"I wanted to say something and hit him at the same time" - Magic Johnson looks back on the awkward 1998 Howard Stern interview
Magic Johnson once tried his hand at hosting back in 1998 with the short-lived late-night talk show "The Magic Hour." It was canceled after just eight weeks on the air, but not before it produced one of the most awkward interviews ever when Howard Stern appeared as a guest.
The radio host was a critic of "The Magic Hour" at the time and was invited to boost ratings. However, Stern made some racist remarks and commented on Johnson's HIV diagnosis. Below are a few of the things Stern told Magic on the late-night show, as per Selome Hailu of Variety.
"The thing you need to work on, in my estimation, is that you’ve gotta stop trying to talk like the white man," said Stern.
“I'm Blacker than you are, trust me. I'm the Blackest Black man you'll ever meet. And I'm telling you right now, when I lived in Roosevelt, Long Island, which is a Black ghetto," he added.
"You had the life I wanted. These were white chicks? Black chicks? What do we got? What did you prefer? You would have sex with everybody? At least you had fun getting AIDS," Stern finished.
In a separate interview with Variety, Magic Johnson revealed that he wanted to talk back to Howard Stern at the time and even punch him in the face. Johnson also said that he has not spoken to the long-time radio personality since the incident happened.
"I wanted to say something and hit him at the same time - on air. I was mad when they booked him, but there's nothing you can do. When people look for ratings, this is what happens. I've never put myself or HIV and AIDS, or my race in that position again, ever again," Johnson said.
for the cover of @variety, @RaminSetoodeh and i interviewed @MagicJohnson about changing the history of basketball, of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and of his own family and heart. variety.com/2022/tv/featur… https://t.co/RLRFC38na5
Fast forward to 2022, Stern still has a radio show broadcasted on Sirius XM. Meanwhile, Johnson became a basketball analyst for some time in the early 2000s before focusing on his business ventures. He's now among the richest basketball players in the world with an estimated net worth of around $620 million.
Magic Johnson's documentary set to air later this month
Magic Johnson is one of the greatest players in the history of the NBA. Johnson was a vital figure who helped save the NBA in the 1980s. Now, Magic is following the footsteps of Michael Jordan in releasing a documentary for the world to see.
"They Call Me Magic" is a four-part documentary that tells the story of Magic's life and career from his time at Michigan State to his career with the LA Lakers. The documentary will also tackle his personal life, which included his HIV diagnosis back in 1991.
The documentary will premiere on April 22nd at Apple TV+. In addition to Magic, several NBA legends such as Larry Bird, Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal are expected to appear. Celebrities like Snoop Dogg and LL Cool J are also featured in the documentary, as well as former US President Barack Obama.