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CNN Live At Daybreak

Magic Johnson Off the Court, But Still Running Hard

Aired November 07, 2001 - 07:56   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Today marks the tenth anniversary of a medical diagnosis that shook the world of sports. We're talking about the former magic man of pro basketball, Earvin Magic Johnson, who was diagnosed with HIV. Now, 10 years later, he may be off the court, but he is still running hard.

CNN's "Sports Illustrated" Tom Rinaldi has this profile.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM RINALDI, CNN'S "SPORTS ILLUSTRATED" (voice-over): Who do you see, NCAA champion, NBA champion and Hall of Famer, minority-team owner, business tycoon or a famous man with an infamous disease?

EARVIN MAGIC JOHNSON: It's something for me, because I don't think about HIV every day, you know.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Really?

JOHNSON: No, no.

RINALDI: In the decade since telling the world he had HIV, Johnson, in some sense, has become more magical.

Theater chain owner, inner city developer, captain of a business empire estimated at $300 million; also, failed talk show host, frustrated NBA coach, and ambassador to much more than a game. He has not lived in the aging flicker of a highlight reel.

JOHNSON: Some kids were at my theater, and this kid says, oh, like (ph) come running, Magic, Magic. And so, when they went away, he looked at me and said, man, that is so amazing. And I said, why? And he said, because none of them kids have ever seen you play.

RINALDI: For a decade, he seems to have defied AIDS, while at the same time, providing its very face. He is the exception, and he is the example. A disease is not supposed to smile, and Magic Johnson, he was not supposed to play on.

JOHNSON: It's sleeping, gone, sleeping in my body. I wouldn't say it's gone. I just say it's just gone to sleep, and it remains asleep, and we're going to see you another 20, 30 years.

RINALDI: Who would have believed that 10 years ago? In Los Angeles, I am Tom Rinaldi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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