Today in History—February 9: Magic Johnson’s All-Star Return Amid the AIDS Crisis

Today in 1992 Magic Johnson was named MVP of his 12th NBA All-Star Game—the only game he played that entire season.

His Western Conference team trounced the East, 153–113. The longtime Laker and three-time league MVP led the field in points (25) and assists (9) while completing the kind of physics-defying passes that earned him his nickname. And he did it amid a whirlwind of controversy after having revealed months earlier that he was HIV-positive.

Johnson had missed the first few games of the 1991–92 season because of an unrelated illness and announced his retirement without playing a single minute that season.

Nevertheless, he was elected to the West’s All-Star team, and he was determined to play to show that life goes on for people with HIV. But the support was far from unanimous.

At the time, misinformation and stigma surrounded HIV infection. AIDS would become the top cause of death for American men ages 25–44 in 1992, and nearly 3 million people globally were newly infected. Hundreds of thousands were dying of AIDS-related causes each year.

Basketball professionals in the U.S. and beyond, looking ahead to the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, worried about the close-contact nature of the sport. Some argued that the risk of transmission was too great. Further, some complained that Johnson wasn’t eligible because he hadn’t played any games that season.

Ultimately, the NBA commissioner, David Stern, after consulting various medical professionals, ruled that Johnson competing in the game would not pose a health risk to Johnson himself or to the other players. Johnson would be the 13th player on the typically 12-man squad so that an active player wouldn’t be excluded from the roster.

The International Olympic Committee ruled similarly, allowing HIV-positive athletes to compete, and Johnson went on to play with Michael Jordan on the indomitable gold-winning Dream Team.

Nearly three decades later Johnson noted in a social media post the historic nature of the events: “When I announced…I had HIV, people thought they could get the virus from shaking my hand. When David allowed me to play in the 1992 All-Star Game…and for the Olympic Dream Team, we were able to change the world.”