Magic Johnson, speaking on TNT, said that Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks should consider punching the Warriors in the face. The Contra Costa Times reports:
Johnson was taping a promotional spot for TNT’s broadcast of Thursday night’s game when he told colleagues Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley what he had in mind for Nowitzki.
“If I’m Dallas, I gotta start a fight,” Magic Johnson said. “No, I’m serious. If I’m Dallas, Dirk has gotta go swing on somebody. Send a message. You know why? Golden State, as we say on the street, punked them. … This game, if I’m Dirk, I will walk up and just smack somebody.”
Don Nelson, who always tells it like it is and serves up the best quotes in the history of coaches, said this to the paper:
“I love Magic Johnson,” Nelson said, “but that’s about the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”
Someone needs to go tell Stephen Jackson that Magic was just kidding, so he doesn’t show up to games with protection.