Unfortunately for basketball fans, at a November 7, 1991, press conference, Johnson announced that he had been infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)--which leads to the incurable, fatal disease AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome)--forcing his retirement. He has dealt with this development the way he used to deal with players trying to guard him: he has worked to figure out a way to win. Johnson has continued to make his mark, succeeding in the business world in the same way he did on the court.
Johnson was born on August 14, 1959, in Lansing, Michigan, the sixth of ten children. His father, Earvin Sr., worked on an assembly line at General Motors, and his mother, Christine, was a cafeteria worker. Often his father worked two jobs to support his large family. "When I was young, I didn't really think about what [my father] was doing," Johnson recalled in the Los Angeles Times, "but now I understand how much he did for me and my brothers and sisters." In his free time, Johnson's dad would watch basketball on television with Johnson and give him tips on how to play the game.
"June Bug"
Johnson was interested in basketball from an early age and spent many hours on the court.
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