MAGIC'S RETURN RUBS OFF ON L.A.

Byline: Sara Catania Daily News Staff Writer

Magic Johnson's return to the Lakers this week hasn't solved the problems of a town tangled in a seemingly endless string of quake-flood-fire-riot-recession disasters.

But his decision to once again don the Lakers jersey does seem to have boosted the spirits of a struggling city.

From the marble-floored corridors of City Hall to the creaky bleachers of a Woodland Hills high school gym, basketball fans throughout Los Angeles got a lift from Magic's return.

"He's the No. 1 cheerleader for our city," said Mayor Richard Riordan. "Having him back on the court will be a great boost to the spirit of Los Angeles."

In the gym at Taft High School in Woodland Hills, the mood was upbeat as the girls basketball team warmed up for a game.

"I just love his style, and I'm so happy he's back," said Janet Friedman, a varsity player.

Friedman, 17, used her leverage as a senior this year to score the coveted jersey marked 32 - Magic's number.

"I was at a Lakers game a few weeks ago, and I went up and shook his hand," she said. "It was truly amazing. Even then I didn't think he would ever come back. He's the greatest player ever."

Few in the roaring, sold-out crowd at The Great Western Forum on Tuesday night were close enough to catch Johnson's trademark grin as he and the Lakers beat the Golden State Warriors 128-118.

But the smile took center screen on Prime Sports cable network, which logged the highest ratings in its 11-year history.

Bill Funk, 77, a retired credit union manager from Simi Valley who has followed the Lakers since they re-located to Los Angeles from Minneapolis, said he was ecstatic to see Magic back in action.

"I couldn't wait to have that TV set go (on) to see Magic back," he said. "I don't want to compare it to the second coming, but it's a triumphant return of a man who's well-deserved of any accolade that he can get. When I saw him on the floor, it sent goose bumps up my spine. It made me feel very happy."

The euphoria has attracted national attention, with the New York Times calling Johnson "a reminder that this sprawling giant, with its congestion and smog and crime, can also be a place of sweet celluloid dreams, of happy endings even when everything looks hopelessly bleak."

Johnson's comeback carries added sports significance in a town still stunned by the Raiders' return to Oakland after 12 years, leaving the nation's second-largest television market without a National Football League franchise. As anyone who watched Tuesday's game could see, Johnson's return means a full Forum. Granted, Friday's game against the Chicago Bulls has been sold out since October, a fact attributable to Michael Jordan and that team's awesome performance.

But now tickets for Sunday's game against Utah are scarce, and demand is up for the rest of the season as well, with the hottest tickets going for as much as ten times their face value, a rate that amazed some ticket agents.

"It's really over the top," said Caroline Mutart, of Mutart Ticket Agency in Sherman Oaks. "It's not a playoff (game). It's just a game. I'd rather go to Nordstrom's than spend that much on one game."

For die-hard Lakers fans, Magic's return is an event not to miss.

"I hated to see him leave the game," said Los Angeles resident Amelia Bryan, a season ticket holder, at Tuesday's game. "I never stopped coming, but I've never really felt the same about the team since he's been gone. I'm so excited words can't express it."

Johnson, three-time winner of the NBA's most valuable player award, left the game more than five years ago, after testing positive for human immunodeficiency virus.

His return will help lift the taboo that surrounds HIV, said Councilman Joel Wachs, who authored the city law barring discrimination against those with AIDS.

"By showing how well he plays and the contribution he makes," Wachs said, "Magic Johnson is serving as a leader of what people with this virus can contribute."

Karyl-Lyn Sanderson, a junior at Taft and a member of the high school's varsity basketball team, was not so sure that Johnson should be playing.

"I can see why he would want to come back," she said. "But if I had AIDS, I would want to concentrate on staying in good health for my family."

Carole Koven, an office manager in Woodland Hills, who said football is her sport of choice, thought Johnson looked "overweight and sluggish" Tuesday night.

Indeed, the "new" Magic may take some getting used to. He's up 25 pounds to 255, and has switched from point guard to power forward. But by most accounts, Johnson performed better than expected, scoring 19 points, dishing out 10 assists and grabbing eight rebounds.

"He did score," Koven said. "But I think he's come back more for the publicity and the money than anything else."

Johnson will be paid $2.5 million for the rest of the season. On Tuesday, he sported white-and-black sneakers from his new line of athletic shoes, called MVP.

The shoes, which will retail at $50 to $70, will hit the stores in March or April, said Lon Rosen, his business manager.

"We went into this (shoe venture) not even thinking this (return to the court) would happen," Rosen said. "Of course this makes the shoes a hot item."

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(color) Granada Hills High basketball players talk about Magic Johnson's comeback. Hans Gutknecht/Daily News