Editing Magic Johnson (section)

=== HIV announcement and Olympics (1991–1992) ===
Johnson played with the Lakers in the [[McDonald's Open]] in Paris, France, in October 1991, and was named the tournament MVP after helping the Lakers win gold.<ref name="call">{{cite news |first1=Mark |last1=Heisler |title=Lakers Get the Better of a Close Call, 116–114: Pro basketball: The NBA remains unbeaten in McDonald's Open, but it gets by with a little help from its friends |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-10-20-sp-376-story.html |access-date=February 23, 2025 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=October 20, 1991}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first1=Natasha |last1=Carleton |title=LA Lakers bring the NBA's flair to Paris |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/san-angelo-standard-times-la-lakers-brin/166485640/ |access-date=February 23, 2025 |work=San Angelo Standard-Times |agency=Associated Press |date=October 21, 1991 |page=3B}}</ref> However, after a [[physical examination]] before the [[1991–92 NBA season]], Johnson discovered that he had tested positive for [[HIV]]. In a press conference held on November 7, 1991, Johnson made a public announcement that he would retire immediately.<ref name="espn">{{cite news |last=Weinberg |first=Rick |date=September 1, 2004 |title=7: Magic Johnson announces he's HIV-positive |publisher=ESPN |url=https://www.espn.com/espn/espn25/story?page=moments/7 |url-status=live |access-date=December 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110914185048/http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/espn25/story?page=moments%2F7 |archive-date=September 14, 2011}}</ref> He stated that his wife, Cookie, and their unborn child did not have HIV, and that he would dedicate his life to "battle this deadly disease".<ref name="espn" />

Johnson initially said that he did not know how he contracted the disease,<ref name="espn" /> but later acknowledged that it was through having numerous sexual partners during his playing career.<ref name=stunning>{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/espn/news/story?id=1273720 |title=Still stunning the world 10 years later |last=Friend |first=Tom |date=November 7, 2001 |publisher=ESPN|access-date=December 27, 2021|archive-date=March 13, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220313012921/https://www.espn.com/espn/news/story?id=1273720|url-status=live}}</ref> He admitted to having "harems of women" and talked openly about his sexual activities because "he was convinced that heterosexuals needed to know that they, too, were at risk".<ref name=stunning /> At the time, only a small percentage of HIV-positive American men had contracted it from heterosexual sex,<ref name="gaydenial">{{cite book |last=Johnson |first=Earvin "Magic" |author2=William Novak |title=My Life |year=1999 |page=225 |publisher=Black Book Company |isbn=1-902799-01-1}}</ref><ref name=gender>{{Cite book |last1=Dworkin |first1=Sharon Lee |last2=Wachs |first2=Faye Linda|editor-last1=McKay|editor-first1=Jim|editor-last2=Messner|editor-first2=Michael|editor-last3=Sabo|editor-first3=Donald |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Osehn3at7GoC&q=magic%2520johnson |chapter=The Morality/Manhood Paradox: Masculinity, Sport, and the Media |title=Masculinities, Gender Relations, and Sport |year=2000 |publisher=SAGE |pages=53–54 |isbn=978-0-7619-1272-9 |language=en|access-date=January 30, 2023|archive-date=April 27, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230427140344/https://books.google.com/books?id=Osehn3at7GoC&q=magic%20johnson|url-status=live}}</ref> and it was initially rumored that Johnson was [[gay]] or [[bisexual]], although he denied both.<ref name="gaydenial" /> Johnson later accused [[Isiah Thomas]] of spreading the rumors, a claim Thomas denied.<ref name=thomsen /><ref>Lazenby, [https://archive.org/details/showinsidestoryo00laze/page/297 pp. 297–8].</ref>

Johnson's HIV announcement became a major news story in the United States,<ref name=gender /> and in 2004 was named as ESPN's seventh-most memorable moment of the previous 25 years.<ref name=espn /> Many articles praised Johnson as a hero, and the then-U.S. president [[George H. W. Bush]] said, "For me, Magic is a hero, a hero for anyone who loves sports."<ref name=gender />

