Magic Johnson Turns HIV Tragedy into Inspiring Journey

Twenty Years ago the words AIDS and HIV meant that soon your friends and family would be saying goodbye to you forever.  

November 9, 1991 in a press conference in Los Angeles, Magic Johnson announced that he had contracted the HIV virus and his friends and family thought they would be saying goodbye to their friend, family member and former teammate forever.  

Before a New York Knicks vs. Orlando Magic game in Madison Square Garden, Magic’s former head coach with the Lakers, Pat Riley, who was then coaching the New York Knicks asked for a moment of silence before the Knicks' game and then led the players and crowd in the Lord's Prayer. 

Back in 1991, having HIV and AIDS was a death sentence. AIDS had taken such popular figures in sports and the entertainment world in tennis legend Arthur Ashe, Queen lead singer Freddy Mercury and film star Rock Hudson.  

But, because of Magic’s determination, grit and his ability to be a winner in every aspect of his life, 20 years later Magic is here with us as healthy as he was when he was lighting up the basketball court.  

If you take a listen to Magic’s press conference you can see how Magic knew then that he would still be here with us today.  

"Life is going to go on for me and I'm going to be a happy man," he said. "When your back is against the wall, you have to come out swinging," he said. "I'm going to go on, going to be there, going to have fun."

Magic knew that with his physical attributes he was going to beat this disease. Even the Lakers' doctor Michael Mellman knew that Magic had a great chance at beating this saying, "He is healthy now. We expect him to remain healthy and we expect him to be around for a long time." 

A lot of people would just focus on themselves in a time like this. Magic could have taken his disease, worked on himself, and forgotten about how his celebrity stature could help a lot of people. 

Instead, Magic took the education of this disease to a whole new level. He opened the Magic Johnson Foundation, has done a number of Public Service Announcements and even started teaching the public about the disease at the press conference. "I think sometimes we think, well, only gay people can get it. 'It's not going to happen to me.' And here I am saying that it can happen to anybody, even me, Magic Johnson."

Today we aren’t mourning Magic Johnson, instead we are celebrating the work he has done post his NBA life. He’s won a Gold Medal in the ’92 Summer Olympics. He runs the Magic Johnson Enterprises, that has a net worth of $700 million. 

Most importantly, Magic has raised millions upon millions of dollars for AIDS research. 

Thankfully, 20 years later we still have inspirational people like Magic around to be a role model for all of us. He took some of the worst news that anyone could ever receive and turned it into something that the whole world could benefit from.

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