Magic Johnson’s startling announcement of contracting HIV brought the United States to a standstill in 1991. A revered athlete of his time, the entire NBA community, including the Lakers organization, was devastated by the shocking revelation made by Magic. Immediately following, Magic also announced his retirement from basketball. This news devastated Lakers owner Jerry Buss, who could not believe what he just heard. The impact was so profound that Buss started feeling his knees getting numb and was on the brink of collapsing. Thankfully, an alert Kareem-Abdul Jabbar was on site to keep the Lakers owner from falling to the ground.
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The book When The Game Was Ours, co-authored by Jackie McMullan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird, mentions the grimness of the situation further in detail. Magic Johnson and Jerry Buss had developed a pretty close bond with each other. Buss considered Johnson an indispensable asset for the Lakers franchise in the ’80s decade. Buss had even offered Johnson a 25-year $25 million contract, which would have made Johnson a Laker until 2009!
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar kept Lakers owner Jerry Buss from collapsing
In 1991, Magic Johnson appeared in a black suit, white shirt, and multicolored tie to announce his diagnosis of HIV. Speaking calmly and undeterred, Johnson announced the news to the world, with several of his fans and colleagues shocked by the revelation. While announcing his retirement, Johnson seemed to have a positive outlook about himself, promising his fans and colleagues that he would be living life longer and ‘bugging the guys.’
The then Lakers coach, Jerry West, was ‘marveled’ by Johnson’s ability to control his emotions. However, owner Jerry Buss was impacted profoundly by the news. He had started feeling weak in his knees and was on the brink of collapsing in public. However, an alert Kareem-Abdul Jabbar stood beside Buss and held him from falling onto the ground. Here is an excerpt from ‘When The Game Was Ours’ that promptly captures the moment in description.
“The point guard who had come to define the Lakers—and the NBA—stood facing his audience. West’s shoulders heaved. Buss teetered forward, his knees buckling. The only reason the Lakers owner didn’t collapse was that an alert Abdul-Jabbar grabbed Buss and pulled him upright before he toppled over.”
Further into the conference, Magic Johnson outlined his plans to become an HIV spokesperson. He preached the need to practice safe sex and wanted to reduce all stigma related to HIV and AIDS. Speaking about the same, Johnson said:
“Sometimes we think only gay people can get [AIDS], or ‘It’s not going to happen to me. Here I am, saying it can happen to everybody. Even me—Magic Johnson.”
It’s been 30 years since Magic Johnson announced this shocking revelation to the world. Today, at 64, Johnson is considered one of the greatest living basketball legends and point guards of all time. He successfully beat HIV and returned to the Lakers as a coach in 1994. However, after losing a streak of 10 games as the head coach, Johnson returned as a player in 1996. In the same year, Magic also retired one and last time from the NBA.
Magic Johnson’s rival Larry Bird was heartbroken after finding out about the HIV diagnosis
Magic Johnson and Larry Bird’s stories are etched as one of the greatest rivalries of the NBA. However, even rival Larry Bird shed tears upon hearing Magic’s news of HIV diagnosis. Although the two were arch rivals, Bird and Johnson had developed a close bond days before Johnson was diagnosed with AIDS. During Magic’s tragic announcement night, Bird was suiting up to play against the Atlanta Hawks. However, as Bird recalled, playing that game was hard for the former Celtics legend.
“That was the first time in my life I played in a game that I didn’t want to play. I didn’t have anything that night.”
Following suit with Magic Johnson, Larry Bird also retired from the NBA a season after Magic’s retirement. While injuries had added as a reason for Bird’s exit, he did not leave the NBA with his legacy tarnished. In his final season, Bird averaged 20 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 6.8 assists, thus keeping his legacy intact in the league.
