LOS ANGELES -- Retired superstar Earvin "Magic" Johnson is returning to the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers, this time as coach, replacing Randy Pfund, Lakers spokesman John Black said Tuesday night.
Pfund, who recently signed a contract extension, but not necessarily as coach, will fly back to Los Angeles today from Dallas, where the Lakers play the Mavericks tonight.
Lakers assistant Bill Bertka will coach the team tonight and Thursday at Houston.
Johnson's first game as coach will be Sunday at home against the Milwaukee Bucks and former Lakers coach Mike Dunleavy.
The Lakers will give details at a news conference today.
Johnson, 34, led the Lakers to five NBA championships in his 12 seasons with the team. He retired from the Lakers in November 1991 after learning he was infected with the virus that causes AIDS.
Johnson recently has been touring worldwide with his own All-Star basketball team.
The Lakers (27-37) have won six out of their last eight but will probably miss the playoffs for the first time since 1976. They trail the Denver Nuggets by 5 1/2 games in the battle for the eighth and final playoff berth in the Western Conference, and attendance has been dwindling at the Great Western Forum since Johnson retired.
After retiring, Johnson made a brief comeback in 1992, playing with the gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic team and in the NBA preseason. He retired again just before the regular season.
"It makes sense to me. Attendance-wise, the Lakers are in horrible trouble," said Detroit Pistons vice president of marketing and broadcasting Harry Hutt. "It's a city where you need the glamour and glitz of Magic.
"My guess is, as the Lakers looked at it, they thought 'presto-chango,' maybe Magic will be the top draw."
