Magic Johnson visits Greece

NBA legend to attend charity match next Tuesday between Greek national teams

Former Los Angeles Lakers superstar Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson will come to Athens for the charity basketball match next Tuesday.

Earvin “Magic” Johnson, one of the legends of world basketball, and the best of all to some, is about to come to Greece to attend a charity match to help the campaign against AIDS as well as the relief fund for those affected by last month’s forest fires in this country.

The match next Tuesday (September 25) will pit the Greek national team of 1987 which won the European Basketball Championship in Athens against the national youth team that won the silver medal in the World Under-21 Championship in 2005 in Argentina, in a clash between the past and the future of Greek basketball.

The event at the Hellenikon Sports Center (at 6.30 p.m.) will be held under the auspices of UNICEF with the support of FIBA Europe, the Greek Basketball Federation and the municipalities of Athens and Piraeus. Tickets will cost 10 euros (VIP 200 euros). UNICEF has undertaken the handling of all revenues to be collected from the sale of tickets as well as direct deposits to bank accounts.

The Los Angeles Lakers veteran, who was diagnosed with HIV over 15 years ago, hopes that he will encourage Greeks to test themselves for the virus and get educated about the ways HIV can be transmitted in order to put a stop to the disease. To this end Johnson established the Magic Johnson Foundation in 1991. Its exclusive activity is seeking funds for organizations that inform, combat and prevent HIV/AIDS.

The three-time NBA Most Valuable Player has been a crusader for combating the deadly virus and continues to travel around the world to help in the prevention and fight against the disease.

For more information on the event, call 210.725.5555 or visit www.unicef.gr.