There Will Be Two No. 32s: on the Wall and in the Lineup

Jersey, jersey on the wall . . .

Magic Johnson’s uniform shirt, No. 32, was retired last season, put alongside those worn by other Laker legends, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West. And the thinking Tuesday, as Johnson announced that he was coming back to play, was that the jersey will stay on the wall.

“We haven’t really made up our minds to do anything,� said Claire Rothman, general manager of the Forum. “You know how you joke about things? I once said if Magic comes back to play, we could make him 32a, like an entry at a horse race.

“He definitely said 32 is his number and he would wear it. My subjective view is we shouldn’t do anything. We retired that jersey when he retired, and now we just reactivated it.

“I’d rather see ‘He’s back’ across the jersey.�

The decision will be Johnson’s, Rothman said, and he indicated at Tuesday’s news conference that he would like the number to stay on the wall, even though he will be wearing another 32.

“I’ve never heard of it, but have you ever heard of anyone with HIV playing pro basketball?� Rothman said. “He’s a pioneer. I don’t think we need to consult precedents. Let’s make a new one.