Twenty years ago this Monday we were returning from a Patriot League meeting in Bethlehem, Pa. and were about to cross the George Washington Bridge when a report came on the radio that NBA Superstar Earvin “Magic” Johnson had HIV. This was in the days when HIV was thought to be a death sentence, and the sports world held their breath as we watched Johnson and probably countless other athletes succumb to a disease that still much was not known about.
Here we are today, albeit still with a great deal more to do with regard to HIV and AIDS prevention, but Johnson as a brand and a person has never been stronger. We all know the story of his comeback, his inspiring message and the incredible growth of a business empire that was based on athletics but grew because of personality and an amazing will to assist. There are few people in any community, let alone poorer areas, who have not been touched by “Brand Magic Johnson” over that time. Some things of course didn’t work (the TV show), some worked OK (Starbucks) but so many have been monumental successes that even without a Hall of Fame hoops career, Earvin’s presence and his brand acumen would be worthy of so many other halls of fame. All of his success occurred in the face of battling a deadly disease and helping the world understand the difference between HIV and AIDS, and what could be and needed to be done to help turn the tide of an epidemic which knew no sexual orientation or ethnic boundry. Ironically my days working at Fordham University brought me in contact for a brief period with two of the most famous cases of HIV and athletics crossing paths. Johnson visited the campus and met with the men’s basketball team less than a year before his diagnosis (as part of a Converse outreach), and not much before that the late Arthur Ashe almost became the men’s tennis coach at Fordham, before his fatal battle with the disease.
Perhaps in the athletic world, no two men have had a greater impact on creating a better understanding and a support system for HIV than Ashe and Johnson, one in his passing and one in the role he has taken in living with the disease the past 20 years since the announcement. Ashe’s passing brought millions to his foundation, while Johnson’s career has spanned well beyond the borders of sport, and has created millions of dollars in opportunities for people around the globe to live better lives. In a perfect world, these two men would have created such legacies in business and humanitarian efforts while being free of HIV, but as we all know we do not live in a perfect world.
The shock of Johnson’s announcement still stings many, and the understanding and acceptance of HIV is an ongoing process in sport. What is accepted is that Johnson’s life is one to be admired and emulated for making the most and turning negativity into a positive experience while learning from the past. Yes he was an amazingly gifted person before the announcement. However what came afterward were legacy gifts to the business community and to the community of sport, that few could have ever imagined possible, and for that we are very grateful, even as we pause to remember the shock of the words of such an invincible star in his darkest day, some 20 years ago.
We have learned lots in that time from Johnson on so many fronts, and hopefully he will continue to let us do so well into the future as his business and philanthropic endeavors continue to break down borders and stereotypes around the world.
