European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 9, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 30 a the stars and stripes saturday november 9, 1991 magic s illness shocks admirers by Jim of Connell a basketball writer the Range of people reacting with Shock sadness and concern to magic Johnson s illness showed he is respected and admired As much off the court As on. Emotion was evident from the floor of Congress to the world of entertainment to those who played and coached with and against him to the person on the Street a or More importantly to the youngster in the playground. Even confirmation from the los Angeles lakers Star himself on thursday that he had contracted the his virus and would retire from basketball Stop the doubting and grief. A a it a really a tragedy. I mean the Guy has not Only been such a great player but he a been such a great ambassador for the game and everything else a said Boston celtics Forward Kevin Mchale Johnson s opponent for two of his five Aba championships. Quot my heart goes out to him. I think All you can do now is just Pray that he handles everything in the Best Way that he Johnson indicated he will become a spokesman in the fight for awareness about the virus which can Lead to aids. A fall my love and support is with him a actress Elizabeth Taylor said from London where she is making two personal visits on behalf of the aids crisis Trust. Quot god will help him and let us All Pray to god that there will be a cure for him and everyone else others began to use the news As a rallying Point for aids awareness. Quot this just Points out once again to All of us that the aids virus is probably going to touch every single family in the country and probably every single one of us before the decade is Over is going to know somebody who has the aids virus or who has died of it a rep. Dan Burton a Indiana told Congress. Burton then went on to complain that Congress so far a has not taken any real action Quot to fight aids. Still those affected most were the peo ele who watched Johnson help the Aba come one of the worlds most popular forms of entertainment. Pat Riley whose Success As the a bad a coach of the decade for the 1980s can be attributed somewhat to Johnson having been his Point guard said he talked to his former player on wednesday. A this spirit is Strong. He is alive but not very Well right now a Riley said. A we do not want to eulogize him. We want to give him All the support and love we can. In a sure All the people around him and who love him feel worse than he Larry Bird the other half of the phrase that brought basketball fans to attention a Bird magic a did t comment thursday from Congress to the Aba hard courts to the playgrounds Earvin a a magic Johnson a announcement shocked an entire nation. But Johnson said he talked to his close Friend and to other Aba superstars As Well. �?o1 can to believe it a Michael Jordan said. A i can to talk about it. I need some time to think about Kareem Abdul Jabbar was part of the lakers Success and was with Johnson at the news conference. A it is not a very Happy moment in any of our lives. In a Happy to see he has a positive Outlook. When i saw him he tried to be positive As he could. He was smiling As usual a Abdul Jabbar said. A i just told him id be there for him. I want to offer him a a that a incredible. I can to believe that a Portland Trail blazers guard Clyde Drexler said. A a that a a a wow. This is totally sad a said Seattle supersonics coach Jones a former coach of the Boston celtics. A this person magic Johnson has Given me so much and also the league and the world. A i just Hope things work out for him. He a what the league is All about. He came in with Larry Bird and just took the league to another level. That show hell always be a my thoughts Are first and Foremost with Earvin and his family a Aba commissioner David Stern said. A no one has contributed More to the Success of the Aba than Earvin magic Johnson and i know his fans around the world myself included will miss the thrill of watching him compete. We expect Earvin to continue to play an important role in the Aba and the entire Aba family pledges its full support to him in his fight against this Johnson started to affect those around him As soon As he began to play organized basketball. A a it a unreal what happened a said George Fox who coached Johnson at Everett High school in Lansing Mich., from 1976-78. A the was a dream come True a product of Lansing just a Beautiful person that bettered everyone that came in Contact with him. We re in Shock Here at the House. Anybody that knew him has got to be Donald Mitchell 22, of los Angeles was among those who gathered at the forum in Inglewood calif., where Johnson a of cos conference was held. A what a tragedy its terrible. Someone who a meant so much to basketball a Mitchell said. A magic is my favorite it touches my Boston mayor Ray Flynn reflected on the player the fans in his City loved to hate but respected just As much. A every playground in the City of Boston has a no. 32 shirt out there shooting hoops a he said. A this is going to be a shocker to Young people. This will break their hearts. A but it might also serve As an Opportunity for people to become focused on the seriousness of this problem and How it affects everybody people from All walks of life not just some drug addict but Strong healthy american facts about aids new York a an estimated 1 million to 1.5 million americans Are infected with the aids virus and some 200,000 have already come Down with the disease the . Centers Lor disease control reports. The disease often appears years after exposure to the virus. Aids is most often spread through one of four routes sexual Contact contaminated Needles or syringes shared by drug abusers infected blood or blood components and from pregnant women to the fetuses they Are carrying. Infection through blood transfusions is now extremely rare in the United states. Since the Early 1980s, All donated blood has been routinely tested for evidence of contamination with the aids virus. Aids cannot be transmitted through casual Contact. As of sept. 30, the cd had received reports of 195,718 cases of aids and 126,159 aids deaths since the epidemic began in 1981. The aids virus attacks the body s immune system its defense against infection. As a result people with aids develop some forms of cancer and a dizzying array of infectious ailments including a serious form of pneumonia. The scientific name for the virus is human immunodeficiency virus or his. The most common Type of the virus is often designated hiv-1 to distinguish it from another Type called i1iv-2, there Are no known cures for aids. But a growing number of drugs Are available to treat aids related ailments and Many people with aids can expect to live years longer than they might have Only a few years ago. Lansing vows to stand behind Hometown hero by Judy Daubenmier Lansing Mich. Apr magic Johnson a Hometown which Hud cheered his accomplishments on the basketball floor vowed to stand behind him even while trying to Deal with the announcement on thursday that he had tested positive for the virus that causes aids. A the Community loves the Man loves his family. I just know the Community is going to lift him and his family up in prayer and in love a Lansing mayor Terry me Kane said. T he los Angeles lakers Star returns Home frequently and was married at a local Church on sept. 14. He often pitches in for Community events. The sparse crowd at a sports bar near Michigan stale University fell silent when the big screen television showed Johnson announcing he was quitting Bas act Bali because he had contracted the his virus. The former Michigan state players self control impressed viewers As much As had his amazing basketball skills. �?o1 thought it was incredible. I done to know How anybody could gather the courage to go before the entire world and explain a tragedy without a quiver in his voice a said Charles Franckowiak. A it just shows what a tremendous person he the tidy neighbourhood of Johnson a parents in Delta township on Lansing s West Side was quiet around the time of the news conference in los Angeles. A few cars apparently of friends pulled up and their occupants vanished into the Johnson House
