Magic <i> Is</i> Magic When He’s Hosting

There’s an almost diplomatic or presidential feeling to any reception Magic Johnson hosts.

Take the one his Magic Johnson Foundation had Tuesday in the Creative Artists Agency lobby to introduce 12 Olympic athletes--most of whom are from Los Angeles--to the entertainment community.

Although there were major stars (Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Tom Selleck) and it was a fund-raiser (more than $70,000 was received), it didn’t seem to be about money or stars. It was more about being around Magic.

“People just want to be in his glow” is the way Dr. Stewart Gleischman described it.

Magic, who stood out in an aqua suit, worked his way around the room in a quiet manner that’s been refined to an art by British royalty.

He comes to you. There are a few relaxed words with each group of guests.

A discussion of Olympic basketball (“When we wanted to turn it on, we turned it on.”) with a group of record industry execs beneath the 20-foot ficus tree in CAA’s four-story lobby. Or bad restaurants in Barcelona (“. . . after that, we stuck with seafood.”) with a small knot of attorneys.

“I saw you in the stands,” he said to Quincy Jones, who was in Barcelona.

“It was like the Beatles,” replied Jones about the Dream Team.

It’s like this throughout the evening. Signing autographs, remembering names, waiting patiently while an Olympic athlete’s sister figures out how to take a picture with an auto-focus camera.

Lots of “Everything cool?” and handshakes--sometimes reaching over the head of a shorter guest. It’s all done very smoothly, almost elegantly.

“There are very few people who can transcend their sport,” observed Kings owner Bruce McNall. “That’s why Magic is a great ambassador, not only for sports but for everything he touches.”

Of course, what he’s working on now is increasing AIDS awareness and raising funds for research.

The money from the reception will go to Elizabeth Glaser’s Ariel Project for the Prevention of HIV Transmission From Mother to Infant.

And although $70,000 is a nice take, Magic is aiming for much, much more.

“These are the people you want to associate with when you’re talking about raising large sums of money,” said Johnson. “These are major players.”

They certainly were. The 275 guests included: Sony Pictures Chairman Peter Guber; producers Larry Gordon, George Schlatter and Frank Kennedy; Ticketmaster Chairman Fred Rosen; director Sidney Pollack; Christian Slater, Steven Seagal, Richard Perry, Tony Thomopoulos and Mike Ovitz, chairman of CAA, the evening’s underwriter.

The dozen Olympians they met were gymnasts Michelle Campi, Trent Dimas, Betty Okino and Kim Zmeskal; swimmers Janet Evans and Pablo Morales; boxers Pepe Reilly and Oscar De La Hoya (who wanted to meet “the guy from ‘Three Men and a Lady.’ I’m nervous. I can’t remember his name.”); water polo player Doug Kimbell (the only person in the room taller than Magic); decathlon bronze medalist Dave Johnson; runner Suzy Hamilton, and volleyball player Steve Timmons.

Timmons asked Selleck, his team’s honorary captain, why he didn’t shave his head.

“If it would have gotten me to Barcelona,” said Selleck, “I would have.”