- Cookie made it quite plain that if he didn’t comply, she would have filed for divorce.
- Magic debated his choice for four years before announcing his comeback.
- Johnson was inspired to return to the NBA by his involvement in the 1992 Olympics.
The money was merely the icing on the cake. Cookie made it quite plain that if he didn’t comply, she would have filed for divorce.
In 1995, Magic Johnson had to make the difficult decision to come out of retirement.
Without a doubt, his love for the sport was enough to compel him to return to the court.
But that summer, he also had to consider his family, family dynamics, and his physical and mental health.
Magic debated his choice for four years before announcing his comeback.
He had to acquire his wife Cookie Johnson’s agreement before telling Dr. Jerry Buss that he would be putting on the purple and gold armor once more when he finally decided it was time to try again.
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Cookie received more than $1 million from Magic.
According to a 1992 Los Angeles Times article, Cookie agreed to Magic’s comeback on the understanding that he would only play for one season or else she would be divorced.
Magic complied with his wife’s request and acknowledged that in order to actually win her approval.
He had to pay her more than $1 million in bribes.
Johnson recalled, “Cookie always promised me I was coming back: ‘No way you’re working out three times a day, and you’re not going back, you can’t tell me.’ I said you haven’t given me your OK yet. So I bribed her. I paid her a million dollars.’ That’s it, one (season), and get out. Or she’ll leave me.”
In the same story, Cookie Johnson stated, “It was much more than that.”
Johnson kept his promise and only played for a year after coming out of retirement.
Magic averaged 14.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 6.9 assists even though he was no longer at the top of his game.
This is not bad for a 36-year-old who didn’t play for four years.
The 1995 Lakers were only advanced as far as the first round of the playoffs before being eliminated by the Houston Rockets, who also forced Magic Johnson back into retirement.
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The season before Magic returned to the court
Johnson bitterly missed the game in the first four months after announcing his retirement and vowed to make every effort to return.
He started organizing his comeback as soon as he realized his health wouldn’t deteriorate further and coordinated with his doctor to choose the ideal moment for his arrival.
Months later that same year, Johnson’s ambition to play basketball again altered as he decided to enjoy retirement and moved his attention to buying a basketball franchise.
Johnson was inspired to return to the NBA by his involvement in the 1992 Olympics.
He became aware of how much he missed playing the game and the reasons he had been trying to come out of retirement during his time with the Dream Team.
Johnson had one final dance with the Lakers and finally put on the purple and gold jersey two years later.
