Magic Johnson And Hiv
Johnson has been living with HIV since 1991 but he could have had the disease before that time and just did not know. As of 2013, he was 54 years old. If you look at a list of people who have had HIV, you will see that not too many of them make it to the half-century mark. Johnson has been able to take medications on a daily basis to help prevent the disease from killing him.
Magic Johnsons Hiv Diagnosis
Its November 7, 1991, and Magic Johnson has just announced at a press event that he has tested HIV positive. Beside him at the podium is his wife of only two months and the soon-to-be mother of his son, Cookie Johnson.
The nation is utterly floored by the news. This is because, in 1991, Magic Johnson was the face of the NBA, possibly one of the most beloved players at the time.
A lot of people started to wonder if Johnson was gay because up to this point it had only been queer celebrities who had been diagnosed with the disease. A lot of the celebrities were outed for their sexuality.
People like Liberace, Freddie Mercury, and Rock Hudson had all been outed because of either their deaths from HIV/AIDS-related illness or their diagnosis.
In reality, Magic Johnson was the very first heterosexual celebrity to announce their diagnosis publicly. His decision to go public was mostly due to the insistence of an AIDS activist.
As this article from Frontline explains, it was Elizabeth Glaser who convinced Magic to go public with his HIV diagnosis. Glaser ended up with the disease when she had to have a blood transfusion while giving birth to her daughter.
Glasers infection led to the infection of both her daughter and her son. This was because during the height of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s and 90s, donated blood wasnt tested for HIV.
You can watch Magic Johnsons announcement to the press of his HIV diagnosis in the below video.
Relationship With Jerry Buss
Magic Johnson had an extremely close relationship with Lakers owner Jerry Buss, whom he saw as a mentor and a father figure. Calling Buss his “second father” and “one of best friends”, Johnson spent five hours visiting Buss at the hospital just a few months before his death from cancer. Speaking to media just hours after Buss had died, Johnson was emotional, saying, “Without Dr. Jerry Buss, there is no Magic.” Buss acquired the team from Jack Kent Cooke in 1979, shortly before he drafted Johnson with the #1 pick in the 1979 NBA draft. In addition to playing 13 seasons for the Lakers and coaching the team briefly in 1994, Johnson also had an ownership stake in the team for nearly twenty years. Buss took a special interest in Johnson, introducing him to important Los Angeles business contacts and showing him how the Lakers organization was run, before eventually selling Johnson a stake in the team in 1994. Johnson credits Buss with giving him the business knowledge that enabled him to become part owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
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Magic Johnson & Wife Cookie’s Entire Marriage Was ‘messy’
A new documentary about Magic and Cookie Johnson was recently released on Youtube. The filmmaker explored how the couple met, and eventually married.
According to this documentary, Magic and Cookie have had a lot of scandal in their relationship – and we’re not even talking about the HIV stuff .
The craziest part is that Magic and Cookie were actually separated in 2001 and eventually got back together.
Watch the video – it’s pretty good:
Here are some cliff notes from the video:
How Did Magic Johnson Influence The World
He knew where everyone played on the court, and when to make unexpected passes to them. It turned out that Earvin Johnson, also known as Magic, had an excellent amount of assists. Magic became an AIDS and HIV awareness advocate, as well as having written a book about safe sex in the years since his basketball career ended.
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Rivalry With Larry Bird
Johnson and Bird were first linked as rivals after Johnson’s Michigan State squad defeated Bird’s Indiana State team in the 1979 NCAA finals. The rivalry continued in the NBA, and reached its climax when Boston and Los Angeles met in three out of four NBA Finals from 1984 to 1987. Johnson asserted that for him, the 82-game regular season was composed of 80 normal games, and two LakersCeltics games. Similarly, Bird admitted that Johnson’s daily box score was the first thing he checked in the morning.
Several journalists hypothesized that the JohnsonBird rivalry was so appealing because it represented many other contrasts, such as the clash between the Lakers and Celtics, between Hollywood flashiness and Boston/Indiana blue collar grit , and between blacks and whites. The rivalry was also significant because it drew national attention to the faltering NBA. Prior to Johnson and Bird’s arrival, the NBA had gone through a decade of declining interest and low TV ratings. With the two future Hall of Famers, the league won a whole generation of new fans, drawing both traditionalist adherents of Bird’s dirt court Indiana game and those appreciative of Johnson’s public park flair. According to sports journalist Larry Schwartz of ESPN, Johnson and Bird saved the NBA from bankruptcy.
Rookie Season In The Nba
Johnson was drafted first overall in 1979 by the Los Angeles Lakers. Johnson said that what was “most amazing” about joining the Lakers was the chance to play alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the team’s 7 ft 2 in center who became the leading scorer in NBA history. Despite Abdul-Jabbar’s dominance, he had failed to win a championship with the Lakers, and Johnson was expected to help them achieve that goal. Lakers coach Jack McKinney had the 6-foot-9-inch rookie Johnson, who some analysts thought should play forward, be a point guard, even though incumbent Norm Nixon was already one of the best in the league. Johnson averaged 18.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game for the season, was selected to the NBA All-Rookie Team, and was named an NBA All-Star Game starter.
