Magic Got News Oct. 25, Agent Says

For a world hanging on every word, Magic Johnson’s agent says Johnson is well and vacationing with his wife, Cookie, at a secret site.

“He’s just going to stay away until he wants to come back,” Lon Rosen said Sunday.

Rosen says Johnson will begin taking the drug AZT upon his return, adding that doctors have said it isn’t important to start immediately. Although no action was taken until initial results were confirmed, Rosen says Johnson first learned that he had tested positive for HIV after returning alone from the Lakers’ preseason trip to Salt Lake City Oct. 25.

“When he got back from Paris (Oct. 20), he was tired,” Rosen said. “He didn’t feel good. He may have had the flu. It was probably more of a cold than anything else.”

On Oct. 25, Johnson flew to Salt Lake City but returned the same day. He later said he had felt faint.

At about the same time, results of a test Johnson had taken for a life insurance policy came back, showing positive for HIV.

“Sunday (Oct. 27) some more blood was drawn and sent to a lab to be tested,” Rosen said. “Obviously we wanted to make sure the test was what it was . . .

“The good part about it was, this had nothing to do with the HIV virus. He was able to fight it off. One had nothing to do with the other, which made the doctors very happy.

“Obviously, when you get this disease, it’s a problem with the immune system and his immune system was working fine. So he feels absolutely fine. He’s been working out constantly since maybe Oct. 28, running, shooting baskets, lifting weights. And he’s been continuing that. Today he ran. He worked out, and he finally got to shoot some baskets.”

Rosen says Johnson intends to attend Laker practices and games.

“The only thing I know, pretty soon he wants to come back to Laker games,” Rosen said. “He did Arsenio Hall’s show and he left early because he wanted to watch the Lakers (on television from Phoenix). He enjoys it. It isn’t painful for him.

“He wants to be involved in everything. He’s already got a list of players to recommend to (General Manager) Jerry West.”

Said West: “He couldn’t bother me any more than he has the last 12 years.”

Rosen says he has been told by all of Johnson’s corporate partners--Pepsi Cola, Converse, Kentucky Fried Chicken among others--that they intend to maintain their relationships and some say they want to extend them.

“Nobody wavered,” Rosen said. “They all threw in their support: ‘Whatever he needs, he’s got.’ ”