J. A. Adande on how Magic Johnson's HIV Announcement Changed the NBA & America Forever | 11.10

On November 7, 1991, Magic Johnson shocked the world when he announced he was retiring from the Los Angeles Lakers after testing positive for HIV. Thirty-five years later, Bomani Jones welcomes longtime NBA journalist and Northwestern professor J.A.

Adande to The Right Time for a special Time Machine Tuesday examining one of the most consequential moments in sports history. Visit and use code BOMANI to get $25 instantly in Packs after you rip your first $5 PackBomani and J.A. revisit the day Magic made his announcement, the fear and misinformation surrounding the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and the enormous cultural impact of one of basketball's most beloved superstars revealing his diagnosis.

They discuss how Magic Johnson and Larry Bird transformed the NBA, the Showtime Lakers' place in Los Angeles, and why Magic's popularity made his announcement so powerful. The conversation also explores Magic's unforgettable appearance in the 1992 NBA All-Star Game, the roles of Isiah Thomas and Dennis Rodman, Karl Malone's concerns about playing against Magic, and how the controversy surrounding his attempted NBA comeback helped change the way professional sports handled blood and infectious diseases.

Finally, Bomani and J.A. reflect on Magic's participation in the 1992 Olympic Dream Team, his life after basketball, and the extraordinary legacy of a man whose story once seemed destined for tragedy but became one of the most remarkable stories of survival and achievement in American sports. See for privacy information.