ESPN Films: The Announcement: Vol. Magic Johnson HIV: March 11th 6PM PST

[srvballer]

Great documentary man.

Its crazy how Magic could stay so upbeat and poistive about the entire situation. I can't even imagine how I'd react. Hats off to Magic for bringing light to the issue and helping inform us all

 

[shoeking2101]

Couldn't even see it tonight, hopefully it shows again soon.

My mother's friend worked for the L.A. Sparks in 96 and got real close w/orlando woolridge (The L.A. Sparks first head coach) and Orlando, who had a relationship with my Jerry Buss used to tell my mother's friend everything that Jerry told him about the L.A. Lakers. (This was pre-Orlando having that big altercation w/Jerry, but that's another story in itself)

One of the things Jerry and Orlando used to talk about was the Lakers, and magic and showtime and how the forum club was turned all the way up and magic's "Alternative" lifestyle. There's this room in the forum, not the forum club, where he said girls and guys he would mess around with would come out first, then magic. After games magic would come out smiling, grinning from ear to ear, and magic told Jerry on plenty of occasion that they're winning, he's just having the time of his life.

From the forum club, to that secret room, to the wild parties that magic and some other league players used to throw where lines were snorted and all types of drugs were experimented with, magic was a wild one. "It was commonly known that magic experimented with men," that's what my mom's friend told me, and she said Orlando told her that.

Just shedding my two cents.

 

[Hijo Del Promo]

dm for vid

 

[greenbean]

where can I see this cause ESPN isnt showing it anytime soon

 

[greenbean]

nevermind i found the schedule for those who missed it too

FILM SCHEDULE
SUNDAY, MAR. 11
•The Announcement
-- ESPN: 9 p.m.

SUNDAY, MAR. 11
•The Announcement
-- ESPN2: 11 p.m.

THURSDAY, MAR. 15
•The Announcement
-- ESPN2: 8 p.m.

SATURDAY, MAR. 17
•The Announcement
-- ESPN2: 8:30 a.m.

SUNDAY, MAR. 18
•The Announcement
-- ESPN2:1:30 a.m.

SUNDAY, MAR. 18
•The Announcement
-- ESPN: 4:30 p.m.

SATURDAY, MAR. 24
•The Announcement
-- ESPN2: 3 p.m.

SATURDAY, MAR. 31
•The Announcement
-- ESPN2:11:30 pm.

 

[ThaxbyChamblis]

It's certainly not impossible that Magic was playing both sides of the plate. I don't THINK he did, but I'm not going to act as if it is IMPOSSIBLE that he did or didn't. I don't know that man so I can't really accuse him of anything.

 

[nooera]

Damn, Magic is sweet? News to me

 

[CP1708]

Riley and Vitti still chocking up 20 years later. 

I was a little guy when this went down, I remember a lot about that time, remembering Magic "havin the flu" during the preseason, but I absolutely did not remember him actually playing in the following preseason to come back. 

  I knew he played the all star game, then dream team, but I did not remember him announcing he was back and then playing in the preseason before the 92-93 season.  I just remembered it as he wanted to come back, but Karl Malone turned big vagina and Magic had to fall back. 

 

[crazy dav0]

amazing documentary ...

c rock is a fool for that one liner ... i can't even imagine what was going on at that club

so glad to see that lil 7 year at the time still going strong as an activist

 

[harlemtothebronx]

Only saw a small portion and it was amazing. Gotta catch the whole thing.

 

[cato312]

Great documentary.  My best friend at the time was crushed when he made the announcement.  That made life tougher for him in junior high

I've had the fortune of meeting Magic a few years ago, and he was definitely not a jerk...he even signed my buddy's Cons Weapons that he was wearing.  He seemed very genuine, completely the opposite of some former players from the team I root for....

His "recovery' is an incredible story but as some people have tweeted, let's not forget that his considerable wealth played a huge part in it.  

