The Announcement

I remember the Lakers announcing something to the effect of Magic having the flu and that he wouldn't be playing in the first few games of the '91-'92 season. Then came November 7th, 1991. I was in the 8th grade and my boy Derick Valentine called me on the phone and told me that Magic Johnson had AIDS and had retired. This was before Twitter and Facebook and texting so we didn't find out until hours after the announcement. And as a society we really didn't know what AIDS was. Sure enough, a few minutes later I remember seeing on NBC Nightly News that Magic Johnson had retired. In my mind at the time, Magic was going to be dead in 5 years based on what we did know about HIV/AIDS. I was stunned. Despite my love for the Chicago Bulls and Michael Jordan, how could you not like Magic Johnson? Before the explosion of Jordan, which wouldn't have happened had it not been for Magic and Bird bringing fans and viewers back to the NBA, you were either with the Lakers or the Celtics. Up to this point, this didn't happen to famous people. Surely not one of the greatest basketball players ever. But this changed everything. Magic was now playing point in the game to educate the world about HIV/AIDS. And 20 years later, he's still here. No one will ever forget the '92 All-Star Game where he showed that he's not dead. That smile is still as magnetic as ever. His influence is felt not just in basketball but in the business world. Magic was a winner on the court, but even if AIDS eventually takes his life, he's beaten it. He didn't run from it, he took it head on. What an example.