NBA legend Magic Johnson says he remembers wanting to “hit” radio personality Howard Stern after he made racist remarks, talked about his HIV and insulted his talk show.
“So many times, I wanted to say something and hit him at the same time – on air,” Johnson told Variety in a story published Tuesday. “I was mad when they booked him. … But there’s nothing you can do. When people look for ratings, this is what happens.”
Johnson’s upcoming Apple TV+ series “They Call Me Magic” will hit the streaming platform on April 22. In the docuseries, the star talks about the tense moment with Stern when the personality visited the former baller’s 90s talk show “The Magic Show.” Before appearing on the show, Stern had reportedly been mocking Johnson’s show continually.
Johnson’s producers ended up booking Stern to come to the show, where he started off praising Johnson for his skill as a basketball player but added that he felt his show could be better.
“The thing you need to work on, in my estimation, seriously, is you’ve got to stop trying to talk like the white man,” Stern told Johnson. “It’s the truth.” He went on to say that Johnson was being coached to be “anti-ebonics.”
“I say, let it fly,” Stern declared. “Earvin, what you need to do, my brotha, is to really get down with it. Everyone’s trying to get you to talk like the white man. I think this show should loosen up and you should talk ebonics all you want. You know what I’m saying?”
He went on: “I grew up in a black neighborhood,” Stern continued. “I’m blacker than you are. Trust me. I’m the blackest black man you’ll ever meet, and I’m telling you right now, when I lived in Roosevelt, Long Island, which is a black ghetto, everyone talks like this [pantomiming ebonics]. And I think you should talk like that. Why does everyone need to understand every word you’re saying? Who cares what you’ve got to say?”
“I want to know about your life before HIV,” Stern continued. “You had the life I wanted. You present a clean-cut image, but I read about these booty parties. Before AIDS, before all that kind of stuff, you had the life right? You were married but you got to screw around.” Johnson also corrected Stern, saying he had HIV, not AIDS.
Johnson says that while he laughed off Stern’s crude jokes, he was angry inside. “I wanted to say something and hit him at the same time — on air,” Johnson say. “I was mad when they booked him, but there’s nothing you can do. When people look for ratings, this is what happens.”
This was absolutely AWFUL. Not a taste of anything and his so called jokes were hideous. After 5 minutes I was done. No respect for other guests invited. He continuously interrupted. I’m all for a good joke but he took it too far. You know what. I’m done!