On November 7, 1991, during a midday training session at Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles Lakers head coach Mike Dunllivi gave his players an urgent and sudden order: "They need to go to the Forum in Inglewood, California immediately." He said every player had to be present and "there were no exceptions". That includes a point guard named Setal Threatt, a 30-year-old professional substitute who was traded to the Lakers a month ago. He has spent time with Julius Owen in Philadelphia, with Michael Jordan in Chicago, and with Gary Payton in Seattle. His substitute role gives him a front-row seat to witness a series of legendary players and moments. But, Threatt said of all of these teams, it's a completely different story from Los Angeles, where players flock to the forum. Behind the scenes, earth-shattering news that only a handful of Lakers officials knew — and they've been protecting for about two weeks — began to leak. It was in the forum locker room that their all-around teammate Elvin "Magic" Johnson stood in front of them, who missed the first three games of the season because the team believed to be a serious case of the flu.
Johnson told his teammates he tested positive for HIV and would retire from the NBA at age 32. Tears flowed down. Unbelievable emotions spread to every crevice of the building. Minutes later, Johnson appeared at a press conference to speak with then-NBA President David Stern and address the world at a moment when time seemed to stop. We think it's a death sentence, then-Lakers head coach Garivetti said. "At the snap of a finger, the Showtime era is over." After Johnson's public statement, the Lakers boarded a flight to the desert the next day for a match against the Phoenix Suns. Dunllivi will tell threats that he recently started in Johnson's absence and that he will continue to play the role. There was no pressure, Dun levy told him. Keep playing your game. It started out badly. The threat played 26 minutes and had 3 points, 2 assists and 2 rebounds. The Lakers shot 32 percent from the field and lost 113-85, dropping to 1-3. The next day, Lakers general manager Jerry West announced that the team would not be trying to find a replacement for Johnson. Instead, he said, the Lakers will rely on threats, with the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1983 sixth round draft pick (overall 139th overall) and the only NBA player in West Virginia Tech's history. A player who averaged 8.6 points and 2.9 assists in 544 games, including just 110 starts. This is the player who will replace Magic Johnson. The threat and connection with the Lakers began in Seattle, where he played more than three seasons with the Supersonics, a team that caused trouble for the Lakers in the late 1980s. Johnson had six steals in the 1989 playoffs against the Lakers, threatening to put pressure on Johnson in the backcourt. Known as the "Thief," he has won over admirers from afar, such as Lakers winger Michael Cooper, who is a tough defensive threat who respects threats. I'm very fascinated by him and have played with him for so many years, Cooper said. And so, one day in early October 1991, Threatt's phone rang. Threatt was traded to the Lakers in exchange for three future second-round draft picks, which was West's call to welcome him to the team. Johnson also called to tell him that threatening he would be great in Los Angeles and that he could help avenge the Lakers, who lost to the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Finals four months ago. The threat knew he would play as Johnson's bench, but he was excited. He always wanted to play with the Magic. A month later, everything changed. Cooper said Threatt's role is unimaginable and no one would envy. Threatt not only had to try to replace Johnson, but also to elevate a depressed team. He knew that if the Lakers faltered, West might walk down the stairs, look around, and change lineups. But, at the moment, Trett is thinking more about Johnson and the personal challenges he faces than about himself. His job is simple: play basketball. Honestly, I wasn't stressed at all, Threatt said. Threatt said that since Threatt joined the Lakers, Johnson has made suggestions, but not overbearing. He just wants you to do your best in this situation. After playing their first game in Phoenix on Nov. 8 without Johnson, the Lakers returned to Los Angeles and played against the Timberwolves at a forum on Sunday night. It was supposed to be an electric home opener, but both the team and the city were shrouded in a tragic fog. At that time, letters, flower arrangements and telegrams flocked to the scene. George Bush, Ted Kennedy, Bob Hope, and Oprah Winfrey all sent messages of encouragement. More than 600 faxes arrived at the offices of Johnson's agent, Ron Rosen, in two days. The forums are filled with rehabilitation cards. The league's players wrote Johnson's name on their shoes. During the national anthem, fans held aloft a replica of Johnson's No. 32 Lakers jersey.
