Magic Johnson is remembered as an extraordinary player on the court before his 1191 announcement that shocked the sports world when he declared that he had contracted HIV, the precursor to the AIDS virus. While he may be recognized more for his phenomenal play and now his work with HIV advocacy as he continues to live prove that the disease can be overcome, now more than 20 years after the announcement, he should also be recognized for overcoming incredible stereotypes and his lasting impact on the NBA in regards to safety.
One highlight of the entire Magic Johnson HIV announcement is the fact that from the beginning, he received incredibly positive support from the media, teammates, and fans. This, however, was challenged fairly early on, especially following his personal reinstatement to the Lakers organization. It was Johnson’s perseverance, however, that I feel should be highlighted in this blog, as he overcame many harsh words that were kept out of the media as to not take away from the incredible feat that he was looking to trounce.
Just about every story that was published regarding Johnson’s return to the NBA was positive, filled of inspiring words and encouragement from fellow Lakers and others around the NBA. There was, however, some very harsh words that Magic had to endure as he made his return in an effort to make a statement for all people infected with the disease that there is no threat those surrounding them, a common fear.
Although doctors quickly made efforts to disprove this theory at the time Johnson announced he would like to return, a common fear was that others involved risked contamination from being in contact with Johnson. In an independent study of readers of the Los Angeles Times, when asked if Johnson should play in the NBA All-Star game, “the newspaper reported that 2,941 responded no, 1,810 yes” (Almond, 1992). The majority of the respondents gave the reasoning that Johnson could transmit the infection to another player through physical conduct, even though experts stressed the unlikelihood of an occurrence. While that same article said that “all the players talked to said they support Johnson’s return to the game,” (Almond) there was still another side of the argument that wasn’t as publicized, especially on the West Coast.
Karl Malone, All-Star forward for the Jazz at the time, was one of the most outspoken regarding Johnson’s return. In an interview with the New York Times published one year after Johnson’s HIV announcement and just before his efforts to return to the NBA, Malone made it known that he was challenging the widespread belief that a return was universally welcomed. Malone’s main argument, much like the LA Times reasoning for their disapproval to his playing in the All Star game, revolved around the possibility of contamination through contact. “Look at this, scabs and cuts all over me. I get these every night, every game. They [doctors] can’t tell you that you’re not at risk, and you can’t tell me there’s one guy in the NBA who hasn’t thought about it. (Araton, 1992) This statement is not only saying that he is against a Johnson return, but that his feelings aren’t isolated, and perhaps he was right. Gerald Wilkins, who was with Cleveland, was quoted in the same article in agreement with Malone, stating that “everybody’s talking about it. Some people are scared. This could be dangerous to us all, but you’re dealing with Magic Johnson, so people are handling it with white gloves. They’re not going to say how they really feel.” (Araton) The article goes on to say that although there was great support from many players around the league, there were countless players, many who requested to remain anonymous, that expressed emotions from concern to fear of playing against Johnson.
With the concern of playing against Magic being voiced by many, there then comes the question of the game’s legitimacy, as many players voiced that they would be backing off from defending Johnson because of the virus.
When looking at these arguments, many which come from Johnson’s NBA peers, I think it is even more extraordinary that he had the courage to make a comeback to the NBA, and actually make an impact. In his 1995-96 NBA return, Johnson recorded 468 points, averaging just over 14.5 over 32 games, with 9 starts, numbers significant lower than his pre-HIV playing days, but still impressive with the controversy that stirred around him and his return.
Another aspect of Johnson’s return that is not frequently highlighted is his impact on the game from a behind the scenes aspect. Not only was Johnson making headlines for his return to the game, paving the way for HIV patients to live a more “normal” life as Johnson’s return may disprove the common theory that the virus could be caught as easily as the common cold, but he also had a lasting impact on NBA medical staff regulations. Following Johnson’s announcement, the NBA implemented several precautionary measures regarding player safety when handling injuries. These measures, which seem like common sense to most, are really thanks to Johnson’s return efforts. Had it not been for Johnson and his advocacy, player safety may had gone on to be at risk due to the lack of strict rules regarding player injuries on the court. “Among the precautionary measures [enacted following Johnson’s announcement] is the rule that players who get cut during a game must immediately leave the court.” (Araton) In addition to this rule, another which is hard to believe that it wasn’t enacted far sooner is that trainers were now instructed to wear latex gloves while treating players, and that they must handle each player’s towels and items such as water bottles separately.
