Magic Johnson in CNN exclusive: I'm going to pray for Donald Sterling

Magic Johnson: I was just blown away

(CNN) -- Magic Johnson has some advice for Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling: Sell the team, take the money and enjoy the rest of your life.

A day after Sterling appeared on CNN slamming the NBA legend's character, his battle with HIV and his community outreach efforts, Johnson said Tuesday that he feels sorry for the 80-year-old billionaire.

"It's sad. It really is. I'm going to pray for this ... man," Johnson told CNN's Anderson Cooper in an exclusive interview.

Sterling's explosive CNN interview that aired Monday night was the first time he had spoken publicly since audio recordings surfaced last month of him making racist remarks. Reaction to the taped remarks came fast and furious, and the NBA responded with a lifetime ban for Sterling.

Johnson became an involuntary figure in the controversy after Sterling named him in the leaked recording.

"Admire him, bring him here, feed him, f**k him, but don't put (Magic) on an Instagram for the world to have to see so they have to call me," Sterling is heard telling friend V. Stiviano.

Johnson told Cooper he is still waiting for an apology from Sterling for getting roped into Sterling's fight with Stiviano, and Johnson called the Monday interview -- in which Sterling directed another tirade at the NBA legend -- "disturbing."

"What's really sad is, it's not about me," Johnson said. "This is about the woman you love outing you and taping you and putting your conversation out here for everybody to know. ... This is between you two, but then he wants to include me."

Johnson said he had only met with Sterling three or four times, and most of those discussions had focused on basketball. Johnson couldn't say if the Clippers owner has slipped mentally

Sterling "seems like he's all there," Johnson said. "But the problem is, he's living in the stone ages."

Johnson: Sterling called me

Sterling went on the offensive in his interview with Cooper when Johnson's name came up, blaming the basketball Hall of Famer for Sterling's delay in apologizing for the racist remarks that have him now fighting to keep his team.

"Wait, be patient, I'll help you, we'll work it out," Sterling said the NBA legend told him.

Not so, Johnson said Tuesday.

In fact, Johnson told CNN, Sterling called him recently and asked him to appear alongside him in an interview with ABC's Barbara Walters.

"I said the number one thing you need to do which you haven't done is apologize to everybody, and myself," Johnson said. "(Sterling replied) 'I'll get to that. I'll get to that.'"

The former NBA star told Sterling that the billionaire businessman needed to consult with attorneys, stressing that the controversy was bigger than Sterling realized.

Johnson said Sterling was adamant about Johnson doing the interview, even reaching out a second time. Johnson said his attorneys advised him not to have any further conversations with the embattled owner.

Sterling never did the interview with Walters.

"I'm really disturbed by the fact that when he called me he should have said, 'Magic, I'm sorry,'" Johnson said