The Lakers came out of the tunnel in a standing ovation and forward James Worthy read a letter Johnson sent to an audience of 16,883. Part of it reads: "I want to tell you the most that this is the first day of the rest of our lives." I say this to your fans because we, the Lakers, need your support more than ever. I say this for all my teammates because, from now on, it's time. I said to myself, because it's an important battle — in this battle, you're all my teammates. You will always be yours, Elvin. That night, when the starting list was announced, Threatt heard his name and suddenly felt that something surreal was gone. The Lakers won 96-86, with Trett with 27 points and 14 assists, kicking off a nine-game winning streak. In that game, Threatt had 21 points, six rebounds and six assists in his win over the Golden State Warriors. Against Phoenix, he had 17 points, seven assists and eight rebounds. In his win over the Spurs, he had 18 points, eight assists and three steals. Thank God we got him, said Mitch Kupcek, then-Lakers assistant general manager. On December 13, 1991, the Los Angeles Times announced that the secret of the Lakers' success had been made public. The story is about Sedale Threatt. In the 1991–92 season, THREATT made his career debut in 82 regular-season games, averaging a career-high 15.1 points and 7.2 assists per game. The Lakers made it to the playoffs before losing in the first round. He will also start all 82 games next season, averaging 15.1 points per game again, and the team will lose again in the first round of the playoffs. Threatt went on to play three seasons with the Lakers, starting 30 games from 1993 to 1996. His final season in Los Angeles coincided with Johnson's brief return to the NBA in 1995–96. Heaven really cares for me! Today is the 30th anniversary of hiv infection, so this message resonates with me in such a huge way. Thank you Lord for keeping me, giving me strength, and guiding me for 62 years, especially the last 30 years. - @MagicJohnson, Elvin, November 7, 2021.
Lakers fans may be shocked at how well he's played for us, West said of the threat, and the energy and enthusiasm he brings every day. He was very grateful, much more than people knew. But West also recently said he had a hard time understanding the seriousness of the problems raised about threats in Los Angeles. No player can do that," West said, "because of Elvin's uniqueness." He's just an incredibly reliable contributor. He is a professional player of professional players, and even today, everyone will be eager to have someone like him on their list. everyone. After playing his final season in Greece, Threatt has been retired for more than 20 years. He said he had struggled to stay in shape. He wakes up at 5:30 a.m. and he might go out for a run. But a month ago, the 60-year-old threat ventured to a basketball court near his home, where he played basketball alone for hours. That day, on that pitch, something else happened. He began to cry. He cried because he felt something— or rather, something he no longer felt, and that was pain. He said he had been suffering for 18 years: knees, feet and shoulders. Then he underwent a series of surgeries, almost every two years, and finally, the pain was gone, and he spent two hours of bliss on the court, where he could shoot — he said, he could still shoot — and felt nothing but happiness. I can really play basketball again! He told himself. Today, Threatt and his son, Sedale Threatt Jr., live in Melbourne, Australia, where they lived for 18 years and jointly run a basketball academy, The Australian Basketball Digest. Threatening to teach children games. He tells the story of playing with great players including Magic Johnson. A few years ago, he said, Threatt returned to Los Angeles with his youth basketball team. They played a Lakers game and saw Johnson in the hallway. He and Threet caught up, and Johnson took a picture with Threet's team. The threat told his players about Johnson and his legendary on-court awareness. He preached a special style that his team demonstrated on the Youth Tour during a visit to the United States. They play at a very fast pace and always kick off first. "We're trying to get 200 points," he said. He wanted them to shoot as they ran. He wants them to play like the team he's always admired, the Magic's Shinshin Lakers.