Talking Points: Magic back-hand to LeBron

1

Buzzkill alert. On the same day that ESPN ranks LeBron James as the NBA’s top player, it is reported that Magic Johnson tossed a no-look insult that hit the Miami Heat forward square in the kisser.

Speaking Saturday at the University of Albany, Johnson said “There’s going to always be great players in basketball. There’s going to always be guys who win championships in the NBA, except LeBron.”

The response drew laughter, to which Magic responded, “Don’t be mad!”

“Everybody’s always asking, ‘Who is better between Kobe and LeBron?’,” Johnson continued. “I’m like, ‘Are you kidding me?’ I’m like, ‘You’re kidding me … Kobe, five championships; LeBron, zero.’ ”

Magic added that James is going to continue to get better and is a triple-double threat every time he takes the floor. And Johnson’s legacy as a Laker will obviously skew his bias toward Bryant.

Even so, that quip was a slap to the face.

And given that Magic has five rings on his hand, the slap had to smart that much more.

2

With the World Series set to start between the Cardinals and Rangers today, U.S. Senators are encouraging a ban on tobacco, as they fear players’ chewing habits could influence the millions of fans who will be watching.

Other proposals from such senators include: Joey Chestnut switching to a gluten-free diet, skateboarders eliminating the word “stoked” from their vocabulary, and UFC fans removing all skulls from their T-shirts.

Unfortunately, the tradition of tobacco chewing is almost as time-honored as baseball itself.

Preferably, players would switch to Dentyne, but if senators think they can force that change, it’s bitten off more than it can… never mind.