When the NBA star announced his illness in 1991, it came as a shock to the world, as it occurred during a time period when the disease was considered a death sentence. However, treatments were well underway to combat the disease, and there was a larger cultural willingness to understand HIV after Magic's announcement.

The star player vowed to not let the disease beat him, and he's been living with HIV ever since. Although there aren't any notable traces of it in his system, and he was able to catch it early during a routine physical with the Lakers, Magic still has HIV. He consulted with various doctors at the time, including NIAID head Dr. Anthony Fauci, on how to best treat the illness. In fact, he was even able to mount a comeback to the Lakers in 1996, playing for the organization for one last season.