MOMENT, BUT FIRST, IN CASE YOU
FORGOT.
FOR 12 NBA
STAR, HE STUNNED THE WORLD WITH
HIS ANNOUNCEMENT IN 1991 THAT HE
WAS HIV POSITIVE.
>> I PLAN ON GOING ON, LIVING
FOR A LONG TIME.
>> AND HE HAS.
BECOMING A MEMBER OF THE
LEGENDARY OLYMPIC DREAM TEAM IN
ADDITION TO AN NBA COMEBACK, BUT
SINCE THEN THERE'S BEEN SO MUCH
MORE THAN BASKETBALL.
HIS COMPANY, MAGIC JOHNSON
ENTERPRISES HAS BECOME AN
ECONOMIC SUPERSTAR AS WELL,
STARTING IN THE MOVIE THEATER
BUSINESS AND NOW INVOLVED IN
MASSIVE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS
LIKE AIRPORTS DENVER AND NEW
YORK CITY, AND MEDIA AND
TECHNOLOGY VENTURES.
>> IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE
MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE
COMMUNITY.
>> BUT HE STILL HAS A HAND IN
THE WORLD OF SPORTS.
HE WAS PRESIDENT OF BASKETBALL
OPERATIONS FOR THE LAKERS UNTIL
THIS SPRING, AND IS A CO-OWNER
OF THE L.A. DODGERS, THE WNB A's
L.A. SPARKS AND MAJOR LEAGUE
SOCCER'S LOS ANGELES FOOTBALL
CLUB.
THIS SUMMER, JOHNSON AND HIS
WIFE COOKIE CELEBRATED HIS 60th
BIRTHDAY IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE
WITH J. LO, ANGELA BASSET AND
SPIKE LEE.
MAGIC JOHNSON, 60 AND STILL
GOING STRONG.
MAGIC JOHNSON, SO GOOD TO SEE
YOU.
>> YOU TOO CRAIG.
>> LET'S TALK.
YOU LIVE OUT IN CALIFORNIA.
AS YOU KNOW, THEY JUST PASSED
THIS LAW OUT THERE THAT WOULD
ALLOW COLLEGE ATHLETES TO GET
PAID FOR ENDORSEMENTS, MAKE
MONEY OFF THEIR LIKENESS, THEY
CAN HIRE AGENTS, YOU PLAYED IN
WHAT'S STILL THE MOST WATCHED
COLLEGE BASKETBALL GAME IN
HISTORY IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN,
MICHIGAN STATE, INDIANA STATE,
YOU AND LARRY BYRD.
DID YOU THINK WHEN THAT LAW
PASSED, I COULD HAVE CASHED IN.
>> LARRY AND I COULD HAVE CASHED
IN AFTER THAT GAME, OF COURSE,
BUT THE LAW IS GOOD, I THINK,
FOR THE PLAYERS, THE ATHLETES,
THE STUDENT ATHLETES, BECAUSE
LISTEN, YOU DON'T MAKE ANY
MONEY, YOU CAN'T GET A JOB WHILE
YOU'RE PLAYING AT YOUR
UNIVERSITY, SO THIS ALLOWS THEM
TO AT LEAST HAVE A LITTLE MONEY
IN THEIR POCKET TO ENJOY COLLEGE
AND ENJOY JUST GOING OUT TO
DINNER AND LUNCH OR TAKING THEIR
GIRLFRIEND TO A MOVIE.
>> SO YOU THINK ALL COLLEGE
PAID.
>> I THINK SO.
AND LISTEN, WE'RE NOT TALKING
ABOUT THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF
DOLLARS, BUT JUST ENOUGH FOR
THEM TO HAVE A GREAT LIFE WHILE
THEY'RE ON CAMPUS.
>> I WANT TO CLEAR UP SOME
CONFUSION WHY YOU'RE HERE,
RECENTLY I TALKED TO YOUR BOY,
MICHAEL JORDAN, AND I ASKED HIM
A QUESTION, FIRST OF ALL, I
ASKED HIM LIKE ON HIS BEST FIVE
ALL TIME, WHO'S ON HIS TEAM, HE
PICKED YOU OF COURSE, YOU'RE ONE
OF HIS FIVE AND THEN HE SAID
SOMETHING ELSE THAT MADE SOME
NEWS, TAKE A LISTEN.
>> WHEN I'M GOING IN THE
TRENCHES, I PLAYED AGAINST AND
WITH ALL OF THESE GUYS, I'M
GOING WITH WHO I KNOW.
