More than two decades ago, Earvin "Magic" Johnson announced the unthinkable and his fans and the world had to re-think what they thought about a disease called AIDS.
"I was a guy that could shoulder HIV and AIDS," Johnson said. "A lot of guys couldn't have gone public, and then get involved in the HIV and AIDS fight the way that I have."
Magic is still the warrior fighting the fight 20 years later, and a new documentary chronicling the shocking news was screened Tuesday for Los Angeles-area high schools.
The documentary, "The Announcement," will air March 11 at 6 p.m. PT on ESPN.
The sports network decided it was time to look back at that moment when a conversation the sports world would have gladly avoided turned into the only topic they were talking about.
When Johnson contracted the virus, no one was talking about it, but the basketball star helped changed that. But even though there is still no cure, people still aren't talking about it, Johnson said.
"I've always talked about it," Johnson said. "It's been at the forefront of my life, and it will be forever. I continue to have a smile on my face while I've talked about it, and I think that's the way I've lived my life."
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Johnson's wife, Cookie, said she and her husband became closer because of the the disease.
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