The Man Who Overcame His Death Sentence
Earvin “Magic” Johnson did not earn his nickname of “Magic” for nothing. In 13 season playing for the Los Angeles Lakers he averaged a career double-double with 19.5 points and 11.2 assists per season (The Announcement). This led his team to many championships and put Magic in talks as one of the greatest point guards of all-time. Sadly this career was cut short by a terrible disease that developed in the 1980’s called HIV. This has now made him an advocate for HIV awareness and also pushed him to form organizations to help find a cure for the HIV virus. During this time in history HIV was emerging all over America and for someone of Magic’s caliber to get it shocked the whole nation. Through Magic getting this disease and rising above it showed that it was possible to live through this terrible disease. Magic Johnson overcame the world by facing the adversity of his diagnosis, by facing the critics of how he got the disease, coming back to the sport he loved, and becoming a figure to help cure HIV.
One of the toughest times in Magic’s life was coming to grips with his diagnosis and then eventually having to announce it to the public. It all started one day when the Lakers had an exhibition game against the Utah Jazz. The team’s doctor Dr. Mellman called Johnson and told him he needed to get back to Los Angeles right that moment(Weinburg). Little did Johnson know that that his life was about to be altered forever. When he arrived back Mellman then told Magic that he had been tested HIV positive(Weinburg). Magic then showed his first signs of mental toughness and ability to overcome when he got over his diagnosis, and began to think to the future and letting all of the public know why o...
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...e rebounded to becoming himself once again therefore that is why Magic Johnson overcame the world.
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