Magic on Michael: "The most incredible athlete I've ever seen"

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) Calling Michael Jordan "the most incredible athlete I've ever seen," Magic Johnson said Wednesday that Jordan's retirement is a blow to pro basketball in the wake of the labor lockout.

"He's an icon, a one-man show. It's going to be a devastating loss. It's a loss for basketball, but for kids, too" in terms of not being able to see a superb role model in action, Johnson said.

Johnson was the dominant player of the 1980s with five NBA championship Los Angeles Laker teams, before Jordan's Chicago Bulls and their six NBA titles in the 1990s.

"He's won one more championship than I did. He'll be rubbing it in my face for eternity," Johnson laughed as he talked with reporters outside the offices of Magic Johnson Enterprises.

Johnson, a part-owner of the Lakers, thinks the era of a superstar dominating the league ends with Jordan.

"I don't think one person can carry the baton and lead the league, it'll have to be the teams. ... The Lakers have to become the team they are supposed to be. Indiana and New York are going to have to come up," Johnson said.

"Just like when the Lakers dominated, and the Celtics dominated, we have to turn to somebody else."

Basketball needs to develop new role models as well, Johnson said.

"We have to continue to be the good guys until the young guys break through. Maybe it will be Kobe Bryant or Shaquille O'Neal or Grant Hill."

He said he planned to phone Jordan Wednesday night or Thursday to talk, and hopes to have some pickup games. Both were part of the U.S. "Dream Team" in the 1992 Olympics at Barcelona.

However, Johnson's not about to talk himself into 1-on-1 action against Jordan.

"That's his game. If we played 10 times he'd win 10 times. My game was leadership, and passing. He can't match my passes. But I can't score 60 points. I can't compete against him dunking.

"I was hoping he would stay just one more year to help these young NBA players learn how to be a true professional," Johnson added.

"The NBA has to have a great year, 50 games," Johnson said, to regain fans and respect in recovering from the labor dispute that will keep the league idle until next month.

"We can't have any incidents, players getting into trouble. ... I feel sad because we won't be able to watch the superstar and the best player anymore. It's really disappointing because of the lockout. But I'm happy for him because he found peace with himself, and will have more time with his wife and kids."