Chapter 924: Chapter 2 Magic Out 2
Kelly and Johnson signed a prenuptial agreement stating that if they divorced, Kelly would receive nothing—Johnson’s assets at the time were estimated to be $100 million USD.
This may have been the reason Magic Johnson chose to marry her: she was a traditional woman who quietly gave without demands, able to accept everything about Johnson.
Johnson once said that sometimes he envied Ah Gan, envied Ah Gan’s stable and loyal marriage.
The playboy even wondered if the reason the Lakers kept losing to the Trail Blazers, as compared to Ah Gan, was because he lacked a virtuous partner.
The wedding date was set for September 14th. Four days before the wedding, the couple visited Johnson’s private doctor, Tom Jamison, for premarital counseling.
Jamison asked if they wanted to do blood chemistry tests to check for any infectious diseases. Johnson appeared indifferent, and in the end, they did not proceed with the tests.
Johnson was very confident about his own health. He was extremely strong, with boundless energy, and off the court, he had never truly felt exhaustion.
The wedding went ahead as planned. Kelly waited for Johnson at the church, deeply anxious and agitated inside, fearing Johnson might suddenly decide against marrying her and leave her there alone, making her one of the biggest fools in history.
After all, in March 1990, Johnson had said, "I’ll never get married. Stop bringing it up."
The good news was that in 1991, Johnson changed his mind. He stayed at the ceremony and didn’t leave, allowing the couple to complete their marriage.
Johnson’s close friends Mark Aguirre and Isiah Thomas came to the wedding, although Thomas appeared visibly upset because he hadn’t made the American Olympic team roster.
Rumors had always circulated that Michael Jordan and the Olympic selection committee had said if Thomas were chosen, Jordan wouldn’t participate, leading the committee to select Stockton over the more honored, skilled, and high-ranking Thomas.
Others said the true manipulator behind the scenes was Ah Gan, who wanted his good friend Stockton to go to the Olympics and achieve his dream.
In any case, Thomas faced another major setback following his 1991 playoff loss.
Johnson seemed to be riding high. Immediately after the wedding, he returned to Los Angeles to visit friends, then flew to Europe to participate in the McDonald’s tournament.
He remained a dominant figure in the League, still the commanding Magic man, and in Europe, he was warmly welcomed by fans, rivaling Jordan and Ah Gan in popularity.
Wherever he went, people shouted, "Magic! Magic!"
Yet Johnson was tormented by a strange anxiety, as he sensed he was on the verge of facing immense trouble.
Prior to the wedding, Johnson had received a letter from an old lover.
In the letter, this former lover informed Johnson that she had contracted AIDS and, recently, he was the only one she had been intimate with.
The letter was like a landmine planted in Johnson’s mind, but being a "big-hearted" man, he suppressed it, neither responding nor getting tested.
Perhaps he was scared, or perhaps he didn’t want to disappoint Kelly further—the fallout of canceling the wedding would have been devastating for her. Thus, Johnson chose to ignore the letter.
He believed he was healthy, that he could not possibly contract AIDS—by the 1990s, AIDS had already begun appearing in large numbers, becoming a dreaded and fatal disease.
In any case, Johnson didn’t take it seriously and continued to enjoy the cheers of fans in France Paris. Soon, he received another piece of good news: his wife Kelly confirmed that she was pregnant.
Johnson was surrounded by a mix of joy and worry. He decided to name the child EJ—Johnson III. Johnson had already fathered a child before.
But EJ was different; he was truly a child born in wedlock. Therefore, Johnson used his own name for him, signifying his special meaning.
After returning to America from Paris, Johnson resumed his familiar NBA lifestyle—training, flying, participating in preseason games, and giving media interviews.
For some reason, Johnson suddenly felt a trace of boredom with this lifestyle. The letter from his old lover kept flashing through his mind.
Inside, he began to question himself: Could he really have AIDS? Yet during matches, he remained unstoppable. Looking at those sick addicts and prostitutes, none of them were as alive and vigorous as he was.
Two weeks before the regular season started, Johnson traveled with the entire team to Salt Lake City for a game.
Upon arriving at their destination and checking into the hotel, Johnson received an urgent call at the front desk.
Johnson went back to his room to take the call, then emerged to tell his teammates and broadcaster Chick Hearn traveling with the team that he had to return to Los Angeles immediately.
Chick Hearn, holding his room key, saw Johnson walking past and asked where he was going. Johnson replied with a blank expression, "I’m going home."
Home. Johnson suddenly needed to go home. Chick Hearn didn’t know what was going on but sensed that something had ended.
Later, Chick Hearn recalled that moment and realized it marked the end of an era.
The Magic Johnson era for the Lakers ended at this point. "Show time" had truly come to an end.
Back in Los Angeles, Johnson was informed of the full details: during a physical examination, his blood had tested positive for HIV—the virus that causes AIDS.
