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06-05-2002, 06:00 PM
Magic Johnson, who set the standard for point guards with his all-around brilliance, and Larry Brown were elected Wednesday into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
Others inductees announced Wednesday were Arizona coach Lute Olson; late New Jersey Nets star Drazen Petrovic; North Carolina State women's basketball coach Kay Yow and the Harlem Globetrotters.
The inductees were introduced at a downtown hotel less than a mile from where the Lakers and Nets were scheduled to play Game 1 of the NBA Finals later in the day.
It was the first time that the Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Mass., has introduced its new members on the West Coast.
Johnson was 20 when he joined the Los Angeles Lakers in 1979 after two years at Michigan State. He led them to five NBA championships in the 1980s as the orchestrator of "Showtime."
One memorable performance helped the Lakers win the sixth and last game of the NBA Finals at Philadelphia in the spring of 1980. Johnson filled in for the injured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at center and had 42 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists to lead the Lakers past the 76ers.
The 61-year-old Brown has won more than 1,200 games in 30 seasons, including with the ABA and college. He won an NCAA title at Kansas in 1988, and led the Philadelphia 76ers to the NBA Finals last season after winning coach of the year honors for the first time in his NBA career.
A consummate teacher who preaches defense, Brown has posted winning records in 26 of his 30 seasons. His record in the NBA is 831-651. He was 229-107 in the ABA, and 177-61 in college. The Sixers are 207-171 under Brown, and have been to the playoffs four straight years after a seven-year absence.
Over the past two seasons, Brown has hinted at retirement several times. But after the Sixers were eliminated by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs, he said he plans to return next season.
Johnson retired abruptly in November 1991 after learning he had tested positive for the virus that causes AIDS, but played in the NBA All-Star Game that winter and excelled.
A comeback the following season fizzled after several players expressed discomfort because Johnson was HIV positive, and he went on to other things.
But Johnson returned again to play the last half of the 1995-96 season with the Lakers before calling it quits.
Since then, the 42-year-old Johnson has been involved in several business ventures as well as serving as an executive with the Lakers, who are attempting to become only the fifth team in NBA history to win as many as three straight championships.
Others inductees announced Wednesday were Arizona coach Lute Olson; late New Jersey Nets star Drazen Petrovic; North Carolina State women's basketball coach Kay Yow and the Harlem Globetrotters.
The inductees were introduced at a downtown hotel less than a mile from where the Lakers and Nets were scheduled to play Game 1 of the NBA Finals later in the day.
It was the first time that the Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Mass., has introduced its new members on the West Coast.
Johnson was 20 when he joined the Los Angeles Lakers in 1979 after two years at Michigan State. He led them to five NBA championships in the 1980s as the orchestrator of "Showtime."
One memorable performance helped the Lakers win the sixth and last game of the NBA Finals at Philadelphia in the spring of 1980. Johnson filled in for the injured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at center and had 42 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists to lead the Lakers past the 76ers.
The 61-year-old Brown has won more than 1,200 games in 30 seasons, including with the ABA and college. He won an NCAA title at Kansas in 1988, and led the Philadelphia 76ers to the NBA Finals last season after winning coach of the year honors for the first time in his NBA career.
A consummate teacher who preaches defense, Brown has posted winning records in 26 of his 30 seasons. His record in the NBA is 831-651. He was 229-107 in the ABA, and 177-61 in college. The Sixers are 207-171 under Brown, and have been to the playoffs four straight years after a seven-year absence.
Over the past two seasons, Brown has hinted at retirement several times. But after the Sixers were eliminated by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs, he said he plans to return next season.
Johnson retired abruptly in November 1991 after learning he had tested positive for the virus that causes AIDS, but played in the NBA All-Star Game that winter and excelled.
A comeback the following season fizzled after several players expressed discomfort because Johnson was HIV positive, and he went on to other things.
But Johnson returned again to play the last half of the 1995-96 season with the Lakers before calling it quits.
Since then, the 42-year-old Johnson has been involved in several business ventures as well as serving as an executive with the Lakers, who are attempting to become only the fifth team in NBA history to win as many as three straight championships.