EVERY SINGLE NIGHT, THAT
RESPONSIBILITY TO GO OUT THERE
AND REPRESENT GREATNESS EVERY
SINGLE NIGHT.
>> STEPH CURRY SHOULDN'T BE
OFFENDED WHEN HE WATCHES.
>> I HOPE NOT.
HE'S STILL A GREAT PLAYER.
NOT A HALL OF FAMER YET, THOUGH.
>> NOT A HALL OF FAMER.
AND THEN SO YOU TWEETED LIKE TWO
DAYS LATER, I WANT TO PUT THE
TWEET UP FOR OUR VIEWERS AT
HOME.
EVERYONE RELAX, WE KNOW STEPH
CURRY IS A FUTURE HALL OF FAMER,
MICHAEL JORDAN COULDN'T SAY IT
BECAUSE HE WOULD GET FINED BY
THE LEAGUE.
WHAT DID YOU MEAN BY THAT, THE
LEAGUE THAT SENSITIVE.
>> MICHAEL JORDAN IS THE OWNER.
CHARLOTTE, HE OWNS THE TEAM, AND
SO IF HE HAD SAID GREAT COMMENTS
ABOUT STEPH CURRY, THE OTHER
OWNERS WOULD THINK THAT HE'S
RECRUITING HIM TO COME PLAY FOR
MICHAEL SO MICHAEL COULDN'T SAY
IT.
BUT WE KNOW STEPH CURRY IS A
FUTURE HALL OF FAMER.
THE GREATEST SHOOTER WE HAVE
EVER SEEN IN THE HISTORY OF THE
NBA.
>> IN THE HISTORY OF THE LEAGUE,
STEPH CURRY.
>> STEPH CURRY, KLAY THOMPSON,
THE TWO GUYS PLAYING ON THE SAME
TEAM WITH REGGIE MILLER, RAY
ALLEN AND LARRY BYRD.
>> GLAD YOU CLEANED THAT UP.
>> I THINK STEPH IS THE BEST.
>> LET'S TALK ABOUT SOMETHING
ELSE THAT'S BEEN IN THE
HEADLINES A LOT LATELY, THE
LEAGUE'S RELATIONSHIP WITH
CHINA.
AS YOU KNOW, THE GENERAL
MANAGER.
>> RIGHT.
>> OF THE HOUSTON ROCKETS A FEW
WEEKS AGO HE TWEETS OUT
BASICALLY SUPPORTING THE
PROTESTERS IN HONG KONG, CHINA
THEN PUNISHES THE LEAGUE, AND
NOW YOU'VE GOT A RELATIONSHIP, A
POTENTIALLY MULTIBILLION DOLLAR
THE BALANCE.
HOW DO YOU BALANCE THE ISSUE OF
GLOBAL FREEDOM WITH THE BUSINESS
INTERESTS OF THE NBA.
>> WELL, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW,
FIRST, EVERY INDIVIDUAL HAS A
RIGHT TO, YOU KNOW, FREEDOM OF
SPEECH.
AND I'M FOR FREEDOM FOR ALL
PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE FIGHTING
ENOUGH OF THAT RIGHT HERE IN
AMERICA FOR MINORITIES.
THAT'S WHAT I HAVE BEEN ABOUT MY
WHOLE LIFE.
NOW I THINK THAT WE'VE GOT THE
GREATEST COMMISSIONER, AND ADAM
WOLF FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, A
SOLUTION TO THIS.
AND I THINK THAT ALL THE PLAYERS
ARE PUTTING THEIR TRUST AND THE
OWNERS ARE PUTTING THEIR TRUST
IN ADAM SILVER, AND I THINK
HE'LL DELIVER A SOLUTION.
IT'S ALL ABOUT A SOLUTION.
WE KNOW THERE'S A PROBLEM, BUT
THERE'S GOING TO BE A SOLUTION.
>> HOW DO YOU THINK THE LEAGUE
HANDLED IT SO FAR?
THERE'S BILLIONS OF DOLLARS, YOU
KNOW, AT STAKE HERE, SO I THINK
EVERYBODY WHO WAS CAUGHT OFF
GUARD, AND IT'S NOTHING THAT,
LISTEN, YOU'RE PUTTING THE
PLAYERS IN A TOUGH POSITION,
LeBRON HAS BEEN PUT IN A TOUGH
POSITION.
