Rony Seikaly reflects on how players treated Magic after HIV diagnosis: "Watching all the players kind of distance themselves was really not something that I was very proud of"
When Earvin Magic Johnson announced his retirement in November 1991 after testing positive for HIV, the basketball world was rocked deeply. Looking back from today's standpoint, we have to understand that it was a time when the disease was largely misunderstood and cloaked in fear and misinformation.
As for the guys in the best basketball league in the world, the NBA, the reaction was mixed. Plenty of shock, a touch of sympathy among fellow players and, quite understandably, distance from many of them.
Those afraid, uncertain about how HIV spread, instinctively pushed Magic away, avoiding all contact by any means necessary.
Ron Seikaly, the Lebanese-American big man who was a walking double-double at the time of his peak, didn't shy away from admitting his disappointment at how the Los Angeles Lakers legend was treated.
"So, basically, when Magic retired because of HIV, a lot of the players and a lot of the people didn't understand the disease and stuff like that. Everybody just didn't want to be around Magic. Nobody knew how you would get infected. So, all the players kinda pushed away. For me growing up, Magic Johnson was the NBA. Him and Larry Bird. Watching all the players kind of distance themselves from Magic Johnson was really not something that I was very proud of," Ron said about the unknown situation at the time.
Seikaly went on to support his idol
Ron's respect for Magic ran very deep, and it passed the lines of pure basketball competitiveness. Johnson was his idol, so Seikaly recalled how, before a game, he approached Magic with nothing but respect and compassion, despite the tension and fear hanging in the air around the diagnosis.
"I remember before one of the games, I wanted to go up to Magic and just give him a hug. He was still working out, still giving his all, despite everything. It was not something that he chose. The reaction to it was very bad," Seikaly explained.
This human approach was rare in a league where the unknown ruled all the time. Seikaly acknowledged that while players were pushing away physically, he wanted to break through that barrier, showing that beyond the disease, Magic was still a competitor, a peer and most importantly, a person deserving of respect for everything that he did for the Association during the 1980s, alongside Larry Bird, of course.Magic almost missed his last ASG
Even as Magic returned for the 1992 NBA All-Star Game, in a moment that was meant to be a fitting tribute for the end of his legendary career, the unease around him hadn't completely faded. Not only that, but some players still questioned if he should be out there at all, which only goes to show the unwillingness of competitors to go full strength at him.
"Some guys came out and said, 'I don't want to play against the guy if I have a chance to get sick.' I'm not going to name any names," the Western Conference starting guard Clyde Drexler stated at the time.
That's where Seikaly's perspective stood out. Instead of retreating like so many others, he offered to bring back that physicality through the simple hug. He saw Magic as more than just a "walking diagnosis."
That reaction from the towering big man aged far better than the fear-driven reactions of the time.This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 29, 2025, where it first appeared.
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