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The Lakers Legend Remembers How Telling His Wife Was The Most Difficult Part Of Being Diagnosed With Hiv
Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson has become a living testament to advances in medicine that have turned human immunodeficiency virus from a death sentence into something that can be managed and lived with. While Johnson can now attest to 30 years of life after being diagnosed with HIV, his journey living with the disease has been far from easy.
During an appearance on CBS Mornings, Magic Johnson discussed living with HIV three decades after he was initially diagnosed with the virus prior to the 1991-92 NBA season. Johnson remembered the devastation of his diagnosis, and said that the most difficult part was having to tell his wife Cookie — who he had just married, and whom had just become pregnant with their child.
“It was hard because I loved her so much and I hated to hurt her,” Magic Johnson said.
Its still the toughest thing Ive ever had to do in my life: says that he hated having to tell his wife about his HIV diagnosis. But 30 years later, the NBA legend is still pursuing his passions, with Cookie by his side.
Magic Johnson Revealed His Hiv Diagnosis In 1991
In 1991, Magic Johnson dropped a bombshell on the NBA by announcing his HIV diagnosis. At the time, a lot of misinformation surrounded the AIDS epidemic. The perception was that the disease was a walking death sentence. Because of it, Johnson announced his immediate retirement at the same press conference.
You just sit there and say, what does this mean? Am I gonna die?’ Johnson said of his HIV diagnosis, during a November 2021 interview with Gayle King on CBS Mornings. Im asking him 100 times, Are you sure?’ J. And they say, Hey, we ran the tests a couple of times, and yes, you do have HIV. And so I just lost it right there, you know?
At the time, he said he didnt want to hurt the sport or put other players at risk. Johnson didnt stay away, however. After a four-year hiatus, Magic returned to the Lakers for a final season in 1996, armed with more knowledge and resolve about his disease.
Many people at the time didnt understand the nature of HIV and expected Johnson to not only be highly contagious but to also whither away quickly. HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, works more slowly, however. AIDS, which stands for Auto-Immune Deficiency Syndrome, destroys a persons immune system over time, causing them to eventually die from other conditions that their body isnt equipped to fight off.
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Repeat And Falling Short
Before the 198788 NBA season, Lakers coach Pat Riley publicly promised that they would defend the NBA title, even though no team had won consecutive titles since the Celtics did so in the 1969 NBA Finals. Johnson had another productive season with averages of 19.6 points, 11.9 assists, and 6.2 rebounds per game despite missing 10 games with a groin injury. In the 1988 playoffs, the Lakers swept the San Antonio Spurs in 3 games, then survived two 43 series against the Utah Jazz and the Dallas Mavericks to reach the Finals and face Thomas and the Detroit Pistons, who with players such as Bill Laimbeer, John Salley, Vinnie Johnson and Dennis Rodman were known as the “Bad Boys” for their physical style of play. Johnson and Thomas greeted each other with a kiss on the cheek before the opening tip of Game 1, which they called a display of brotherly love. After the teams split the first six games, Lakers forward and Finals MVP James Worthy had his first career triple-double of 36 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists, and led his team to a 108105 win. Despite not being named MVP, Johnson had a strong championship series, averaging 21.1 points on .550 shooting, 13.0 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game. It was the fifth and final NBA championship of his career.
Battles Against The Celtics
In the 198485 regular season, Johnson averaged 18.3 points, 12.6 assists, and 6.2 rebounds per game, and led the Lakers into the 1985 NBA Finals, where they faced the Celtics again. The series started poorly for the Lakers when they allowed an NBA Finals record 148 points to the Celtics in a 34-point loss in Game 1. However, Abdul-Jabbar, who was now 38 years old, scored 30 points and grabbed 17 rebounds in Game 2, and his 36 points in a Game 5 win were instrumental in establishing a 32 lead for Los Angeles. After the Lakers defeated the Celtics in six games, Abdul-Jabbar and Johnson, who averaged 18.3 points on .494 shooting, 14.0 assists, and 6.8 rebounds per game in the championship series, said the Finals win was the highlight of their careers.
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Cookie Johnson On Coming To Terms With Her Son Being Gay
The couple never kept it secret that their son, Earvin Johnson III, who goes by E.J., is gay, but Cookie and Magic Johnson explained how they came to terms with it.
I have pictures of all the Little League stuff I put him in and the baseball teams and the football teams. And it just wasn’t his thing. Ultimately you want your child to be happy, she said.
But I also knew that Earvin didn’t understand. And I was still trying to figure it out. I’m not going to sit here and say that I understood that he was gay at that time, because I didn’t. I just knew that this is what made him happy. And as time went on, it never changed.
Magic said he had a change of heart after a tough conversation with his son.
I had to come to realize that this is who he is, and he’s going to be happy. And so why am I judging him? Magic said. Im his father, so I got to be the first one to say, It’s OK and I love you. Now, how can I help you?”
