Two men who heard God’s voice and heeded his call

    God spoke, and they listened.
    And two men who came together last weekend through their inductions into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame have prospered from his words.
    The journeys through life for Milton Retif of New Orleans and Earvin Johnson of Jonesville are as diverse as the communities that molded their formative years. Retif was an all-state infielder at Jesuit High School in the thriving community of Carrollton, whose centerpiece was Pelican Stadium, while Johnson, born 34 years later, grew up in a northeast Louisiana burg whose population today is fewer than 2,500, with a median income of less than half the state’s $42,500 average.
    Retif, retired from the oil and petroleum business, received the cherished Dave Dixon Louisiana Sports Leadership Award as a supporter and benefactor of sports in this state.
    Johnson, a star center at the University of New Orleans (1989-93) and a 14-year veteran of the National Basketball Association, joined fellow basketball greats Shaquille O’Neal and Jimmy Jones in the Class of 2013.
    Also inducted were former LSU quarterback Tommy Hodson and center Kevin Mawae, tennis star Chandra Rubin, jockey Ronald Ardoin, Newman’s legendary basketball mentor Ed “Skeets” Tuohy and all-around athlete, the late Anna Koll.
    A strong Catholic faith taught by Retif’s family and fortified by the Jesuits instilled in his mind and heart that if he had the ability to do so, he should help others whenever and wherever possible. Retif has devoted his energy and money to do so.
    “We were making decisions in business, but, actually someone was making them for me,” Retif said. “It was God.” He has heard the voice ever since.
    Retif lost one of his sons, Mickey, to cancer in 1986. He was a former Tulane player and coach.
    Young Retif’s hospice nurses were the Sisters Servants of Mary. To this day, Milton Retif holds an annual fund-raising Mass at the chapel in the sisters’ residence to show his gratitude.
    God once again called to Retif to help Catholics in Mexico, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Germany  and Russia build churches. Things were different in the then-Soviet Union, even after the Berlin wall came down.
    “It was frightening,” he recalled. “The church was a house in Kiev. Above the room was a KGB office.”
    Retif wasn’t sure who to give the money he raised to.
    “Archbishop (Philip) Hannan told me to give the money to him and he would take care of it,” Retif said.
    Retif also has raised funds for Manresa, Jesuit and Archbishop Shaw high schools and Tulane University. Christian Brothers School and Grambling State University also benefitted in 1975 when Retif arranged an exhibition baseball game between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox in the newly opened Louisiana Superdome.
    Modestly, he said, “All of this was God’s plan for me.”
    Johnson’s story has been told countless times.
    Even though he stood 6-9, Johnson did not care to play basketball at Block High School. Instead, he was bagging groceries in Baton Rouge when he was brought to the attention of then-UNO coach Tim Floyd by a business associate of the supermarket, who was attracted by Johnson’s height.
    Johnson’s mundane life changed when God spoke to him.
    “I was stocking shelves when I heard this soft voice say,  ‘Earvin, go play basketball,’” he said. “No one was around, so I knew it could only be God’s voice.”
    As Johnson reflected on the episode, Floyd received word about this tall kid. The coach was thrilled. His tallest player stood 6-4.
    Johnson came to New  Orleans for a visit. Floyd asked his name.
“Earvin Johnson, he replied.”
    Floyd thought it was joke. Another “Magic” Johnson, he said.
    But after watching Johnson flail through his first workout, Floyd’s assistant coach told him, “Instead of ‘Magic’ Johnson, we signed ‘Tragic’ Johnson.”
    “I didn’t know how to shoot, dribble or rebound a basketball,” Johnson confessed.
    But Johnson learned under Floyd’s guidance, and by the time he finished his UNO career in 1993, Johnson, now standing 6-11, had started for three conference-championship teams, played in two NCAA tournaments and set UNO records for career rebounds (1,287), field-goal percentage (.591), blocked shots (294), games started (116) and minutes played (3,694). His 1,608 points ranked second in UNO history. He was Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year as a senior on a team which was 18-0 in conference and 26-4 overall.
    A first-round draft pick by Seattle in 1993 (23rd overall), Johnson played 13 seasons, also spending time with Denver, Milwaukee and Minnesota. He averaged 4.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks for his 845-game career.
    “What changed me? Faith. Belief in myself, belief in God. He had a plan for me and ordered my steps. I was just following his lead.
    “I’ll tell anyone, to succeed, just stay focused and keep God No. 1.”
    Greeting Johnson at the induction weekend in Natchitoches were former New Orleans Jazz forward Aaron James, a 2012 inductee; and former New Orleans Buccaneers’ guard Jones from Tallulah; and O’Neal, who starred at LSU, both in the 2013 class.
    Johnson had played against Shaq when he was with the Milwaukee Bucks and O’Neal was with Orlando and Los Angeles.
    “Yeah, we battled many times on the NBA courts,” Johnson said with a sheepish grin. “Shaq won 99 percent of the battles.”
    Ron Brocato can be reached at [email protected].