Johnson's anti-AIDS story: "The magician" plays a magic of life

Earvin "Magic" Johnson, the world's most famous HIV positive, has become vice president of the 2024 Los Angeles Olympic bid. By now, he has made a habit of showing up at events with the virus in his body, and if Los Angeles wins the bid, maybe we'll see him in the public eye again. Since he was diagnosed with HIV in 1991, the magician has lived with his family for 24 years. His life is not much different from ordinary people, which is called a miracle in human history. As former Lakers coach Dunleavy said, "Some people thought he was just a legend on the court, but now, he's become a fighter for his beliefs."

The fall of genius

Twenty-four years ago, he shocked the world by retiring after contracting HIV

"Where would Johnson's achievement have been if not for AIDS?"

-- There are still a lot of fans saying that

On Nov. 7, 1991, legendary Lakers guard Earvin "Magic" Johnson stood at the podium, his face ashen, as reporters swarmed the Great West Forum Arena. He went on to shock the world with the news: "I have been diagnosed with HIV as a result of sexual and drug abuse and have retired from football." Back then, public fear of AIDS was much greater than it is now. "All the journalists looked at Johnson as if he was dying. Nadel, a senior writer at the Associated Press, recalled.

"Magic" retired due to illness, a basketball genius suddenly fell. He is a five-time NBA champion, three-time regular season MVP and three-time Finals MVP. He is a member of the US Basketball Hall of Fame and is regarded as the greatest point guard in NBA history. When Johnson returned to the basketball court in 1992, cleared by his doctor, he faced the kind of discrimination that most HIV-positive people experience: some teammates publicly objected to his presence. Magic eventually returned to play 32 games in 1995-96, still averaging 14.6 points per game, but he never played again.

The hard way against AIDS

It's expensive. Try it before it's even on the market

"Johnson's way of keeping HIV alive is to inject large amounts of green dollar distilled and concentrated into the body." The American media used these words to describe the huge cost of Johnson's AIDS treatment

Until now, "Magic" Johnson is still alive, not only to create the miracle of life, but also to become the spiritual support of people living with HIV around the world, but for Johnson, the 24 years of the road to fight AIDS is not easy. The secret of the magician's survival is to prevent the carrier from becoming an incurable AIDS patient. After infection with HIV, the body's immune system kills almost all the virus and infected cells, but a few are still caught. Over time, these virus-carrying cells replicate. Typically, 10 years after infection, the virus reaches a tipping point where it begins to kill vital immune cells, and carriers eventually become AIDS patients and die within months.

According to a Newsweek article in the spring of 2010, one of Johnson's doctors had been treating Johnson as early as 1994 with a cocktail of three or more antiviral drugs, now seen as the most effective way to control HIV. The treatment, which reduces resistance to a single drug, was still in the experimental stage and was not widely available for about a year and a half. Effective cocktails are hard for the average person to afford, and targeted drugs that suppress the virus are prohibitively expensive for each, let alone multiple combinations. The Magician's fame and wealth allowed him to spend millions of dollars consistently using the most effective drugs and to use himself as a "guinea pig" for treatments that were not yet on the market. Currently, the most advanced technology for suppressing HIV is still available in the U.S., which means that people living with HIV in other countries are unlikely to survive for more than 20 years even if they have the wealth of a magician.

In addition to advanced treatments, the life habits of magicians have also changed a lot. His athletic fitness also plays a role in the fight against AIDS, but since contracting HIV, he used to be "debonair" and wake up at 5:30 to 6 a.m. every day, running and working out at the gym. But even so, Johnson has not been completely cleared of HIV, and he still needs to take medication every day.

Disclosure of the foundation

Raised tens of millions of dollars and tested more than 40,000 AIDS patients

"If we can't eliminate HIV among our youth, we can't eliminate the HIV epidemic in our communities." -- Johnson on the Foundation's philosophy of fighting AIDS

After becoming HIV positive, Johnson quit playing football and is now a successful real estate businessman, while using his fame to set up a foundation named after him to help fight AIDS. In the 24 years since, the foundation has tested more than 41,000 people for HIV and provided more than $10 million to grassroots AIDS organizations, helping the Magician become a legend on another level.

The foundation was set up at the beginning of Johnson's retirement. The most important part of the foundation's work is the fight against HIV. The Magic Johnson Foundation has developed and funded programs to detect, prevent and provide effective treatment for people living with HIV. In addition, the Magic Johnson Foundation has set up scholarships to help young people learn about and prevent AIDS. In addition to its financial support, the foundation also helps grassroots anti-Ed organizations increase their visibility and make the public aware of the services they provide. To date, the Magic Johnson Foundation has raised more than $20 million for charities, with $8 million going to these nonprofits and $12 million going to other charities through partnerships and major events. AIDS grants to communities range from $5,000 to $25,000. Since its inception, the foundation has tested more than 40,000 people. In the past year, more than 3,000 people have been tested, and more than 1,000 have tested positive.