so the relationship now, we sorta don’t have a relationship, even though when the Knicks job came up — I had to turn it down — I recommended to Steve Mills to hire Isiah. Even now, even though we’re not friends like we used to be, I still cheer for him.
Q: Why did you turn down the Knicks?
A: I had to give up all my businesses in a week.
Q: Would you want to be a head coach again?
A: No. . . . I’ll just be a president of a team, and eventually I’ll do that. I’m having so much fun in my business world (Magic Johnson Enterprises) making a difference in urban America. Ebony magazine announced that I was the No. 1 African-American businessman in the country, and what I’ve always wanted is to grow my businesses and really be respected in the business world.
Q: Pat Riley’s best motivational ploy?
A: He used to use Larry Bird and Michael Jordan against me. He’d stand against the board while writing the game plan talking to (assistant coach) Bill Bertka: “Bill, did you see what Michael Jordan did earlier tonight? 50 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists. What a game!” Five minutes later, he’d say, “Wow! Larry Bird had like 35 tonight, 15 rebounds, 10 assists. What a triple-double!” I would go out there and go crazy. It worked every single time.
Q: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar?
A: The smartest athlete I’ve ever met in my whole life.
Q: A Kareem anecdote?
A: I think it’s really the first game against the San Diego Clippers in San Diego. We were down one with three seconds to go. Kareem shoots a sky hook from the free-throw line to win the game. I go running all the way from the other end of the court, jump in the air, I hugged him for all of a minute, wouldn’t let him go. He gets me in the locker room: “Kid, come here. We have 81 more games. Don’t ever do that again.” I turned to him and said: “Kareem, if you hit a shot like that 81 more times, I’ll be jumping all over you 81 more times!” He looked at me like, “Wow!” Nobody ever came back at Kareem. As the season went along, he started high-fiving and enjoying himself. My passion and love for the game was real, and he got into it.
Q: Turning 50 (Aug. 14)?
A: It was cool. The only disappointment was that I had planned a big party in Monte Carlo, and because of the economy, I had to cancel it . . . or delay it. Hopefully when the economy comes back.
Q: Your comeback in ’95-96?
A: Loved every moment of it. I wanted my career to end the way I wanted it to end. I thank Commissioner Stern for allowing it to happen, to be back on the court one more time.
Q: Players you would pay to watch, then and now?
A: Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, LeBron and Kobe.
Q: All-Magic Johnson Team?
A: Jordan; Bird; Kareem; Russell; the Big O (Oscar Robertson). My favorite team to watch was the (1969-70) Knicks.
Q: The ’92 Dream Team?
A: Best basketball experience I’ve ever had in my life.
Q: Boyhood idol?
A: Oscar Robertson.
Q: Biggest influences growing up?
A: My father, because he gave me the work ethic I had as a basketball player and now as a businessman, and my mother, who gave me my smile and my willingness to give back and help people.
Q: Three dinner guests?
A: Nelson Mandela; President Obama; President Clinton.
Q: Favorite movie?
A: “The Godfather.”
Q: Favorite actor?
A: De Niro; Sidney Poitier.
Q: Favorite entertainer?
A: Michael Jackson.
Q: You knew him?
A: I had bought my tickets, booked my hotel, I was ready to go to London, I wanted to see him one more time. . . . I think the world is mourning. It’s a shame Michael is not alive to see the response of the world. He was an amazing guy. And a funny guy. He loved firecrackers, water balloon fights and all of that. He loved sports — basketball as a matter of fact. I just thank God I was able to hang out with him.
Q: Favorite meal?
A: Risotto . . . pasta . . . anything Italian.