Return of the Champions. Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson

In the history of the sport has been a lot of big returns. Today, we remember some of them. Age of Magic Johnson led the NBA in the non-existence of a television leading sports league in the world. The era of Michael Jordan, who came to replace it, was the highest point in the history of basketball. So we think. And so it probably is.
However, the net change from one era to another is actually not: first, they are superimposed on each other, and secondly, if neither the first time is not over. Both stars were leaving the basketball twice and came back twice. With varying degrees of success. NBA commissioner David Stern, for which next season will be the last, recently recalled that the most emotional moment of his professional career, Magic Johnson was the presentation of the prize to the best player-Star Game in 1992. After earning 25 points, led the Magic "West" to a devastating victory in one of the most high-profile matches in history. In addition to Magic and Jordan were playing Bird, Ewing, Barkley, Thomas, Pippen, Wilkins, Drexler, Robinson, Stockton, Malone and Olajuwon - in general, a flower bed, to be sure. But remember the game is just like seeing Magic. Already told the world that is HIV positive, and missed the entire sezon-1991/92 (he returned for Star Game), a great point guard left not only the NBA, but like a lot of thought and of life. "I hugged him and handed the prize, and I thought that probably hug him one last time" - says Stern voice breaking. About HIV and AIDS then knew much less Magic and many seemed a walking corpse. By the way, later, thanks in part to his attitude towards HIV-infected people in the United States quickly and dramatically changed.

In the summer of 1992, the Magic received an offer to play in the dream team at the Barcelona Olympics, but return to the NBA he could not - frightened colleagues were against it. Moreover, because in those years, AIDS was considered a "gay disease" by the basketball world immediately began to crawl, if the rumors. Later Magic accused of spreading his longtime enemy Ayzeyyu Thomas. Ignorance and fear of society stole four years of Magic basketball - not old, yet one of the greatest in the world.A year later, while Magik, not going to die, undergoing treatment, and retired from basketball, Michael. Nebezboleznenno too: it was affected by the death of his father, who was killed two teenagers in a robbery attempt. Jordan, who had just led undefeated "Chicago" for the third consecutive championship, said that he had lost interest in basketball and decided to take up baseball - a favorite sport of his father. In baseball, Michael played quite a normal, not the least being the team Hitter "Birmingham Berons" - farm club "Chicago White Sox." The fact that his appearance in the "Barons" made for attendance of baseball games in the most American of a provincial glubinok, and say nothing. Imagine for a moment that Messi is retired from football and decided to try his hand as a hockey player in the Volga "ARIADA" ... But BASE patients offended the Puritans, and the cover of Sports Illustrated called on Jordan to stop this buffoonery. In the spring of 1994, while Jordan was waving a bat, basketball back Magic - as a coach, "Lakers." Despite the fact that the NBA was more respected people and that coaching has always been a dream of Johnson, that ended with the collapse of his escapade - five wins and 11 defeats.

Jordan returned towards the end sezona-1994/95 by publishing a press release, which consisted of two words: "I'm back." Tracing this chronology of events, it is easy to guess that the first half of the 1990s was the best time in history to be a basketball fan. The second coming of Michael was even more abruptly the first: three more championship, epic final match, played with the temperature under 40, and it is absolutely, ridiculously invincible "Bulls" that existed in some of his, a separate stratosphere of basketball. Under such a thing again, and Johnson returned - this time as a player. Magic strongly potyazhelel and moved to the position of a powerful striker, but his sleight of hand and playing flair have not gone away. Having played polsezona-1995/96 and generally ruining the "Lake District" forecast, Magic left for the last time. "Right now, I'm leaving on his own terms as opposed to 1992," - he said goodbye. Jordan era ended in 1998. 35-year-old Michael went to the fact that neither has a peak - the best player in the world, the best scorer of the NBA champion and a legend for all time ... precisely because it would be if it had not appeared restless legend in basketball again - three years later, the slow , plump and in the hopeless "Washington." Now this is disgraceful retirement Jordan prefer not to remember, but in vain. In sezone-2001/02 despite a knee injury, Michael was the best scorer of the "Magicians" and was the leader in assists and steals. Not to mention the fact that his entire salary listed in the fund for the families of the victims of September 11. And next season, Jordan was the only player, "Wizards", who played all 82 games, nine times scored more than 30 points and three times - more than 40. In those two seasons, "Magi", unreleased in the playoffs, was second overall attendance (home and away) NBA team.