The legacy of Los Angeles Lakers icon Magic Johnson is bigger than basketball. He will always be remembered for his one-of-a-kind playmaking skills and 12 All-Star nominations, five championships and three MVP awards. Unfortunately, his legacy also includes the story of him contracting HIV when he was 32 years old, forcing him into retirement.

Johnson being forced to retire at that age shocked the sports world and marked the effective end of one of the most successful eras in the Lakers' history. Shortly after his announcement, he started the Magic Johnson Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supported HIV/AIDS research and awareness.

On the 30th anniversary of announcing he contracted HIV and would be retiring from the Lakers, Johnson shared a heartwarming message on Twitter thanking God for the strength to live with the virus.

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Johnson contracting HIV took away years from the end of his prime. He played in the 1992 NBA All-Star game, winning All-Star MVP honors, just a few months after announcing his retirement, and returned to play at the end of the 1995/96 season but he wasn't the same player. Although showtime was over, Magic's ability and determination to play in the NBA again is an inspiring story.

The Los Angeles legend would go on to become an executive with the franchise in 2017, where he played a part in signing LeBron James.

Since leaving the Lakers' front office in 2019, Johnson has been out of the league in a significant capacity. A docuseries about his life will stream on Apple TV+.