When Magic Johnson stepped on the court, the lights got brighter, and the cheers grew louder. It was ‘Showtime’. All eyes were on him, and he did not disappoint. A 6 ft 9-inch point guard with a high motor and inexplicable court vision, Magic was essentially a unicorn.
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The Lakers enjoyed immense success during the ‘Showtime’ era under the leadership of Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul Jabbar. He was drafted by the LA team in 1979 and played for them his entire career winning 5- championship rings in the process. He is a Laker legend in the truest sense, and the bronze statue outside the arena validates the respect he commandeers.
However, one fine day the lights got dim, and his world came crashing down. Magic was diagnosed with HIV. The basketball world was in shock. His teammates were devastated and feared the worst. Byron Scott, Magic’s closest friend, expresses how he truly felt when he heard the news.
Magic Johnson informs the team about the diagnosis
Magic was diagnosed with HIV in 1991, during his 12th season with the Lakers. At that time, the awareness of the disease was limited, and people assumed the worst. Though Magic never contracted AIDS, people with limited knowledge felt it was the same. In the book “When the Game was Ours“, Magic reveals the reactions he received from his teammates when he announced the news in the locker room.
“As he stood before his teammates, who were overcome with emotion, Magic broke down. The Lakers were his family, his livelihood, and the center of his world. And quite abruptly, that world had collapsed. He explained the diagnosis and the course of treatment. He told them how truly sorry he was for letting them down. And then he grieved with them, abandoning his original intent of maintaining a stoic resolve. Johnson walked around the locker room hugging each Laker individually. More than one of them stiffened as he approached. He whispered something private in each of their ears, and when he came to Scott, his most trusted friend on the team, he squeezed him extra tightly and whispered, “Don’t worry, B, I’ll be all right. I’m going to beat this.” “I know, Earv,” Scott responded. “If anyone can beat it, it’s you.” “I said that, but I didn’t believe it,” Scott admitted. “From what little I knew about the disease, Magic had been given a death sentence.”
After revealing the news to the team, he announced to the world that he would be retiring from basketball effective immediately. He went on the iterate the fact that he did not have AIDS and only the virus that causes it. He said:
“I plan on living for a long time, bugging you guys like I always have. So you’ll see me around”
Magic combats the disease and comes out victorious
Magic Johnson never contracted AIDS, and the virus remains undetectable through medication. However, Magic dedicated his life to raising awareness and prevention of AIDS. He partnered with president George W Bush by joining his national AIDS commission to educate people and raise awareness.
Besides raising awareness, Magic also started many philanthropic initiatives to help underserved communities and garnered huge success. He tried to make his return to basketball in 1995 with the Lakers but eventually hung his hat for the better.
