Chapter 942: Chapter 8 Scandal_2
The primary purpose of Johnson appearing on the show was to dispel the rumors about him being gay.
During that time, AIDS was considered a fatal disease exclusive to the gay community, mainly because it was most widespread within that circle early on.
Before the show, both the television station and the host were under immense pressure. They feared that interviewing an AIDS patient might cause a negative impact, spark a media storm, or that they might not be able to handle Johnson’s negative emotions during the show, yet they soldiered on and produced the program despite the pressure.
After the broadcast, the response was surprisingly positive. Johnson’s favorable media reputation accumulated over more than a decade gained him the audience’s welcome. When he appeared, the cheers and applause lasted for two minutes.
Johnson clarified his orientation while urging everyone to conduct themselves properly, citing AC Green as an example. He said he should have realized earlier that AC Green’s presence was a reminder from God, which he ignored.
After the talk show, Johnson gave an exclusive interview to "Sports Illustrated" to further clarify his orientation issue. He said:
"I’ve never had a homosexual experience... I’m sure I contracted the virus through unprotected relations with an infected woman. The problem is, I can’t specify the time, place, and person. Before I got married, I was never short of partners. After arriving in Los Angeles in 1979, I had relations with as many women as I could, most without protection."
With such candor, Johnson exposed the indulgent side of his personal life, bringing this previously castle-hidden Yellow Magic into the public eye.
Johnson’s image collapsed. When he announced he was infected with AIDS, many endorsements were still willing to use him. After all, being ill wasn’t considered a cardinal sin, and he still had a good image.
But revealing his past with reckless relationships was a huge blow to his image, especially since many of the commercial brands he endorsed targeted teenagers, such as Converse, Nestle, Pepsi-Cola, Spalding, Kentucky, Virgin, etc., where a good spokesperson image is crucial.
After the talk show and exclusive interview, these companies issued statements, called Johnson’s agent, expressing support and appreciation for Johnson’s honesty, and stated they would not terminate their contracts with him.
But despite saying this, Nestle quietly abandoned the ad plan they had prepared featuring Johnson. Converse then stopped the marketing funds allocated to Johnson and suspended all commercial promotions and marketing plans, and Pepsi-Cola excluded Johnson from their advertising shooting plans, which essentially declared Magic Johnson’s death in commercial endorsements.
Of course, not all companies abandoned Magic. A condom company and a pharmaceutical company offered Johnson endorsement invitations, which he promptly rejected. He didn’t want to earn money from being associated with AIDS.
He still longed to play basketball and hoped to be a basketball player, to compete, especially in the Olympics and the upcoming All-Star Game.
As time reached February 1992, this year’s All-Star Game would be held in Portland.
On February 4th, the Rose Garden Arena, standing beside Memorial Coliseum and after a year and a half of construction, was officially completed, ready to be used in this year’s All-Star Game.
Typically, the construction period for large stadiums is around two and a half years. However, to meet the 1992 All-Star Game deadline, Tang Jianguo worked overtime and spent extra money, completing it a year early, which was astonishingly fast.
This construction project bid utilized the construction company jointly run by Kenny-Carl and Gan Guoyang. To rush the work, a considerable number of Chinese workers were employed.
These Chinese workers were industrious and skilled. They lived on the construction site for a year and a half, earning in US dollars, earning in a year and a half what might be impossible to earn in a lifetime otherwise.
With the Rose Garden Arena put into use, the All-Star voting also came to an end.
Playing at home, Gan Guoyang unsurprisingly topped the ballot list.
Following closely wasn’t Michael Jordan, but the already retired Magic Johnson.
The fans still wished to see Johnson make an appearance on the court. Johnson submitted an application to Stern, hoping to participate in the 1992 Portland All-Star Game.
Stern expressed support for this. He also wanted to give this former superstar a decent exit ceremony, and Johnson’s participation could showcase the inclusiveness of the NBA.
However, some players disagreed. They worried about virus infection, while some players got tired of Johnson’s smile and the headlines he monopolized over the past months due to AIDS.
Mark Price, for example, questioned the safety of the game. After all, basketball is a sport of close contact. Players wear short clothes and engage in intense confrontations that involve a lot of body contact, where there could be wounds, which might catch the virus.
Karl Malone clearly stated that he did not wish to play on the same court with Johnson. He feared catching the virus.
What saddened Johnson the most was that former Lakers teammates Byron Stern and AC Green also believed that if Johnson had retired, he shouldn’t participate in the game, worrying about Johnson’s health condition.
However, things took a turn during a game between the Trail Blazers and the Lakers in early February.
In Los Angeles, Johnson was watching from the sidelines when, during warm-ups, Gan Guoyang suddenly invited Johnson to the court for a one-on-one duel with him.
