In 1991, the Los Angeles Lakers legend had to make one of the toughest decisions of his life. Magic Johnson was diagnosed with HIV. This was a few months after his marriage. He soon announced his retirement from the league. Back in the day, the world did not look at people with HIV as they do now. There were various stigmas surrounding the disease.

Since then, Magic Johnson has been working as a spokesperson to remove the stigma and misunderstandings surrounding the disease for 32 years.

Magic Johnson opens up about the impact of his actions.

In a recent interview with The Healthy, Magic Johnson was asked about the significance of him returning to the NBA in 1991 after announcing his retirement the year prior.

Magic goes on to explain the effect his return to the All-Star game had on the world. Magic said, “I am happy I went back. Then-National Basketball Association commissioner David Stern and I both changed the world together.“

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This action allowed people to witness that someone with HIV can interact with people and not be afraid of others catching it in the process. As his name was announced, the crowd started cheering and gave him a standing ovation. His teammates gave him a high five, and soon after, Isiah Thomas of the Detroit Pistons came in and hugged him. This was followed by Michael Jordan and other NBA legends.

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This was an iconic moment, as it showed the world that people could live with this and go through their lives. Back then, people feared that a drop of sweat, blood, or even an incidental touch could have caused the virus to spread. These actions helped change the views of the people and were a step in the right direction. He extends all credit to David Stern for giving him this opportunity, and he has also thanked him for saving his life.

Magic shares how David Stern impacted his life.

Magic did not play in the 1992 season, but the fans voted him into the all-star game. David Stern approved of this and was willing to let Magic play even in the Olympics.

During David Stern’s memorial service, Magic said, “That’s what David wanted to do. Not only save my life, and it did that, but he also saved millions of people that we would never meet, because of the fact I was able to play and perform in the Olympics“. Magic repeated again that he could not have survived without his commissioner and the support he gave him.

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Magic has been working to eradicate the stigma since 1991. Recently, Barack Obama praised Magic for the work he has done. What do you think about the impact of Magic Johnson and David Stern on the world? Let us know in the comments!