 

[seasoned vet]

Originally Posted by airmaxpenny1

DVR'ing this
Not that it matters, but let's be real, Magic was playing around with some male booty.

His son is pretty openly gay

.....

 never knew that about his son.
 
 
...actually though, its funny when you think about how we pictured the children of these greats turning out to be. seems like most of them have rejected everything their pops stood for. seems like the ones to actually break out are the ones where their pops was just a mediocre player.
 
 

 

[seasoned vet]

Originally Posted by MR J 858

Originally Posted by laker4lifeman

Originally Posted by MR J 858

Magic did it because he knew and people were telling him privately that Isiah was spreading rumors behind his back that he was gay after Magic announced he was HIV positive.

Didn't know that I gotta check out that book.

If you got a kindle or nook just download it for free off a torrent site.
But I'm a 100% sure that the NT'er who made that post about Magic being gay is a Isiah D-Rider.

Proof is in his avatar. Indiana Hoosier logo + Isiah played his college ball there.

   
 
....i legit dont understand how anytime someone says something against the grain that somehow automatically means they're salty or must ride for _____. like foreal? its that simple huh?

 
 
...i was 13 in 1992 and vividly remember the gay rumors about Magic. hell, there were gay rumors about ISAIAH TOO. but one has to understand, around that time HIV was always associated with being gay for the public, no matter how true or false the accusations were. back then if you contracted HIV the first thing people did was accuse you of messing around with men. sad thing is, its 2012 and we still do this to a certain degree. that time was a very ignorant time for HIV/AIDS awareness and education.
 
 
...its funny how in 2012 questioning Magic's sexual history has a blasphemous tone for some. yet 20 years ago, even with Magic being a living legend it wasnt looked at as such, he was still just another player in that respect.
....then you get these guys in diapers back then, you bring it up and its all "*gasp* how dare you."

 
 
...i also remember how much people scrutinized the kiss Isaiah gave Magic after the game. people were already calling Isaiah gay Magic had HIV and then he kissed him either on the lips or the cheek, cant remember which.
 
.....or how about Karl Malone coming out publicly saying he didnt want to play against Magic?
 
 
 

 
 
  

 

[DownByLaw]

Originally Posted by airmaxpenny1

DVR'ing this
Not that it matters, but let's be real, Magic was playing around with some male booty.

His son is pretty openly gay

You never cease to amaze me with the %!#* you say on here

 

[marath0n]

Originally Posted by shoeking2101

Couldn't even see it tonight, hopefully it shows again soon.

My mother's friend worked for the L.A. Sparks in 96 and got real close w/orlando woolridge (The L.A. Sparks first head coach) and Orlando, who had a relationship with my Jerry Buss used to tell my mother's friend everything that Jerry told him about the L.A. Lakers. (This was pre-Orlando having that big altercation w/Jerry, but that's another story in itself)

One of the things Jerry and Orlando used to talk about was the Lakers, and magic and showtime and how the forum club was turned all the way up and magic's "Alternative" lifestyle. There's this room in the forum, not the forum club, where he said girls and guys he would mess around with would come out first, then magic. After games magic would come out smiling, grinning from ear to ear, and magic told Jerry on plenty of occasion that they're winning, he's just having the time of his life.

From the forum club, to that secret room, to the wild parties that magic and some other league players used to throw where lines were snorted and all types of drugs were experimented with, magic was a wild one. "It was commonly known that magic experimented with men," that's what my mom's friend told me, and she said Orlando told her that.

Just shedding my two cents.

 

[Deleted member 38182]

Speaking of Orlando Woolridge, did yall know this dude did this??

 

[seasoned vet]

Originally Posted by marath0n

Originally Posted by shoeking2101

Couldn't even see it tonight, hopefully it shows again soon.