Of course, Magic’s ability to overcome the HIV virus and live a very lengthy and strong life despite contracting the disease is commendable, and the work he has done off the court as an advocate for the virus is remarkable as well, but it should be noted that his return to the league was not welcomed by all. It was this perseverance that should be noted, as many forget that for all the positive encouragement he received from teammates and the commissioner, there were countless players and fans opposed to his return, a lot to overcome for a player that was in such a spotlight his whole career. He also changed the way the game was handled, and how injuries were dealt with on the court, leaving a lasting impact on the game for many reasons.
Marc, great job on the blog post i found this topic to be very intesting to read about and talk about. I have to agree with you that i was shocked to see the support that Magic got from teammates and friends when he announced that he had HIV / Aids. I know that for me whenever i think of HIV / Aids the first person that pops into my mind is Magic Johnson and how he has been able to beat the disease. He has also been a great spokes person for the disease as well. Very nices job on the blog post i enjoyed reading it.
ReplyDeleteTyler Clifton
I agree with you that his perseverance is something that should be highlighted and is often times overlooked. Many people could've just avoided the media, to avoid much of the criticism that Magic received, but Magic never backed down. He knew that he could make a difference, so he did that by being a spokesperson for HIV and getting the word out to others and making it be known that you can still live a good life. I think one of the best things that Magic did was return to the NBA to continue to play. Although, many of the athletes were opposed to him coming back, I think what he did was amazing. It gives other people hope. Others that may contract this virus can look at what Magic did, and realize that their life isn't over just because they caught a bad break, they still can continue on doing what they love to do, just like what Magic did.
ReplyDelete-Paxin Stern
Great job your blog Marc! You pointed a lot of great points throughout your blog. I know when I heard that Magic Johnson was diagnosed with HIV; I was surprised that he did not receive as much negativity, especially since he said that he had contracted the disease from having numerous sexual partners during his playing days. You would think that him being such a high profile celebrity that society would shut him down. I think that what he had planned and has planned to do is what changed that into a positive way. I think that with the support from his family, friends, fans, teammates and the media, he is able to have this longevity. I know for me, letting Magic play again is hard question to answer. I would have loved to see Magic come back. I think that it sucks that his plan to return to the league was not welcomed, but everyone has their own opinion.
ReplyDeleteAlicia Jefferson
This is some great information, it really elaborating what we learned and discussed in class. Johnson truly became the advocate for the disease, for those affected first hand and for those individuals who have the disease and never believed it could happen to them. When looking at players like Karl Malone who spoke out about the issue, we have to keep in mind what year it was. Players had every right to be scared, there was little education about the disease and it was often seen as a disease only gay males get. So much probably ran through so many players heads when Johnson made the big announcement. “Look at this, scabs and cuts all over me. I get these every night, every game. They [doctors] can’t tell you that you’re not at risk, and you can’t tell me there’s one guy in the NBA who hasn’t thought about it." As a player, I think this quote accurately describes what player's during the NBA truly thought, I feel as if many players felt scared and could easily relate to this quote but many never spoke out on it. I think since Johnson players in the NBA are much more educated about HIV/AIDS and their mindsets about the disease have completely changed.
ReplyDelete-Chelsea VanAssche
I agree with Alicia, it seems that a situation like this today would create a lot more negative feedback then it did at that time. It seems like the media now loves to put a negative spin on things today and call people out for their flaws. Magic Johnson did mess up, but also responded tremendously positive about his misfortune and became a huge role in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
ReplyDeleteMatt Pitzulo
I was very supportive of Magic Johnson when he came out to the public to begin his fight against HIV/AIDS. At first I felt very sympathetic toward him because he had contracted the disease and he was an NBA star who was respected and bad things can happen to good people. I didn't realize at that point that he had slept with roughly 20,000 different women because with a number that high something is bound to happen. This disease is serious, which is why I remain sympathetic, but my level of support dropped after I saw the number of women. I do believe though that he shouldn't have been treated differently when he decided to return to the NBA because precautions can be taken in order to prevent the disease from spreading.
ReplyDeleteCasey Daulbaugh