Magic, Owner of Sacramento Kings to Discuss Possible Role With Team

Magic Johnson will meet with Sacramento owner Jim Thomas this week to discuss buying into the Kings and taking over their basketball operation.

Thomas, a Los Angeles developer, is head of a group that last week bought 53% of the Kings.

Neither Thomas or Johnson could be reached for comment Sunday. However, last week in Sacramento, before a banquet for Kevin Johnson’s St. Hope Academy, Magic Johnson called the King opportunity an “entertaining thought,” adding:

“If this situation comes through, I’d probably go on and retire and just run the (King) show. I don’t know if the league would let me play and do that, too.”

Johnson is still considering other options, including coming back as a Laker player. He has talked of playing a 60-game schedule next season, saying if he feels good after playing in the Olympics, he might return.

He has also put together his own group--including hockey King owner Bruce McNall--to pursue buying another NBA team. At Sacramento, he mentioned the possibility of trying to buy the Houston Rockets or Denver Nuggets.

Johnson, in Boston Sunday to telecast the Celtic-Bull game for NBC, also repeated his threat to quit the National Commission on AIDS if more money isn’t allocated for AIDS projects.

“If they don’t allocate the money, I don’t think . . . I won’t stay with the commission and I’ll have to withdraw,” Johnson said on NBC.