
CONTENTS
Magic
16
I'LL DEAL WITH IT
HIV has forced me to retire from the Lakers, but I'll still enjoy life even while I speak out about safe sex
BY MAGIC JOHNSON with Roy S. Johnson
28
UNFORGETTABLE
Magic Johnson, the basketball player nonpareil, was an outsized paragon of style and grace on the court
BY JACK McCALLUM
40
DANGEROUS GAMES
In the age of AIDS, many pro athletes remain sexually promiscuous despite increasing peril
BY E.M. SWIFT
44 LIKE ONE OF THE FAMILY
Magic's shocking announcement was, for many people, the first time the AIDS epidemic really hit home
BY LEIGH MONTVILLE
46 FOR KIDS ONLY
A special feature that is designed to try to help younger readers understand the unsettling news regarding Magic
BY THE EDITORS OF SI FOR KIDS
92
SUPER D IN THE DOME
The San Francisco 49ers found out how ugly a team can look against the New Orleans Saints" fierce defense
BY PAUL ZIMMERMAN
114
1-900-RIPOFFS
The ads for services that offer sure-thing betting advice re tempting. A tip: Don't touch the phone
BY RICK REILLY
DEPARTMENTS
6
LETTERS
11
SCORECARD
98
PRO FOOTBALL
102
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
128
FOR THE RECORD
130
POINT AFTER
COVER PHOTOGRAPH BY PETER READ MILLER
PHOTO
JOHN W. MCDONOUGH
That Magic Touch: Magic Johnson was such a consummate artist on the court that he could even lend a Michelangelesque aura to the proceedings, as he did in sharing this "high one" with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (wristband) three seasons ago (page 16).