Cedric Ceballos’ Only Problem With Playing Alongside Magic Johnson: 'You Stare a Lot'

Few basketball players get a chance to play alongside their hero. Cedric Ceballos was one of those lucky few. The now 55-year-old retired star looked back on his days balling with the Lakers, and how he got to play one season with Lakers’ icon, Magic Johnson.

The NBA’s long history cannot be told without mentioning Magic on the Mount Rushmore of greats. His flair and playmaking ability became the face of the Showtime Lakers in the 1980s and helped turn the Purple and Gold into one of the most recognized franchises in all of sports. And in that time, Magic won five NBA titles, three Finals MVPs, and three league MVPs to boot.

But in 1996, the Hall of Famer decided to dust off his boots and play one final season for his old squad. This is the season that Ceballos got to enjoy alongside his hero. However, he admitted during a recent interview on Byron Scott’s Fastbreak podcast that this was actually a problem for him.

“Only problem with that was, he’s our hero,” he said with a smile. “If you ever get a chance to play with your superheroes, you stare a lot. ‘Wait a minute, the game is going on. Wake up.'” This made the group laugh, as it is understandable. Magic was, well, magic. To get a chance to play with someone of his status would have made anyone a little starstruck.

That year, the Lakers would make it to the playoffs but would get eliminated by the Houston Rockets. Magic would then retire for good after that. “We could have done something really great if we had more time to hang out with him,” added Ceballos.

More time really wouldn’t have mattered. Magic was 36 and still facing health issues due to his HIV diagnosis. But even with those restrictions, he still played close to the elite level that people had come to expect from him. He averaged 14.6 PPG, 6.9 assists per game, and shot 46.6% from the field. Those are incredibly good numbers considering the circumstances, just more proof that Earvin was an all-time great.

Despite loving him, there was some tension between Ceballos and Magic during that time

As much as Ceballos enjoys retelling the stories of his days as a Laker alongside Magic Johnson, there were some tensions between the two at the time. Ceballos, who was 27 at the time, had gone missing from the team due to what his agent called “personal reasons.”

That response didn’t sit well with Magic. During a 96 interview with the Associated Press, he wanted to know whether the “Garbage Man” was committed to the team.

“We’ll welcome him back, but there will be some questions. We want to know if he’s committed to the Lakers and what we’re trying to do. If he’s not, he shouldn’t come back at all,” Johnson stated.

What made matters worse is that Ceballos was spotted skiing at Lake Havasu and dancing at a club in Arizona during his alleged “personal matter.” It didn’t really matter, as in the end, he would return, and the Lakers would finish out their season.

Maybe Ceballos can consider it another badge on his shoulder. Not only did he get to play with Magic, but he got Magic riled up enough to speak about him to the press. If that’s not winning, then what is?