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).