My mother's friend worked for the L.A. Sparks in 96 and got real close w/orlando woolridge (The L.A. Sparks first head coach) and Orlando, who had a relationship with my Jerry Buss used to tell my mother's friend everything that Jerry told him about the L.A. Lakers. (This was pre-Orlando having that big altercation w/Jerry, but that's another story in itself)

One of the things Jerry and Orlando used to talk about was the Lakers, and magic and showtime and how the forum club was turned all the way up and magic's "Alternative" lifestyle. There's this room in the forum, not the forum club, where he said girls and guys he would mess around with would come out first, then magic. After games magic would come out smiling, grinning from ear to ear, and magic told Jerry on plenty of occasion that they're winning, he's just having the time of his life.

From the forum club, to that secret room, to the wild parties that magic and some other league players used to throw where lines were snorted and all types of drugs were experimented with, magic was a wild one. "It was commonly known that magic experimented with men," that's what my mom's friend told me, and she said Orlando told her that.

Just shedding my two cents.

 
exactly.
 
like i said, people talking about Magic's alternative lifestyle was no big deal at all for years. fast forward 20 years and that same talk will get you called a troll and a hater

. people really do need to stop throwing those words around so wantonly.
 
 
...oh and for the average NTer that will take my comments and read too far into them:
 
*clears throat*
.....listen, i am not, in ANY WAY, saying Magic is gay, been gay, or participated in any homosexual activities. I AM ONLY speaking on how common it was to hear such accusations 20 years ago compared to now. and how laughable it is that those same accusations have somehow become blasphemous as if Magic is some deity or something
 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 
  

 

[Bert.]

i actually agree with AMP, i think Magic did fool around with dudes back in the day or at least once and he paid for it by getting HIV. Ive believed this for the longest time.

 

[seasoned vet]

 @ ole boy looking like a zesty hypebeast.......and that fool looks JUST like his mama
 
 
 
 

 

[mazzo1]

Good documentary! Interesting reads in this thread

 

[dacomeup]

Him fooling around with dudes is irrelevant, though. And linking his son being gay to that is just silly. That's my point.

 

[seasoned vet]

Originally Posted by DaComeUP

Him fooling around with dudes is irrelevant, though. And linking his son being gay to that is just silly. That's my point.

irrelevant? how so? Magic announced in '91 so he probably contracted in the 80's, a time when HIV was running rampant among the gay community due to having unprotected sex. i would say thats far from irrelevant.
 
 
 

 

[dacomeup]

Originally Posted by seasoned vet

Originally Posted by DaComeUP

Him fooling around with dudes is irrelevant, though. And linking his son being gay to that is just silly. That's my point.

irrelevant? how so? Magic announced in '91 so he probably contracted in the 80's, a time when HIV was running rampant among the gay community due to having unprotected sex. i would say thats far from irrelevant.
 
 
 

You're missing my point. Why is that important? And what does his son's sexuality have to do with anything?

 

[moiety]

Originally Posted by DaComeUP

Originally Posted by seasoned vet

Originally Posted by DaComeUP

Him fooling around with dudes is irrelevant, though. And linking his son being gay to that is just silly. That's my point.

irrelevant? how so? Magic announced in '91 so he probably contracted in the 80's, a time when HIV was running rampant among the gay community due to having unprotected sex. i would say thats far from irrelevant.
 
 
 

You're missing my point. Why is that important? And what does his son's sexuality have to do with anything?

Touchy subject to be honest. But I definitely agree that his son's sexuality is completely irrelevant.

I personally am not one who really cares what Magic's sexual preference was. I mean who's to say it was/wasn't contracted from a female? There are A LOT of different ways he could have gotten it, even if he weren't Gay or Bi... Threesomes, Foursomes, etc. that involve more than 1 male certainly increase that risk though. Especially if the others involved were smashing both sexes as well.

We'd be kidding ourselves if we think everybody in the NBA is STD-free.

Those jersey chasing women aren't the 'cleanest' females.

 

[f3rn7]

Watched it twice can't believe the press conference was on my 9th bday.  Magic revolutionized play for some one his size even tho he had an ugly jumpshot, his court vision style were amazing.