THE NBA / MARK HEISLER : He Didn’t Get a Fond Farewell, but He Got to Us

He never got the rocking chair.

Nor the grandfather clock.

Nor the collage of his old uniforms back to Lansing Everett High, nor the fishing rod, nor the collected works of Hammer.

This wasn’t how Magic Johnson was supposed to leave. He was supposed to get the 26-city farewell tour, the speeches, the grand finale in the Forum, where his teammates would present him a Rolls-Royce or a Lear jet.

But this is Earvin Johnson Jr. we are talking about, and his entire life has been special.

There was never an NBA entrance to compare to his, nor will there ever be an exit.

His farewell--impromptu, numbing, inspiring--surpasses any of the remarkable deeds of his career: his 42 points as a rookie guard-turned-center in the 1980 NBA finals or the “junior, junior sky hook” in Boston Garden that turned the finals in 1987.

Already, fans are asking, “What about the Lakers?” Before we take up the issue, remember one overriding thing: What Earvin Johnson did, acknowledging publicly an embarrassing fact most men would shrink from, might save one life. That counts for more than 20 million fans’ thrills.

What about the Lakers?

Short answer: They have big trouble.

Earvin Johnson, Buck to his teammates, is irreplaceable in their hearts, irreplaceable on the court, irreplaceable in the locker room. As far as Laker basketball fortunes are concerned, he leaves behind a huge void.

Even when you get past that incredible balancing act he did each game--getting his teammates shots right away to establish their confidence, stepping in to score if things unraveled, taking over late in the game--there remains the force of his dominating personality and indomitable will.

It was no coincidence that the Lakers dominated the fourth quarter for 12 years. It flowed from Earvin Johnson, who knew he was going to win.

The remaining Lakers are a skilled troupe, but uniformly low-key men.

Johnson’s game complemented theirs, but they nevertheless were built around him. Their personalities dovetailed with his. Basically, he led, instructed, set goals, handled the press, went into agony at defeat, led the parade in victory.

The age of giants Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is over. For the first time in 16 years, the Lakers are pretty much like everybody else.

“You don’t replace an Earvin Johnson,” General Manager Jerry West said. “You don’t replace an Abdul-Jabbar.

“This is a terrible, terrible blow to our team. From a playing standpoint, we lost a great player, but it’s the other things you can’t replace: the ability to lead, the courage, the charisma--most important from my perspective, a great friend.

“I think somewhere out there, there’s a young little kid who’ll be as great as Magic Johnson as a player. But he won’t be as great as a leader.”

West finds himself in the netherworld of choices. The Lakers are no longer an elite team. Nor is rebuilding an easy path. All the talk of trading James Worthy to Charlotte for the No. 1 draft choice last season was ridiculous. Teams don’t trade 21-year-old blue-chip picks for 30-somethings, however talented.

West will get back half of Johnson’s salary under the cap--about $1.4 million.

OK, who’s available? Rod Strickland? Sherman Douglas? They couldn’t fill Johnson’s shoes in tandem.

Nothing personal, but no one else could either. Even the thought of an Olympic team with the distinguished John Stockton in Johnson’s place seems disheartening.

Bear up, Laker fans. You had the best. Nothing is forever.

Remember that Magical smile. Let it be your umbrella in the storms to come.

Hopefully, it won’t be long before Earvin Johnson receives the mother of farewells. It is appropriate that it be at the Forum, but they could sell out the Coliseum five times over for it.

On that day, uniform No. 32 will go up on the wall with a cheer to last the ages. It will be our way of saying: “Thanks for coming. Thanks for the sheer pleasure of watching you. Most of all, thanks for being a stand-up guy all the way and reminding us what it is to be a man. May God be with you, as we will always.”