Then & now Magic Johnson

HE WAS ONE of America’s greatest basketball stars, a 6ft 9in powerhouse who led the Los Angeles Lakers to victory after victory in the 1980s. But he made headlines around the world when, in 1991, at just 32, he announced his retirement. The reason? He had tested positive for HIV.

But this was not the end of Earvin “Magic” Johnson’s career, not by a long shot.

He began a lifelong campaign to promote safe sex among the heterosexual community, and also became an entrepreneur, making some canny business decisions that has made him a big player in the world of finance.

Johnson bought shares in his own team, the Los Angeles Lakers, and opened a successful cinema chain, which earned him a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one of the few non-actors who has been honoured in this way.

He made a short-lived comeback to competitive sports in 1992, despite protests from other players, and was part of the US “dream team” that won gold in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.

Earvin Johnson jnr grew up in Lansing, Michigan, with nine brothers and sisters. His dad worked for General Motors, and his mom worked as a school custodian. He earned his nickname in high school and, after graduating from Michigan State University, he began a 13-year career as one of America’s best-loved basketball stars.

At the height of his success, Johnson was said to have slept with more than 300 women a year.

His HIV diagnosis put an end to his basketball dreams. At the time, his wife Cookie was pregnant with their son, Earvin III, but they tested negative for HIV. The couple adopted a daughter, Elisa, in 1995.

Last month, Magic Johnson was making sports headlines again – not on the basketball court, but in the baseball diamond. The 52-year-old is part of a consortium which has successfully bid to buy the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team for $2 billion (€1.5 billion), beating a bid by Arsenal’s owner, Stan Kroenke.

It looks like Johnson still has the magic touch.

This month, audiences have been flocking to see Magic Johnston play basketball again – on the Broadway stage. Magic/Bird is the title of a hit play about the famed rivalry and friendship between Johnson and fellow NBA star Larry Bird, who played for Boston Celtics. Judging by the critics’ response, the play is no Frost/Nixon, but it’s scored with the fans. The real Bird and Johnson were among the celebrity guests at the play’s opening night, and the two “frenemies” also appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman.Kevin Courtney