Drexler denies negative comments toward Johnson

Clyde Drexler denied Wednesday making negative statements attributed to him about Magic Johnson in an upcoming book about the Dream Team. In Jack McCallum’s book, “Dream Team,” Drexler said Johnson only earned a spot on the Olympic team and the MVP award in the 1992 All-Star game out of pity resulting from his HIV diagnosis the previous year. “He couldn’t play much by that time. He couldn’t guard his shadow,” Drexler (pictured right) is quoted as saying in the book. “But you have to understand what was going on then. Everybody kept waiting for Magic to die …” Drexler said in a phone interview that the quotes attributed to him were “totally ludicrous” and he has “no idea” where McCallum got them. – Associated Press