After more than a decade of excellence with the Los Angeles Lakers, Earvin “Magic” Johnson discovered that he had tested positive for HIV. He immediately announced his retirement from basketball, which led to a barrage of hit pieces and accusations of him being a homosexual.
Magic was then chosen as a member of the 1992 Olympic basketball team for Team USA , which he used as a platform to inspire HIV-positive people and increase awareness. USA Basketball Communications Director Craig Miller detailed what it was like during the Olympics in Barcelona.
“Some players from Australia did not want to play against him because they were worried about (getting infected.) Part of my job was to answer public mail,” Miller said about the reaction to Magic’s place in the Dream Team. “I remember that we got tremendous hate mail for having Magic because nobody understood what it was. It was such a negative character thing.”
Magic was still a certified legend
Johnson is a certified NBA legend, especially for his impact in popularizing the league in the 1980s with his rivalry with Larry Bird. The NBA was not as relevant before they arrived, but their skills on the court and their off-court personalities made them the “saviors” of the league.
Even if his career ended controversially with the HIV diagnosis, he remains one of the most iconic NBA players. The league wouldn’t be where it is today without Magic and Larry because they spearheaded the charge for superstars in the NBA.
After they retired, Michael Jordan carried the torch and propelled the league to even greater heights. The NBA is where it is today since it competes with the European soccer leagues in worldwide popularity. Johnson was a big part of that because he was influential to the youngsters of the ‘80s who took up basketball because of him.
His HIV condition should not change his legacy because he is still a legend for his contributions to the league. Unfortunately, he was a victim of misinformation because as soon as people learned about it, they judged him for things he did not admit to.
Magic broke the stigma around HIV
Since the nature of HIV is a sexually transmitted disease, people were judging Magic for sleeping around. While he admitted to his activities, Johnson wanted to show that people who have the disease deserve support. Thankfully, he got tons of support to combat the flak he had to go through.
Thankfully, Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. David Ho were there to help Magic because he said those two professionals saved his life . Ever since the diagnosis, Johnson has been advocating for HIV support, and he has not stopped to give people the help they need.
The Lakers legend went through a lot with the disease and the hatred, which he does not want others to experience as he keeps breaking the stigma around HIV.
Related: “After every game, I grade myself and I grade myself hard” - Why Magic Johnson was always critical of his performances
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