In 1991, the announcement of Magic Johnson‘s retirement, following his HIV diagnosis, shocked the NBA and the sporting community. Nobody had really expected the ‘Showtime’ Lakers legend to suddenly opt out of the league, especially when his team had put faith in him and made him sign a 25-year-long contract that would have run till 2009! While Johnson used his retirement as a period of recovery, his imminent return to the 1992 Dream Team and the All-Star game was a matter of concern for several players in the league.
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AIDS (or HIV) is viral and can spread through blood contact, especially if players have open wounds while playing on the court. This immensely worried Karl Malone, who had voiced his protest against the return of Magic Johnson to the NBA.
The book When the Game Was Ours by Magic Johnson and Larry Bird detailed this tough period in Magic’s life. The book mentioned how pity and sympathy towards Johnson started quickly vanishing, specifically when word started spreading about his return to the league.
Karl Malone was among the few of Johnson’s colleagues who had publicly voiced their opinions against Johnson’s return. Relaying the anxiety of players facing Johnson, Malone told the New York Times, “Just because he came back doesn’t mean nothing to me.”
After Johnson’s diagnosis, the NBA had also started taking specific steps to protect its players. The league trainers were required to wear plastic gloves when treating an athlete, while players had to come out and cover their wounds with bandages in case of cuts. Voicing the players’ anxiety further, Malone added to his concern,
“I’m no fan, no cheerleader. It may be good for basketball, but you have to look far beyond that. You have a lot of young men who have a long life ahead of them. The Dream Team was a concept everyone loved. But now we’re back to reality.”
It was evident that Johnson dearly missed playing in the league following the first few years of his retirement. On January 30, 1996, the NBA community and the Lakers received a sudden jolt as Magic Johnson played his first official game since coming out of retirement. Johnson’s return was in front of a jam-packed crowd at the Great Western Forum, delirious over the Showtime legend’s return to the court.
That night was memorable for Johnson, who contributed 19 points, 10 assists, and 8 rebounds during 27 minutes of play. Johnson went on to play 32 games during the 1995-96 NBA season before retiring in the year 2000.
Charles Barkley and Clyde Drexler believed Magic Johnson should not have participated in the 1992 All-Star game
Amongst several other NBA players, the Phoenix Suns legend Charles Barkley was vehemently against Magic Johnson, suiting up for the 1992 All-Star game. Barkley believed that the All-Star game was an honor for players who hustled through the season to earn that distinction.
On the other hand, Johnson was selected as an All-Star to start for the Western Conference, despite announcing his retirement from the Lakers on November 7, 1991. Voicing his opinion on this issue, Barkley told reporters, “I have thought about picking up the phone, calling Magic, and telling him maybe he shouldn’t play in the game…”
However, Barkley also understood that ultimately, it was Johnson’s decision to play in the game. Barkley added to his point, “But the All-Star game is a reward for players who’ve had a great first half of the season.”
Magic Johnson was relatively weak after his diagnosis and was just a shadow of his former self. Years later, in 2012, Magic’s Dream Team teammate Clyde Drexler did not mince his words while voicing his opinion on the Lakers legend.
Showcasing how the league sympathized and pitied Johnson’s condition, Drexler even brought out how everyone expected Magic to die soon after the diagnosis. Hence, as per Drexler, the league would often feel sorry for Johnson and let him benefit from the doubt.
