Magic Johnson, a legendary Lakers point guard, announced his HIV-positive status on November 7, 1991, and retired from the NBA. He had been a star in the late 1980s, winning three league MVPs and being the second best point guard behind LeBron James. However, his career abruptly ended at the age of 32, after protests against his return from fellow players. After retiring again for four years, he returned to play 32 games for the Lakers in 1996 at the age of 36.
Despite a desire to return for the 1996-97 season, Johnson permanently retired during the summer of 1996. He stated that he was going out on his terms. Johnson retired from the NBA in 1996 at the age of 36, but four years later, he proved he could still play the game he always dominated. When he retired from the NBA, he was the all-time leader in assists.
Magic Johnson has been living with HIV since his diagnosis almost 20 years ago. He retired from the NBA in 1996, but he returned to play in the 1992 All-Star Game, winning the All-Star MVP Award. His career has been marked by significant changes, including his transition from an NBA superstar to a former NBA player. Today, November 7, 2011, marks 20 years since the official announcement of Johnson’s withdrawal from the basketball courts.
📹 How old was Magic when he retired?
Discover the incredible journey of Magic Johnson, the basketball legend who retired at the young age of 32! In this captivating …
📹 The Announcement: Magic Johnson
We take a look back 25 years ago to Magic Johnson’s HIV announcement in a segment from “The Announcement” About the NBA: …
This is probably one of the most horrific things to experience in the 80’s / 90’s because having HIV before meant sure death. I just can’t imagine what he was thinking when he was alone. Now that I know that he and his family was discriminated because of this disease is horrifying. Hats off to you Magic for surviving for so long and being a spokeperson for hiv positives around the world . ☝
Magic (and Larry) literally brought the NBA back to life. Likewise, Magic literally gave Americans hope about HIV/AIDS b/c his was a face we all knew/admired. He made himself visible on a large scale, which kept reminding us that it was NOT a death sentence. That reporter at the beginning of this article….yeah, that is how ALL of us in LA were behaving. We couldn’t take the waiting…we just knew and feared the worst about a man we loved.
Even if they were rivals on the court, Magic and Larry Bird became friends off the court. When Magic made the Hall of Fame, he asked Bird to introduce him. And Bird said one of the most amazing things I’ve ever heard: “I was going to speak from my heart. But, man, he broke my heart so many times, do I have anything left?”
This was a courageous thing to do by magic. Back in those days HIV diagnosis meant a death sentence and there was a lot of ignorance and misinformation around it. Magic was a legend on the court but I think he became a bigger legend facing that head on and being a tireless advocate. I think he’s the best thing to happen to that disease. People were treated like lepers if they had it back then. I think he’s helped change a lot of the ignorance around this. He’s probably outlived a lot of those voices that were hating on him. I think he s more successful post basketball than any of his peers.
I am a die hard Celtics fan and I hate the Lakers but I was always a fan of Magic even though he broke my heart ❤️ many times. I remember I was in Boston perusal this live and I was totally shocked! At the time HIV and AIDS was considered a death sentence. I am so happy he is still with us forever a Celtic fan💚💚💚 💚but love Magic 💛💜💛💜
He was so brave to do that at that time.He could have lied, he could have faked anything, give another excuse to leave the game.But he was brave. We all were VERY ignorant about HIV, AIDS, most people with it were considered almost like zumbies….. I felt in love with this guy in 1985 and became a Laker fan (fist time I saw him, I am a brazilian guy, NBA could not “reach” us before that), and never stooped loving him until today.Great guy.
Magic if he remained injury free could of played 3-5 years of elite basketball if this announcement was never made. His stats and accomplishments were never really fully fulfilled which saddens me because he’s by far the greatest point guard and top 5 player ever, but this younger generation doesn’t really fully understand that and some even say curry is better which is shameful. His career only spanned 11 seasons in the most physical era of NBA history. Magic is my older brother’s favorite player ever and I remember us crying as middle school kids on this day.
It’s hard to imagine for someone like me born in the mid 90s to really imagine what the basketball community was thinking at this time given then likelihood of AIDs causing death back then. It would be like if Durant suddenly came out and said he has terminal brain cancer and was retiring. Mustve been so jolting.
That’s true dont ever think you can’t get it, it’s for real in 2018 I had the biggest scare in my life,I thought I had it and my wife was 3 months pregnant and she had the hiv test done,and thank God she was negative and and I was also, but I had all the symptoms, the only being I can say thank you is God 100 percent thanks for everything!!!!
My twin brother was diagnosed with HIV that exact day magic johnson was. 10 years later my brother at age 35 passed away from aids. He was a loving fun uncle to my two kids, a caring person that would use comedy to reach all people. My Mother was devastated. She passed away 2 years later. Why? Why did my angel brother die and magic johnson is still going on with this killing disease? My brother came to see his niece and nephew 2 months before he died. 40 pills a day. White painful bumps on his face. He was in pain. BUT he never let anyone know. Because he was determined to live each day to the end. I guess I am wondering was there something that we could have done to give my brother more time like magic?
Johnson is the classic case of that you always can’t have your cake and eat it. Yes it’s a serious thing but his actions in the past was going to catch up with him sleeping around whilst he’s with Cookie. She’s not a ride or die chick she’s all about the Benjamin’s. I don’t agree with cheating I’ve never cheated even if I’m only seeing or dating someone I don’t mess around as I respect myself and other people’s feelings. But I can’t be too harsh on Johnson as he’s become a better person and credit is due.
Isaiah 53:5, But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes, we are healed.For salvation, people just need to follow the way they did it in Acts? They were baptized in the water and of the spirit. Here’s why! The gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. If we are to follow him, we must do the same thing. Death= repentance, Burial = baptism, and resurrection = being filled with the Holy Ghost and rising again from the dead. That’s what Acts 2:38 is.We must obey the gospel, 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that OBEY NOT THE GOSPEL of our Lord Jesus Christ… Matthew 7:21-23, Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that DOETH THE WILL OF MY FATHER which is in Heaven. St John 3:3-5, EXCEPT a man be born of WATER AND OF THE SPIRIT, he cannot enter into the kingdom of GOD.We can’t come up with our own gospel. Galatians 1:8-9, But though we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. Don’t be cursed. One way for all people. Jews, Gentiles, and Samaritan. Our salvation has to match-up with the scriptures and no scriptures on the subject can be taken away.Eternity is TOOO long to be WRONG! st, John 5:39, Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.