Despite his retirement, Johnson was voted by fans as a starter for the [[1992 NBA All-Star Game]] at [[Orlando Arena]], although his former teammates [[Byron Scott]] and [[A.C. Green]] said that Johnson should not play,<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1003401/index.htm |title=Most Valuable Person |last=McCallum |first=Jack |date=February 17, 1992 |magazine=Sports Illustrated|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100128120538/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1003401/index.htm|archive-date=January 28, 2010|url-status=dead|access-date=June 17, 2019}}</ref> and several NBA players, including Utah Jazz forward [[Karl Malone]], argued that they would be at risk of contamination if Johnson sustained an open wound while on court.<ref>{{cite book |last=Bork |first=Gunter |title=Die großen Basketball Stars |year=1994 |pages=90–94}} {{ISBN|3-7679-0369-5}}.</ref> Johnson led the West to a 153–113&nbsp;win and was crowned All-Star MVP after recording 25&nbsp;points, 9&nbsp;assists, and 5&nbsp;rebounds.<ref>{{cite web |first=Jon |last=Cooper |title=1992 NBA All-Star Game |url=http://www.nba.com/allstar2007/1992_allstar.html |publisher=NBA |access-date=June 11, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120210020120/http://www.nba.com/allstar2007/1992_allstar.html|archive-date=February 10, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> The game ended after he made a last-minute [[three-pointer]], and players from both teams ran onto the court to congratulate Johnson.<ref name="magiclarryquotes">{{cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/history/Classic_NBA_Quotes_Magic_and_Larry.html |title=Classic NBA Quotes: Magic and Larry |website=NBA Encyclopedia: Playoff Edition|access-date=June 11, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120210023632/http://www.nba.com/history/Classic_NBA_Quotes_Magic_and_Larry.html|archive-date=February 10, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Johnson was chosen to compete in the [[Basketball at the 1992 Summer Olympics|Barcelona 1992 Summer Olympics]] for the [[United States men's national basketball team|U.S. national team]], dubbed the "[[1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team|Dream Team]]" because of the NBA stars on the roster.<ref>Ten of the 12 players on the team were named on the NBA's list of [[50 Greatest Players]]: {{cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/history/dreamT_moments.html |title=The Original Dream Team |publisher=NBA |access-date=June 11, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120516085220/http://www.nba.com/history/dreamT_moments.html|archive-date=May 16, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Dream Team, which along with Johnson included fellow [[Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame|Hall of Famers]] such as Bird, [[Michael Jordan]], and [[Charles Barkley]], was considered unbeatable.<ref name=gold>[http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/national/moly_1992.html "Games of the XXVth Olympiad – 1992."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100718073041/http://www.usabasketball.com/mens/national/moly_1992.html |date=July 18, 2010 }}. ''www.usabasketball.com.'' Retrieved May 9, 2017.</ref> After qualifying for the Olympics with a gold medal at the [[1992 Tournament of the Americas]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AA8wAAAAIBAJ&pg=6822,1672263 |title=From Rip City to Barcelona |agency=Associated Press |newspaper=Toledo Blade |page=17 |date=July 6, 1992|access-date=April 24, 2022|archive-date=April 24, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220424224812/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AA8wAAAAIBAJ&pg=6822,1672263|url-status=live}}</ref> the Dream Team dominated in Olympic competition, winning the gold medal with an 8–0 record, beating their opponents by an average of 43.8 points per game. Johnson averaged 8.0 points per game during the Olympics, and his 5.5 assists per game was second on the team.<ref name=gold /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/history/dreamT_moments.html |title=The Original Dream Team |publisher=NBA|access-date=June 11, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120516085220/http://www.nba.com/history/dreamT_moments.html|archive-date=May 16, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> Johnson played infrequently because of knee problems,<ref name=knee>{{Cite web |last=Barnard |first=Bill |title=Knee injury knocks Magic out of Dream Team lineup against Germany |work=The Bend Bulletin |page=D-5|date=July 29, 1992 |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1243&dat=19920729&id=TV4PAAAAIBAJ&sjid=kYYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3579,2868782|access-date=December 10, 2024}}</ref> but he received [[standing ovation]]s from the crowd, and used the opportunity to inspire HIV-positive people.<ref name="borkstars" />