Asked about a possible resumption of the NBA season behind closed doors, Magic Johnson was not as worried as he had imagined. And for good reason: one of the biggest games he played was played in Monaco, in 1992, in an empty gymnasium.
Would a resumption of the NBA behind closed doors, in front of empty stands, be bad news? For the organizers, for the enthusiasts, perhaps. But for the players, not necessarily, according to Magic Johnson. Asked about it, the former Los Angeles Lakers star explained that actors are capable of shining even without the fans behind them.
Less atmosphere, but not necessarily less spectacle
“When you play for something, as soon as you go past the first few minutes, you don’t know the difference (with full stands) because your competitor fluid comes into action. (If the NBA resumes behind closed doors) They’re going to play the game they love and they’re going to play it 150% like they do with the fans in the stands,” the five-time leader said, according to reports by the Los Angeles Times.
Before making a small clarification: “The only thing that players won’t have is that extra energy when they do a big action or they’ll be on a 12-0. There will be no one to push them to another level. While the crowd can push you to another level. Lakers fans, for example, are among the best fans in the NBA when they start screaming and screaming. They help you if you’re down. So the players will miss it, but that doesn’t mean they won’t perform because the fans won’t be there.”
Jordan’s incredible private show
While he never had to play an NBA game behind closed doors, Magic Johnson played in the “biggest game anyone has ever seen” in July 1992. In preparation for the Olympic Games that summer, the legendary Dream Team had set foot in Monaco, and the American superstars had clashed in a training match, without any spectators. This, according to the participants, had not prevented them from producing something incredible. “It’s the biggest game I’ve ever played,” Michael Jordan said in 2012. You had ten (future) Hall of Fame members facing each other.”
A historic moment that Magic has not forgotten. “I told Michael, “You better turn into Air Jordan, or we’re going to blow ourselves up,” he recalls. The next five minutes, this man did such a show that we all had our mouths open. I’ve never seen anyone play like that.”
This reinforces the former point guard’s idea that in camera is not inevitable in the NBA. “The players play non-stop in training without fans,” he continues. They play in the summer without fans. We are already used to playing without fans. We’ve done it all our lives.” He also believes that the substitutes will have a major role to play: “The guys sitting on the bench will have to jump, scream and scream to give them strength, and they will. These guys are going to be bigger than they’ve ever been if there’s no audience.”
