One of the greatest point guards, Magic Johnson once contemplated committing suicide following a tragic discovery.
Advertisement
Magic Johnson may have been one of the most famous athletes of his time. His style, on and off the court, demanded attention. He was a trendsetter, one of the first few in the NBA.
His deal with Converse, his flairy passing, the way he walked into hotel lobbies and club entries all dripped with swagger.
Johnson was ahead of his time, in the way he played the game and how he handled his money. He has amassed a fortune of $620 million and is counted among some of the wealthiest athletes ever.
For Johnson, however, unbound success also brought a wild lifestyle. The Lakers legend, in his own words, described how unbelievably out of hand it went for him. He later blamed NBA road culture for the abrupt end of his career.
Magic was diagnosed with HIV in the 91 off-season. He retired immediately after. Undeniably still at the peak of his career, Johnson’s entire life changed, leaving a deep mark on him.
Johnson, in his autobiography ‘My Life’ wrote: “In the age of AIDS, unprotected s*x is reckless. I know that now, of course. But the truth is, I knew it then, too. I just didn’t pay attention. I couldn’t believe that anything like this could happen to me.”
Magic Johnson contemplated suicide after HIV diagnosis
After his diagnosis, Magic’s entire life changed overnight. Johnson found criticism from all walks of life. Losing a career along with the diagnosis wreaked havoc on his mental and physical health.
Magic Johnson’s documentary ‘They Call Me Magic’ revealed the impact the disease had on the player. Most believed Johnson had contracted it because he was gay.
This was such a widespread belief that he explicitly responded to it in his autobiography.
Magic Johnson: “Let me deal with the gay issue first, because people keep asking about it. I can understand the doubts of those who still wonder if I’m gay. For one thing, only a small percentage of Americans who have HIV or AIDS are men who got the virus from having unprotected sex with women. For another, in spite of everything I’ve said, a lot of people – and especially athletes – still want to believe that I got the virus through a homosexual encounter. Because if I did, that would let them off the hook. If they, too, have been promiscuous with the opposite sex, especially if it happened with any of the same women that I was with, it would be a big relief to know that Magic Johnson contracted HIV because he was gay or bisexual.”
Despite all his strength and perseverance, Johnson found himself at the lowest point in his life. In the docuseries, Magic’s agent Rosen revealed that the gold and purple’s legend had contemplated ending his life.
Rosen: “At one point, [Magic] said, ‘I don’t know if I want to live, I might just end it, I might just …'”
The sensitivity of what Magic went through is not lost on us. We understand how hard he fought, not just the disease but also mindsets. His struggles even after such struggles are beyond commendable.
Also read: LeBron James, who spends $1.5 million on his fitness, gets his ‘squat form’ ridiculed by Twitter