ADAM SILVER HAS BEEN PUT IN A
TOUGH POSITION.
NOW I THINK THEY HAVE TO COME
TOGETHER, PLAYERS, COOWNERS ANDM
D
SOLUTION THAT'S GOING TO BE
LEAGUE, FOR PEOPLE IN HONG KONG
AND CHINA.
>> HARD TO BELIEVE IT'S 28 YEARS
AGO ROUGHLY AROUND THIS TIME
THAT YOU TOLD THE WORLD THAT YOU
WERE LIVING WITH HIV.
IF SOMEONE HAD TOLD YOU THEN
THAT NOT ONLY WOULD YOU BE ALIVE
TODAY BUT YOU WOULD BE THRIVING
IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD,
WOULD YOU HAVE BELIEVED THEM?
>> NO.
28 YEARS AGO, ONE DRUG, A.C.T.,
IT WAS A DEATH SENTENCE AT THAT
TIME, AND HERE I AM, 28 YEARS
LATER, AS YOU'RE SAYING, HAVING
A GREAT LIFE.
I WORK OUT EVERY DAY.
I MAKE SURE THAT I'M EATING THE
RIGHT FOODS AND ALSO, TOO, MY
ATTITUDE AND MINDSET REALLY
HELPED OUT AS WELL.
>> WHAT'S THE ATTITUDE AND
MINDSET.
>> I THINK JUST ACCEPTING YOUR
NEW STATUS AND BEING COMFORTABLE
WITH IT.
AND I ACCEPTED THAT AND THEN I
HAD TO TALK TO MY DOCTORS AND
SAY HOW CAN I BE HERE A LONG
TIME.
AND THEY TOLD ME, TAKE MY MEDS,
BE COMFORTABLE WITH YOUR STATUS
BUT ALSO YOU GOT TO WORK OUT.
SO I'VE BEEN DOING THOSE THINGS.
>> AND YOU'VE ALSO DI MYSTIFIED
HIV AND AIDS FOR A LOT OF FOLKS.
IN THE 90s FOLKS WEREN'T TALKING
ABOUT IT.
DO YOU HAVE FOLKS COMING UP ON
THE STREET, AND TELL YOU THEIR
STORY.
>> THEY WERE CRYING WHEN I
ANNOUNCED BUT I GOT TO GIVE
ELIZABETH GLAZER A LOT OF
CREDIT.
SHE HELPED ME.
SHE DIED A YEAR LATER OR TWO OF
AIDS BUT SHE'S THE ONE WHO MADE
MYSELF COMFORTABLE AND MY WIFE
COOKIE COMFORTABLE AND SHE JUST
WANTED ME TO BE THE FACE OF THE
DISEASE AND HERE I AM.
28 YEARS LATER.
>> SPEAKING OF COOKIE, YOU GUYS
AS I UNDERSTAND IT JUST THREW AN
EPIC BIRTHDAY BASH.
YOU JUST TURNED 60.
A-LIST CELEBS, SPIKE LEE, ANGELA
BASSET, EARTH, WIND AND FIRE.
AND AL ROKER.
>> HE DIDN'T SHOW UP.
I'M STILL LOOKING FOR AL.
>> BECAUSE AL HAD A BUM HIP.
AND AL WAS COVERING HURRICANE
DORY.
OTHERWISE I WOULD HAVE BEEN
THERE.
>> HE DIDN'T SHOW UP.
>> THE WIFE SHOWED UP.
>> MRS. ROKER WAS THERE, AND I
GOT A COLLECTION, NOT JUST ONE,
NOT TWO, BUT THREE SIGNED.
>> HE SKIPS YOUR PARTY AND GETS
JERSEYS.
>> I HAD A TICKET, I WAS GOING.
IT'S CALLED WALK.
BE QUIET.
>> THANK YOU.
>> THAT WAS A GREAT INTERVIEW
WITH MICHAEL JORDAN.
>> THANK YOU.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> THIS IS MY BROTHER RIGHT
HERE.
>> AL ROKER.
>> WE GO BACK A LONG WAY.
>> YES, WE DO, AND YOU CAN'T
MISS THE NEXT ONE.
I'M INVITING CRAIG NEXT TIME.
>> YOU HEARD HIM.
>> WHEN I SHOW UP, DON'T KICK ME
OUT.
>> YOU'RE ON A SMUCKERS JAR.
YOU, ME, SITTING THERE, HI, HOW