We are more than 20 years removed from November 7, 1991, the day Magic Johnson shook the world and retired from the Los Angeles Lakers after learning he had contracted HIV. Bucking the odds and not only staying alive all these years but also remaining healthy and vibrant, Johnson remains an important part of our world even today. On March 11, ESPN will air The Announcement, a documentary about Magic, his retirement, and the 20 years that have passed since.
The documentary, produced by ESPN Films and NBA Entertainment, and directed by Nelson George, will contain interviews with Johnson's wife Cookie, Pat Riley, Larry Bird, James Worthy, Jerry West, Kurt Rambis, Karl Malone, David Stern, Arsenio Hall, Chris Rock, and others, along with Johnson himself.
Said Johnson of his November 7, 1991 retirement press conference: “Was I scared? No question about it I was scared. I wasn’t scared to announce it; I wasn’t scared of the media. What I was scared of is… would I see them again?”
The documentary will air on Sunday, March 11 on ESPN at 6 p.m. PST.
Magic famously returned to the NBA three months after his retirement to play in the 1992 NBA All-Star Game in Orlando, where he scored 25 points and won game MVP honors. The 2012 NBA All-Star Game is back in Orlando, on February 26.
For more news and notes on Magic Johnson or the Lakers, be sure to read Silver Screen and Roll.