Doctors Say Johnson’s Return To Help Them In Aids Study
Magic Johnson’s return will be watched closely by medical experts trying to learn more about the effects of strenuous exercise on the progression of an HIV infection.
“We never got a chance to perform that experiment,” said Michael Mellman, one of Johnson’s physicians. “Certainly what he has been doing to date does not qualify for an NBA schedule.”
Johnson, 36, one of basketball’s all-time stars, will return to the Los Angeles Lakers at the Forum tonight against the Golden State Warriors.
His announcement was welcomed by AIDS experts, who said there is no known medical risk involved with playing. They expressed hope that Johnson’s presence in the NBA will increase society’s awareness of the disease and cast others fighting the infection in a more favorable light.
“This is exciting and inspiring,” said Michael Gottlieb, a nationally known AIDS expert from L.A. “He’s doing something special.”
Said Leonard Calabrese, director of Clinical Immunology at the Cleveland Foundation Clinic, “Being HIV-infected is not an immediate death sentence. We’re more confident this doesn’t produce any dangers around him.”
Johnson, the leading actor in the Lakers’ “Showtime” years, will play in his first regulation NBA game since June 12, 1991. He retired shortly before the start of the 1991-92 season after testing positive for the human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS.
Johnson said he is not concerned about the kind of negative reactions he experienced during a brief come-back attempt in 1992. He said competing on his worldwide exhibition tour has helped allay those fears.
“If you play against players all summer, there’s no difference with playing against them in a game,” he said after the Lakers’ practice on Monday.
Since his first comeback, the NBA has instituted an intense educational program to teach its players about the realities and myths of HIV transmission.
Experts said the risk of transmis sion through contact on the basketball court is negligible. There is no verified incident in which an athlete has contracted the disease through a collision with an infected party.
One such reported case involving a soccer game at an Italian prison a few years ago has not been documented by the scientific community. An independent examination by the Los Angeles Times was unable to verify if the report was true.
Mellman, who has helped program Johnson’s treatment, said the player’s everyday health is fine.
“He has had consistent good health since 1991,” said Mellman, an Inglewood internist. “We are at the same place we were when he was going to return before.”