The rule that forced Nash's removal from the game can colloquially called the Magic Johnson rule. On November 7, 1991, Magic Johnson announced his HIV infection and retirement. The Guidelines for Infection Control were adopted soon after this, crafted with assistance from Cornell's Dr. David Rogers.
Though Johnson did return for the 1992 All-Star Game, he did not play in a regular season game for five more years. His All-Star appearance and subsequent athletic appearances did not sit well with some players. Some like Steve Kerr and Rony Seikaly downplayed their concerns by noting wryly that they did not intend to have unprotected sex with Johnson on the court, making their possible infection highly unlikely, but others were not so sanguine.
The loudest dissent came from Karl Malone. "Look at this, scabs and cuts all over me," Malone told the New York Times early in the 1992-1993 season. "I get these every night, every game. They can't tell you that you're not at risk, and you can't tell me there's one guy in the NBA who hasn't thought about it." However, Malone's concern merely echoed those of many other players that chose to speak privately or without attribution.
The CDC reported in 1995 that the possibility of HIV transmission in sport is a million to one. No reports of HIV transmission via contact in sports have been proven. Still, the rule persists, perhaps for solid reasons or merely as an insurance requirement.
Because of this rule, Steve Nash came out of the game when his team needed him most. His ball movement was missed at a crucial moment; his teammates could not rise to the challenge of his absence. If the Suns find themselves on the brink of elimination in San Antonio for Game 6, they might consider sending a sternly worded note to Karl Malone or perhaps shipping the Mailman a sterilized Magic Johnson jersey.
Article comments
1 - Matthew T. Sussman
"The CDC reported in 1995 that the possibility of HIV transmission in sport is a million to one."
The odds are much greater, however, of transmitting Canadian citizenship.
2 - Tuffy
Karl Malone might be well-served to contract some Canadian hospitality and politeness.
3 - Rick H.
QR Powder would have saved the day. Suprisingly the Phoenix training staff has used QR Powder before and that would have given the Suns the best opportunity to preserve the win after Nash hit that three to tie.
You can't have your team catalyst on the pines with the game on the line!
4 - Tuffy
That may indeed be true. Instead, they used a "rubber cement-like substance" whose name slipped past me as the sideline reporter said it. I tried to find it on the Internet, but none of the standard cutman gear seemed to fit the description. I hope someone else can pipe up and list the actual product used.
5 - Rick
Probably Derma-Bond...from what I hear it doesn't work well and it showed last night...an absolute shame they couldn't get Nash back on the court in time.
6 - Matthew T. Sussman
NoseOn! Apply directly to the nostrils! NoseOn! Apply directly to the nostrils! NoseOn! Apply directly to the nostrils!
7 - nicolas
blame karl malone all you want, but the odds of phoenix winning this series are slim to none even with nash fully healed. all san antone has to do is find any way they can to get him in fould trouble and phoenix is doomed.
8 - RJ
Matt - Hilarious, as usual.
Tuffy - A million to one, even if accurate (which I doubt) is still infinitely more than a million to zero. Basketball is a physical game. Bigger players like K. Malone were payed to get physical, and that kind of play can lead to open wounds. Blood-borne pathogens are no joke, especially incurable, fatal ones. And letting Magic play gave a psychological advantage to him and his team, since some defenders might not have been as aggressive against him as they otherwise would have been.
Just sayin'...
9 - me
steve nash should have won mvp
10 - ben
all i know is steve nash is awesome and bowen and kobe stinks