E.J. went public with his sexual orientation in 2013 and owned his public debut as the news was picked up by entertainment sites. E.J. went on to become a reality star of Es Rich Kids of Beverly Hills and his own spinoff show, EJNYC, which premiered this summer.
Magic Johnson Marks 30 Years Since Disclosing His Hiv Status
Plus, as an ambassador for the NBAs 75th season, Magic Johnson encourages players and fans alike to get COVID-19 vaccinations.
Thirty years ago, an HIV disclosure stunned the world. On November 7, 1991, Magic Johnson, then at the height of his NBA stardom, held a press conference to announce that he had tested positive for HIVthe virus that can cause AIDSand was retiring from the Los Angeles Lakers immediately. This was six years before effective combination treatment became available and at a time when an HIV diagnosis was widely viewed as a death sentence.
Much has changed since then.
Today, Johnson is great and thriving while living with HIV. Though he used to take HIV meds three times a day, hes down to one daily pill, and his virus is undetectable, he told CBS Mornings cohost Gayle King last week . Whats more, hes a 62-year-old grandfather and the CEO of Magic Johnson Enterprises, an investment company focused on underserved communities. And hes an ambassador to the NBA, which is celebrating its 75th season in that role, he encourages players to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
God has really blessed me! Today marks 30 years living with HIV so the message resonated with me in such a tremendous way. I thank the Lord for keeping me, giving me strength, and guiding me for 62 years but especially the last 30. ????????
Earvin Magic Johnson
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Magic Johnsons Life Now
Thanks to the invention of the triple-drug cocktail to treat HIV/AIDS positive individuals in 1995, Magic Johnson was able to avoid the agonizing and drawn-out deaths that were suffered by the likes of Eazy E and Freddie Mercury.
While he is still HIV positive as there is no cure for the virus, Johnson has been able to live a relatively normal life. His wife Cookie and son EJ remain HIV negative.
Cartman And Kyle Still Have Hiv Or
Even do in the episode they get cured by a ton of money. It is more a refrense to that you basicly can live a normal long life if you get medecin that inhibits the HIV virus. Det medecin cost money and poor people in Africa dont get the meds, why they die. The episode was actully really educative and good when it come to HIV/AIDS. The thing to it dose not exit a cure against HIV. So that means they still should have HIV. But i mean its a TV-show were people can be rebron. But they usally are consitent and logical, so sure you can say that they got money into there blood and get cure and that it is. But i think that is more an abstract refrense to that money is the reason people have to suffer in poor cuntreis and why its okey to live with HIV in countreis that have money and healthcare.
So what do you thin?. Do they still have HIV or are they 100% cured, cause its south park lul.
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Cookie Johnson Proves How Normal Life With Hiv Is Aims To Get ‘noise’ Going Again About The Disease
In just another ten years, Cookie Johnson’s life as an HIV-awareness advocate would have outpaced, her humble upbringing in Detroit, her stint as a department store buyer in Toledo, Ohio, and, most notably, her life as the wife of an NBA great.
But while HIV advocacy is a platform Johnson says she had to arrive at swiftly, following her husband, Earvin “Magic” Johnson’s 1991 announcement about his battle with the disease, it’s one that she’s been speaking from ever since.
“The thing I had to come to grips with right ways was, are we going to let this disease take over us and destroy our family? Or are we going to fight for it?,” Johnson told The Huffington Post, recalling the emotional jam she found herself in between her husband’s diagnosis, learning that she was two months pregnant and educating herself about what was then thought to be a terminal disease. “I had to make that decision right away, because he was letting me know, ‘Im letting you off the hook. I did this thing, so you dont have to deal with it if you dont want to, she said. “But I ultimately chose to save my husband and my family.”
Johnson elaborated on her passion for HIV advocacy took shape in an interview with The Huffington Post and why other women need to join the fight on the eve of this year’s National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.
Thats been our fight ever since. Weve never stopped — 22 years later.
Thats something that I learned in doing this work.
Hivs Effect On Johnsons Career
Not only did the HIV diagnosis cause many to speculate that Magic Johnson was gay, but it also had a huge impact on his career in the NBA. Shortly after he announced that he was HIV positive, Johnson made the decision to retire from basketball.
He said in an ABC PrimeTime Live interview, that he was retiring because of the reaction of people to a cut that he got while playing. When asked about the cut he got, he said he just felt like people were too concerned about it.
He told interviewer Chris Wallace, I said between this, and all the criticism, its just too much. Its gonna happen all year long. Scraped. Whether I get cut or somebody else. Boom. Theres that panic. Theres that fear.
Johnsons retirement announcement still didnt stop fans from voting him into the 1992 NBA All-Star Game. Even though some of his fellow players didnt want him to play, Johnson attended the event and ended up being awarded the MVP title.
He also represented the United States at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics as a part of what became known as the dream team. A team of basketball players including Micheal Jordan and Larry Bird.
Despite retiring due to his disease and concerns surrounding it, Johnson was planning on making an NBA comeback for the 92-93 season. That plan was abandoned when a lawsuit was filed against him by one of his ex-lovers who stated she had contracted the HIV virus from Johnson.
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