February 22, 2012
This weekend, Earvin "Magic" Johnson returns to the scene of the most socially significant sports moment since April 15, 1947, when Jackie Robinson ended baseball's long-accepted segregation policy.
On that day, Robinson became the first player of color to play in a major league baseball game for the Brooklyn Dodgers.
On February 9, 1992, Johnson became the first person — period — to play in a professional sports contest while openly acknowledging he was HIV positive. He carried a transmittable disease that was thought, at the time, to be a death sentence.
Like Robinson before him, Johnson's mere presence and participation in that game changed the world forever.
Robinson proved that blacks and whites could play on the same field on a daily basis. Johnson — along with some help from NBA commissioner David Stern and players Tim Hardaway and Dennis Rodman — proved that mere contact between bodies of sweaty basketball players wouldn't transfer the malady from an afflicted person to someone who is healthy. It changed the way many people dealt with the disease and its victims.
Johnson decided to fight the disease publicly and help fast-track the research when he retired on November 7, 1991, at a surreal news conference at The Forum in Los Angeles. While it would have been normal and acceptable for him to be depressed by the devastating diagnosis, he wasn't looking for pity. He seemed to be the one consoling teammates, management and reporters, even promising at the end that he would beat the disease and be around a long time.
Johnson said it wasn't bravado that prompted the seemingly impossible promise; he truly believed he was going to be OK.
"I've always been a strong person," Johnson said this week. "God just blessed me with that inner strength. But my dad, I probably take after him because he's a strong man and I'm just like him.
"I've always been about others, and I wanted to make sure that I remained the leader that I was and the leader that they knew. So, when I had to announce that I had HIV, I'm still Earvin Johnson, even though I'm dealing with HIV. I'm still that leader; still that positive person.
"I'm the guy that gets everybody going, so I wasn't going to change. It was important that my teammates saw that, as well as Dr. (Jerry) Buss, the fans, the (city) and the HIV and AIDS community as well."
This season marks the 20th anniversary of Johnson's first retirement — he had a short comeback in 1996 — and his surprising inclusion on the Western Conference team that would play in the All-Star Game in Orlando.
Even after the fans voted him in, it was up to Stern to decide if a retired player — let alone one with a possibly fatal, possibly contagious illness — would be allowed to play.
Stern approved, giving the fans what they wanted, giving Johnson a chance to leave the game somewhat on his own terms. It was expected that Magic would get a few cursory minutes, wave to the crowd and ride off to the rest of his life.
Thankfully, it didn't quite work out that way.
Hardaway, the point guard for the Golden State Warriors, made a fantastic gesture, giving up his starting spot to Magic, who then did what he does best.
Representing the Lakers along with forward James Worthy, the game's greatest point guard played 29 minutes, scoring a game-high 25 points, handing out nine assists and grabbing five rebounds. He also hit three straight three-pointers late in the game and was named the game's Most Valuable Player.
The West beat the East 153-113, but the story was the Magic Man, who did the remarkable one more time.
"I think (me playing in that game) had a great impact on the world," Johnson said. "There was some uncertainty with players who didn't know if they could play against me; what could happen. And there was the question 'Could he still play?' So, all those things were uncertainties before the game started.
"Once the game started, we started just playing basketball. It was fun. It was great.
"Then Dennis Rodman took it upon himself to show people he was going to body me (on defense), play hard against me, play aggressive. I think that really calmed (some players) down. Then the way I played and performed let people know I could still play.
"Winning the MVP and hitting those three three-pointers in the fourth quarter showed everybody that (I) could still play. And that (I was) OK and you can play against (me). Nothing's going to happen.
"I think it did a lot for the world and a lot for (the people) with HIV and AIDS and for people dealing with anything. It showed you can go on and live a productive life. The NBA and that All-Star Game in Orlando educated the world, and it was great therapy for me."
And it was a great moment for sports and society.
Joe McDonnell is an award-winning journalist/talk show host. He joined FoxSportsWest.com in February 2011 as a writer/podcaster. Named LA Daily News Sports Talk Host of the Decade, he won the yearly award 7 times. He's also won 2 Golden Mics.
