REVIEW | Magic at 50: Educator, businessman, symbol of hope

He stood behind the small Forum Club podium full of life ... and absolutely dead. We were sure of it. Dead Man Standing. The Lakers' Magic Johnson was making perhaps the most shocking announcement in NBA history on that day almost 18 years ago. He had HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Bathed in the ignorance of the time, we looked at him and envisioned a horrific, imminent end. Earvin "Magic" Johnson didn't envision anything like it, though. He was not through with an amazing life that has defied expectations and continues to break barriers. Magic, 32 years old then, was just getting started.

Friday, 14th August, 2009, Magic turned 50, and if he's been somewhat rounded by age, he appears healthy and beaming with life. Just as he was a unique 6-foot-9 point guard, he has, since that November day in 1991, become an unlikely educator of millions, teaching us that becoming infected with the HIV virus is not the same as a rapid descent into AIDS. And for anyone who scoffed at his forays into the business world, who saw Johnson as an athlete and little else, his tremendous entrepreneurial skills have turned him into the poster boy for post-athletic success.

"It's a great story to see him so vibrant and healthy and successful with another endeavor in his life," said Jerry West, the Lakers' former general manager.
Back on Nov. 7, 1991, when Magic stood at the podium, little was understood about HIV and AIDS. Fear was rampant, the worst most often visualized. Magic was fresh off a season in which he had led the Lakers back to the NBA Finals despite the retirement of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, but he had come home early from a lengthy preseason trip. Word was that he was ill, though no one could imagine how ill. In those days, the public was so ill-informed about HIV and AIDS that many thought they were one and the same. "I think everybody looked at him like he was a dead man," John Nadel, the veteran sports writer for The Associated Press in Los Angeles, broke the story said. "Everybody thought it was a death sentence."

A team, a league, a city and a nation were trying to put into perspective the news that one of the greatest players in NBA history was now in an unexpected battle for his life. Yet Magic was hardly ready to go quietly. He had the financial means to receive the best medical treatment possible. He had the willpower to do everything he could to educate himself. He was about to become an HIV expert. His legendary work ethic and competitive desire now had new focus. As the years wore on and Magic remained healty, he became a symbol of hope for those with HIV. He championed education, safe sex and the advancement of medical research. "With his attitude and workout regimen and change of diet, he was definitely able to stave off the advancement of the disease," said Thompson, now a team broadcaster. "He's a walking testament to willpower and trying to live your life the right way, that you can overcome almost anything."

Magic on the Forum Club podium making the most shocking announcement in NBA history 18 years ago.

Larry Bird and Magic Johnson pose with the Larry O'Brien trophy to promote their first meeting in the 1984 NBA Finals.

Magic vs. Bird

While securing his health, Magic also was building a financial empire outside of basketball. He saw opportunity in depressed minority urban areas. He knew powerful people from his playing career and used both their expertise and financial assistance. He began with a movie theater in South Central Los Angeles. Then came partnerships with major corporations. Soon his Magic Johnson Enterprises was succeeding in inner city areas long ignored by most of corporate America. Last year, his businesses were estimated to be worth more than $700 million. He has more than 100 Starbucks, 30 Burger Kings, a dozen 24-hour Fitness centers, a TGI Fridays and partnerships with health and food-service companies. In 2008 he released a book, 32 Ways to be a Champion in Business. On the court, of course, he was one of the best to ever play. He and Larry Bird were credited with reviving the NBA, leading it to new heights. He won five NBA championships and three MVP awards. And he was the ultimate team player, one who played with an almost infectious zeal. "He was one of the most unique players I've ever seen, maybe the most unique," West said. "Here's a guy who was 6-foot-8 1/2, who had more skill, more size, and it was just a horrible matchup for anyone you played against. On top of that, the determination and the passion he played with was so uplifting for his teammates and the people who loved to watch him play."

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 Lakers–Celtics games. Similarly, Bird admitted that Johnson's daily box score was the first thing he checked in the morning. Several journalists hypothesized that the Johnson–Bird rivalry was so appealing because it represented many other contrasts, such as the clash between the Lakers and Celtics, between Hollywood flashiness ("Showtime") and Boston/Indiana blue collar grit ("Celtic Pride"), 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. Sports journalist Larry Schwartz of ESPN asserted that Johnson and Bird saved the NBA from bankruptcy. Despite their on-court rivalry, Johnson and Bird became good friends; ironically, they became close during the filming of a 1984 Converse shoe advertisement that depicted them as enemies. Johnson appeared at Bird's retirement ceremony in 1992, and described Bird as a "friend forever"; during Johnson's Hall of Fame ceremony, Bird formally inducted his old rival.

Background
Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Jr. (born August 14, 1959), is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers. He won a championship and an NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award in his rookie season, and won four more championships with the Lakers during the 1980s. Johnson retired abruptly in 1991 after announcing that he had HIV, but returned to play in the 1992 All-Star Game, winning the All-Star MVP Award. After protests from his fellow players, he retired again for four years, but returned in 1996 to play 32 games for the Lakers before retiring for the third and final time.
Johnson's career achievements include three NBA MVP Awards, nine NBA Finals appearances, twelve All-Star games, and ten All-NBA First and Second Team nominations. He led the league in regular-season assists four times, and is the NBA's all-time leader in assists per game, with an average of 11.2. Johnson was a member of the "Dream Team", the U.S. basketball team that won the Olympic gold medal in 1992. Johnson was honored as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996, and enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002. He was rated the greatest NBA point guard of all time by ESPN in 2007. His friendship and rivalry with Boston Celtics star Larry Bird, whom he faced in the 1979 NCAA finals and three NBA championship series, were well documented. Since his retirement, Johnson has been an advocate for HIV/AIDS prevention and safe sex, as well as a philanthropist and motivational speaker.

Career highlights and Awards
• 5× NBA Champion (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988)
• 3× NBA MVP (1987, 1989, 1990)
• 12× All-Star (1980, 1982–1992)
• 3× NBA Finals MVP (1980, 1982, 1987)
• 9× All-NBA First Team Selection (1983–1991)
• 1× All-NBA Second Team Selection (1982)
• 1980 NBA All-Rookie Team
• 2× NBA All-Star Game MVP (1990, 1992)
• NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team

Info: Steve Dilbeck for nba.com, additional info;alsaINTERACTIVEMEDIA
Photos: nba.com,alsaINTERACTIVEMEDIA

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