VIDEO: Magic Johnson press conference at the old Capitol
Basketball Hall of Famer Earvin “Magic” Johnson recaps attending ‘A Discussion with Student-Athletes on Mental Health’ panel at the old Capitol in Tallahassee.
Rory Sharrock, Tallahassee Democrat
From his days as a player at Michigan State through Nov. 6, 1991, Earvin Magic Johnson was a household name with crossover appeal as a champion basketball superstar and product pitchman.
From Nov. 7, 1991 to the present, Earvin Magic Johnson has been a household name as a person who serves as a community activist, businessman and champion for global healthcare.
His introduction into these realms – specifically health matters – began on that date with a profound announcement during a press conference.
Standing in front of a podium with a single microphone with camera flashbulbs sounding off, Johnson said: “Because of a HIV virus that I have, I will have to retire from the Lakers, today. I just want to make clear, I don’t have the AIDS disease. I know a lot of you want to know that. The HIV virus. My wife is fine. She’s negative. I plan on going on and living for a long time.”
Although it didn’t happen overnight, those stunning 59 words of his opening statement served as the beginning of a paradigm shift. It changed the overall view of HIV and AIDS from a cultural, political athletic and economic standpoint.
Before then, this illness first had the prejudicial stance of being known as the “gay cancer.” Biggitoted people claimed it was God’s punishment for homosexuality.
The hateful commentary then transferred to it being something vile drug addicts contracted upon sharing needles.
Even with documentation of heterosexuals and non-drug addicts contracting the disease, ignorant people stubbornly held onto these ignorant explanations.
Magic didn’t fit into either of these categories.
He was a 6-foot, 9-inch All-Star point guard playing for one of the most recognizable franchises in sports.
As the floor general of the Los Angeles Lakers, Magic was a prominent figure in the 1980s that raised the popularity of the NBA to high fame.
Magic was a hero with folklore status. But when he announced he was HIV positive, it made the invincible legend vulnerable to human frailties.
I was a 14-year-old high school freshman when he went public with his health condition.
Although I never looked at it as a biblical punishment, I knew very little of HIV and AIDS. I did know AIDS was a fatal disease and we all thought Magic’s address was a precursor to a death sentence.
My knowledge of HIV and AIDS heightened the following year after learning my aunt Sharron Sharrock was diagnosed with the disease. Sadly, she died in August 1993.
Johnson’s first retirement came five months after falling to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the 1991 Finals. This would be the first of six titles for the Bulls in the decade.
We would soon learn that he personified that an illness is not a label.
Magic was back on the court for the 1992 NBA All-Star Game.
Later that summer, he was in Barcelona, Spain, competing in the Olympics with the Dream Team.
He made a brief comeback in the mid-1990s. The first stint was as a coach and then as a player. Johnson’s second NBA retirement from an on-the-court standing was in 1996.
His return was controversial as he dealt with public and private discrimination.
As time passed, Magic continued to his platform to educate the masses about preventing the spread of HIV – the virus that causes AIDS.
His passion and charisma softened hearts and helped open minds.
Along with those intangibles, his tangible presence of “not looking sick” played a role for those who held onto prejudiced ideologies.
Thirty years later, the death toll from AIDS is still alarming.
According to data from hiv.gov:
- Approximately 1.2 million people in the U.S. have HIV. About 13 percent of them don’t know it and need testing.
- HIV continues to have a disproportionate impact on certain populations, particularly racial and ethnic minorities and gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men.
- In 2019, an estimated 34,800 new HIV infections occurred in the United States.
- New HIV infections declined 8% from 37,800 in 2015 to 34,800 in 2019, after a period of general stability.
- In 2019, 36,801 people received an HIV diagnosis in the U.S. and six dependent areas—an overall 9% decrease compared with 2015.
- HIV diagnoses are not evenly distributed across states and regions. The highest rates of new diagnoses continue to occur in the South.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that African-Americans account for a higher proportion of new HIV diagnoses and people with HIV compared to other races and ethnicities.
In 2018, Black/African American people accounted for 13% of the U.S. population but 42% (16,002) of the 37,968 new HIV diagnoses.
These are issues Magic lends his voice to reduce these figures. He remains committed to preaching aloud about preventing the spread of HIV and upgrading levels of education.
His social consciousness also covers mental health.
On Nov. 2, Johnson was in Tallahassee as a guest speaker during the panel event “A Discussion with Student-Athletes on Mental Health.”
This outing took place at Historic Capitol inside the Senate Chamber. It was hosted by Simply Healthcare, a managed care plan that offers insurance in Florida for residents eligible for Medicaid, Medicare and Florida Healthy Kids.
He engaged with player representatives from the men’s basketball teams at Florida A&M and Florida State universities. There were also student-athletes from St. John Paul II Catholic High School.
The program was an outlet to have open discussions about mental health.
During the press conference, I specifically asked how beneficial it would have been to have something like this in 1991.
Straight to the point, he gave an honest answer with the “Magic touch.”
“It would’ve been better for me. I had to take on the issue with my new status. I didn’t have a lot of people to go to,” he said.
“At that time, there were a lot of stigmas associated with it. You never talked openly about it. Thank God I was strong enough to deal with it. Thank God I got with a lot of people who were living with HIV.”
It’s been 30 years since the sports world became aware of HIV and AIDS.
While there is still a lot of promiscuity with athletes, they can no longer claim ignorance with so much knowledge available.
Magic Johnson has won on every level from youth sports to NBA championships as a player and executive.
However, his victories as a humanitarian, advocate, philanthropist, entrepreneur and other titles on his business card are the ultimate heroic feats.
He defines living a life of purpose.
And in 30 years, as an elderly man, he’ll still be going strong, changing the world for the better.
Follow sportswriter Rory Sharrock on Twitter @married2game1.
Never miss a story: Subscribe to the Tallahassee Democrat using the link at the top of the page.
Credit: Source link
