An eight year old boy arrived home after school on November 7, 1991. He walked into his room and turned on the television. Like always, his television was tuned to ESPN, as his affinity for sports had him waking up early to start his day watching SportsCenter prior to getting ready. As the tubes warmed up and sound came before picture, he heard “Because of the HIV virus I have attained, I will have to retire from the Lakers.” The video caught up to the audio, and there stood Magic Johnson. As the adolescent’s jaw dropped and his book bag slammed to the floor, he was glued to the television. Not fully comprehending the situation, his blue eyes became engulfed by the redness that surrounded them. His favorite basketball player, his favorite athlete, his HERO will not be playing for the team he loves anymore. As the press conference continues, he began to grasp what is at stake here. The first question by reporters asked Magic about his mortality and the youngster realized this is bigger than just basketball, this is life.
