Magic Johnson: Did He Ever Have Aids?

Magic Johnson, an NBA legend and businessman, discussed living with HIV three decades after being diagnosed with the virus prior to the 1991-92 NBA season. He and his wife Cookie have been together throughout this time, and neither she nor their son, Earvin Johnson III, have HIV. The announcement of his HIV diagnosis in 1991 seemed like a death sentence, but modern medicine has helped him overcome it.

In a press conference convened by Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers after a local media outlet got wind of the story, the 32-year-old NBA superstar revealed he was HIV positive. Magic Johnson’s new docuseries, “They Call Me Magic”, is now airing on Apple TV+ and reveals how his HIV diagnosis affected the star in ways even worse than most people.

In a recent interview with BBC’s Katty Kay, NBA legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson recalled his journey with HIV after announcing his diagnosis in 1991. The average period between infection with the human immunodeficiency virus and diagnosis of AIDS is now ten years, according to experts.

Magic Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American businessman and former professional basketball player who stunned basketball fans and transformed HIV awareness by announcing his diagnosis in 1991. Thirty years on, he discusses his relationship with Anthony Fauci and how his announcement served as a public-health catalyst for rapidly correcting the public’s stigma around HIV.