It’s a Princely Night for Magic in Monte Carlo : Basketball: He is the favorite of the fans--including those in the royal box--as the U.S. easily beats France.

Relaxed to a state bordering on unconscious after two days of gaming on the Riviera, the U.S. men’s Olympic basketball team returned to competition, albeit slowly.

The United States got off to its slowest start, but recovered and beat France, 111-71, in an exhibition before a sellout crowd of 2,500 in the airless Stade Louis XV on Tuesday night.

The night turned into a love-in for Magic Johnson, with the crowd chanting “Mah-ZHEEK! Mah-ZHEEK!” after two flashy passes for layups, then chanting for him again late in the game when he was on the bench.

Johnson was then invited to the royal box, where he was greeted by Prince Rainier and his son, Prince Albert, a two-time Olympian in bobsledding.

“The younger one gave me a soul shake,” Johnson said, laughing.

“It was all beautiful. You know what I loved? That they appreciated the game I play. Sometimes you don’t find that, being the passer. It’s just super to be out for a year and still be one of their favorites. I guess this was my night tonight.”

France was eliminated from the European qualifying tournament during a preliminary round.

But the U.S. team started slowly, and France took an 8-2 lead.

After nine minutes, the United States led by only 17-16. But the Americans finished the first half with a 40-13 burst.

Larry Bird, who played in only two of the six games of the Tournament of the Americas because of back pain, started Tuesday and played 16 minutes, but looked stiff. He committed three turnovers in the first four minutes.

“We showed the effects of two weeks off,” Coach Chuck Daly said. “We were not sharp. We made the game a little too complicated. When we make it easy, we’re beautiful to watch.”

The end of the game turned into a party, with fans swarming the floor while French players posed for pictures with the U.S. players. “To be on the court with these guys is like a privilege,” said France’s Hugues Occansey. “It’s fabulous.”