Watch: Karl Malone didn't want Magic Johnson playing in NBA because of HIV, viral video resurfaces with his inappropriate remarks
Karl Malone is one of the most controversial basketball players of all time. He has a troublesome history and has made many insensitive comments, including comments about Magic Johnson.
As many basketball fans remember, Johnson was diagnosed with HIV shortly before the start of the 1991-92 season. Due to this, the LA Lakers legend decided to retire and battle the deadly disease.
A lot of NBA players did not want to play against Magic Johnson, but most of them kept this private. However, Karl Malone was very public regarding his stance, saying that he didn't want to play against the point guard.
Karl Malone didn't want to play against Magic Johnson because of HIV
When Magic Johnson announced that he tested positive for HIV, it was almost like a death sentence. Back then, HIV was considered much more dangerous than it is now, which is why many fans and players believed Johnson would die.
Magic was only 32 at the time and was coming off a season in which he averaged 19.4 points and 12.5 assists per game. He was still one of the best players in the league, but he decided to retire.
The Lakers guard received a lot of support, but also a lot of hate.
Karl Malone wasn't alone in not wanting Magic Johnson to play in the NBA due to his HIV diagnosis in 1991.
However, he was the most ignorant and outspoken at the time. No surprises there. https://t.co/lHafSsrwyI
Karl Malone, who was at the peak of his impressive NBA career, publicly said that he didn't want to play against Magic Johnson. This was very hurtful for Johnson, who believed that Malone should have simply said it to him privately.
"If you got the AIDS virus, it would be hard for me to play as hard as I'm playing," Malone said regarding Johnson. "And if people can't respect my decision...that's tough."
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The LA Lakers star knew that some players didn't want him to play. Unfortunately, Malone's public comments disappointed Johnson, who was dealing with a lot of serious issues at the time.
Johnson was disappointed with Malone's public comments
Magic Johnson was still in his prime when he was diagnosed with HIV. However, he was still selected to the 1992 United States men's Olympic team, also known as the Dream Team.
The Australian basketball team wanted to boycott the Olympic Games due to Johnson's presence, fearing that the virus could spread to their players. However, Johnson ended up playing, averaging 8.0 points and 5.5 assists per game.
Magic Johnson talked about how he felt regarding Malone's comments. He appeared on a podcast with Shannon Sharpe, revealing his feelings at the time:
"He [Karl Malone] came out publicly with it. Now I just played with you, in the Dream Team. I practiced against you every single day. And now you don't want to play with me? I mean, against me?" Johnson said. "I was like, 'Wow, you could have just said that to me.'"
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Magic also said that he didn't want to come back due to Malone's comments since he didn't want to damage the league.