Magic Johnson Research Paper

“I am going to beat it... Life is going to go on for me and I’m going to be a happy man” (Gutman 42). On November 7, 1991 Magic Johnson announced he had human immunodeficiency virus or HIV (Healthline). This disease has cost people their lives and people's lives are changed from it.

In 1991 magic johnson stuns the world by announcing his retirement from the L.A. Lakers, after testing positive for HIV, the virus that cause AIDS. At the time , many americans viewed AIDS as a gay white man's disease. Magic Johnson who is an african american was one of the first sports stars to to go public about his status. As one of the greatest basketball players of all time, Magic Johnson spent his entire nba career with the LA Lakers, helping them win five championships in the 1980’s. Today Johnson is a spokesman for aids awareness and has transformed aids from a death sentence to a manageable condition for many

Ever since the first cases of what eventually came to be known as AIDS were diagnosed in the early 1980s, people with HIV/AIDS have been stigmatized. Over time, there have been many misconceptions about this disease. Even though there have been many discoveries, and treatments for HIV have improved over time, there are still many people who understand very little about this disease. This lack of understanding, along with fear, misinformation about how the disease is transmitted, and “moral” judgments made about the types of people who contract HIV, all have led to stigmatization of, and discrimination against, people who are living with HIV/AIDS. Understanding the stigmatization of people with HIV/AIDS is an important social justice issue because that stigmatization can result in people with HIV being insulted, rejected, gossiped about, excluded from family and social activities, fired, and even jailed. People with HIV are no different from people suffering from other chronic diseases. Instead of being alienated, they have a right to be treated with fairness, respect, and dignity.

Kobe Bryant. Is an important leader for a number of reasons. Firstly, through hard work and commitment, he was a member and leader of the LA Lakers. When he got drafted in 1996, and what benefited Kobe playing basketball in the NBA for 20 straight years.

As soon as Magic Johnson announced he had HIV, he immediately was a role model for others to get tested and have hope of living a long and fulfilling life. In 2011, Magic Johnson talked about living with AIDS/HIV for 20 years, and how this disease is not a death sentence. He encourages others to get educated and get tested. However, when Johnson first found out he had the AIDS/HIV virus, his concern was not how did he get the disease or what is going to happen or how will he afford the medical expenses, but rather, “How am I going to live a long time?” (Moughty).

Some may only think of Magic Johnson as a successful athlete and entrepreneur, but he also is a huge HIV/AIDS activist. Doing work all over the nation to bring awareness and help raise money for research. As you can tell by his list of accolades, Magic Johnson has paved the way and help shape the world in many respects. Whether it is as an athlete, businessman, or activist he is a huge inspiration for many people. Magic Johnson started his collegiate career at Michigan State University.

During the 1980s and 1990s the new HIV disease began to emerge in society and with it came harsh stereotypes and discrimination against those who contracted it. Simultaneously, one of the most talented and influential point guards in basketball was dominating the sport: Earvin “Magic” Johnson. Throughout his career Johnson gained three Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards and was admitted into the Basketball Hall of Fame (“Magic Johnson”). However, on November 7, 1991, Johnson announced his diagnosis of HIV and his retirement from the National Basketball Association (NBA). Following this abrupt and unexpected event, Johnson became one of the leading figures in the fight against AIDS. The Magic Johnson Foundation was founded and is still dedicated to educating communities about AIDS. The charitable and influential work Johnson contributed to the research of AIDS revealed him as not just an extraordinary basketball player but also as an extraordinary human being (“Magic Johnson”). A few years after Johnson’s diagnosis, he released his autobiography, My Life. My Life describes the childhood and competitive basketball years of Johnson as well as his announcement of contracting HIV. In the article, “New and Noteworthy Paperbacks”, by Laurel Graeber, reviewer Harvey Araton describes Magic Johnson’s autobiography, My Life, as “best when he shares his insights about his coaches and fellow players” (Graeber). The article has positive things to say about Johnson’s autobiography such

As a disease, HIV, or the Human Immunodeficiency Virus is a blood-borne virus that is transmitted from person to person via sexual intercourse, mother to child, or intravenous drug paraphernalia. The virus itself causes, usually over a period of time, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, or AIDS. AIDS actually targets the immune system and causes an immunosuppression which makes people who have the virus more susceptible to cancers and infections. This is the most unique feature of the HIV/AIDS virus and is the most deadly since its implications are destructive if not properly treated (Moore 51). The significance of this disease is one that began in the 1980’s and initially was thought to be a virus only found within homosexual communities and was even originally called Gay-Related Immunodeficiency Virus. However, in 1981, it was found that the virus was spreading beyond the gay community when Blacks accounted for 25% of the HIV/AIDs population and a trend began where Blacks continued to contract HIV significantly more than

It is a great idea that LaVar Ball is starting a basketball league to provide teens the opportunity to bypass college and play basketball professionally.

There are many different heros today. A person's definition of a hero varies but one of my definitions could be described in two words, Magic Johnson. Magic won many awards and accolades during his basketball, one of the most prominent being his first NBA championship win. Magic got drafted in 1979 by the Los Angeles Lakers and was very happy. He got to play with one of his favorite basketball players, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

With the help of government programs such as the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) as well as multiple other methods of sociological research and social justice work, there have been shifts toward better understanding this disease, those which are living with it, and the societal impact one’s own prejudices can make toward an individual living with AIDS. However, discrepancies still exist within how to properly educate others on the disease, how to recognize it as a disability within the context of our society, and how we must reconcile stigmas that play a role in plaguing any sort of positive conversation on the topic. With well-informed citizens on the issues of HIV and AIDS patients, not only can we reduce the stigma associated with the illness, but also work toward medical advancements that assist those living with HIV in a nondiscriminatory manner.

“We live in a completely interdependent world, which simply means we cannot escape each other. How we respond to AIDs depends, in part, on whether we understand this interdependence” Bill Clinton spoke these words to an ever-changing, and ever-accepting nation. This idea of interdependence, no matter how evident, was a concept many people In the late 80’s could not grasp. The war on AID’s first started in 1981 when the first case of aids was diagnosed in the U.S. but it wasn't until Clinton took presidency in 1993 that the nation took this epidemic to heart. For over 10 years this outbreak that killed over 70 million was overlooked by many religions and government officials that turned there heads due to the judgment they would receive when affiliating themselves with the lgbt community.

Michael Jeffrey Jordan and Shaquille Rashaun O’neal were two great basketball stars that changed the name of the game forever. Jordan came from a large city in upstate New York where his parents “fared well financially with incomes from their jobs and James’s Air Force pension” (Porter 2). O’neal came from the largest New Jersey city where his mother gave birth to him at the age of eighteen and went on welfare (Nelson 2). Both of these young men left a legacy in the basketball world but from two very different aspects.

Michael Jordan's life on the court. Michael as you know is an outstanding player. One of Michael Jordan's favorite quote is “I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.”

Magic Johnson Great players are willing to give up their own personal achievement of the group. It enhances everybody.-Kareem Abdul-Jablar www.basketballcoaches.com Earvin Johnson earliest nickname stuck with him, he was known today as “June bug” rather than “Magic. ”From his childhood proactively for bouncing from court to court in search of a game, Johnson’s late nickname gained preference when, as a high school player, his super skills began to earn him acclaim.enclopedia.com Magic was born August 14, 1959, and learned his awesome skills at a young age. Basketball Point Guard Earvin stood out for his outstanding play on the court and his outstanding attitude off the court.