When Isiah Thomas qutng Magic Johnson's sexualy vastated him: “I keep hearg Magic is gay"

Contents:

• MAGIC JOHNSON ON LEARNG TO ACCEPT HIS GAY SON: 'HE CHANGED ME'
• WHEN ISIAH THOMAS QUTNG MAGIC JOHNSON'S SEXUALY VASTATED HIM: “I KEEP HEARG MAGIC IS GAY"
• IS MAGIC JOHNSON GAY? THE STUPID LI HE TOLD ABOUT HIS S*XUALY EXPOSED

MAGIC JOHNSON ON LEARNG TO ACCEPT HIS GAY SON: 'HE CHANGED ME'

“Very European, ” says EJ Johnson, the son of Magic Johnson, as he rells when he me out as gay to his father. I’m gay, but I didn’t want to tell my parents. It wasn't until his sophomore year of high school that he beme magil.

In terms of public opn cir 1991, Magic Johnson's HIV announcement meant only one thg; Magic was gay. HIV/AIDS was still thought of as a so-lled "gay disease" (per Avert), spe the existence of high-profile s that didn't volve homosexualy, like like the Ryan Whe story.

He nied any homosexual enunters. When the two faced off the 1989 NBA fals, they famoly kissed prr to tip-off, which possibly fueled the mors years later that Johnson was secretly gay. The mor was that was Thomas who then told anyone that asked about his good iend Magic that he was ed gay or at least bisexual — and regardls of if Isiah did spread those or not, there were repercsns.

WHEN ISIAH THOMAS QUTNG MAGIC JOHNSON'S SEXUALY VASTATED HIM: “I KEEP HEARG MAGIC IS GAY"

A few years after that, Magic acced Isiah Thomas, a player wh the Detro Pistons, of spreadg mors about Magic beg gay or bisexual.

At the time, AIDS was known as ‘the gay disease’ bee of the toll took on the gay muny. Many people thought Johnson was gay bee he ntracted the disease. A lot of people started to wonr if Johnson was gay bee up to this pot had only been queer celebri who had been diagnosed wh the disease.

Not only did the HIV diagnosis e many to speculate that Magic Johnson was gay, but also had a huge impact on his reer the NBA. This led to whispers that the LA legend was a closeted homosexual.

IS MAGIC JOHNSON GAY? THE STUPID LI HE TOLD ABOUT HIS S*XUALY EXPOSED

Acrdg to (Lon) Rosen, Thomas told him, 'I keep hearg Magic is gay. He acced Isiah Thomas of spreadg gay mors. That all end 2009 when Johnson acced Thomas his memoir When the Game Was Ours of spreadg mors he'd ntracted HIV through gay and bisexual activy, acrdg to ESPN.

Over the years, Magic and Cookie have been open about their rponsibili as parents — like when Magic told Ellen DeGener that he was "so happy" when their son EJ me out as gay. EJ publicly me out as gay 2013, though he me out to his fay several years earlier. In 2014, EJ told PEOPLE that, although his parents "pretty much already knew" that he was gay, they were worried about the public's reactn.