Newsletter
Fadeaway World
  • Fadeaway World
  • NBA News & Analysis
  • NBA Trade Rumors
  • NBA News & Media
  • Exclusive Interviews
  • NBA 2K
Reading: Dennis Rodman On Guarding Magic Johnson After HIV Diagnosis: “I Couldn’t Care Less If The Guy I’m Guarding Has HIV. I’m Going To Slam Him Anyways.”
Fadeaway WorldFadeaway World
Search
  • Fadeaway World
  • NBA News & Analysis
  • NBA Trade Rumors
  • NBA News & Media
  • Exclusive Interviews
  • NBA 2K
Follow US
Home > NBA News & Analysis > Dennis Rodman On Guarding Magic Johnson After HIV Diagnosis: “I Couldn’t Care Less If The Guy I’m Guarding Has HIV. I’m Going To Slam Him Anyways.”

Dennis Rodman On Guarding Magic Johnson After HIV Diagnosis: “I Couldn’t Care Less If The Guy I’m Guarding Has HIV. I’m Going To Slam Him Anyways.”

Orlando Silva
May 18, 2022
3 Min Read
Share

(via HoopsHype)

When Magic Johnson announced he had HIV, the NBA world didn’t know how to react. His colleagues had a hard time trying to figure out what to do or what Magic should do with his career. He received a lot of criticism, mostly due to the misinformation about the disease, which led Magic to retire from the game for the first time. 

While many said some harsh things about the Los Angeles Lakers icon, others had a different approach to that, showing support to Magic and trying to calm everybody down, explaining that playing basketball against him wasn’t enough to get the disease. 

Dennis Rodman was one of those players that really didn’t care about Magic’s illness and was willing to keep facing the legendary point guard. Besides Charles Barkley, Rodman also said that he didn’t have any problem with that: 

(2nd slide)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by NBA News, Polls, & Stats (@dunkcounty)

“I couldn’t care less if the guy I’m guarding has HIV. I’m going to slam him anyways,” Rodman said at the time.

Rodman, a wild person off the court, didn’t have any issues going against Magic even after the news was revealed. In 2019, he would double down on this, saying he didn’t care about that and just wanted to play against Magic:

“They asked all the players in the NBA; nobody wanted to play with him,” Rodman told Business Insider. “They asked me, I said, I don’t give a damn, I just wanna play. I don’t give a damn if he got that.”

Magic would return to the league and had a few duels with Rodman, but he obviously wasn’t the same player he was during the 80s. While Rodman enjoyed the sweet taste of victory with the Chicago Bulls, Johnson would retire for the final time in 1996, preventing us from watching him playing alongside Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal on the Lakers. 

Rodman was a character, somebody who liked to party a lot and had a wild life, so perhaps he could have learned something from Magic’s experience, while also showing empathy towards the 5x NBA champion. 

Follow on Google News

Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We appreciate your support.

TAGGED:Dennis RodmanMagic Johnson
Share This Article
Facebook Email Copy Link Print
ByOrlando Silva
Follow:
Orlando Silva has been a part of Fadeaway World for over three years now, starting in March 2019. Trade rumors, hottest news, controversies, and basketball gossip have become his specialties. After several years of seeing the Spurs dominate the playoffs, they've become his favorite team as players for the franchise either rise to the occasion or fall completely from grace. When he's not talking about the NBA, Orlando can be seen watching other sports, making music, or enjoying television series.
Previous Article Ime Udoka Calls Out Jayson Tatum And Jaylen Brown After Celtics’ Game 1 Loss vs. Heat: “It Was Our Veterans Jayson And Jaylen Who Let It Get Away From Us.”
Next Article Jay Williams Compares Jimmy Butler’s Postseason To Michael Jordan: “Jimmy Butler’s Name Belongs In The Same Breath With Michael Jordan.”
Leave a Comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Newsletter

Stay up to date with our newsletter on the latest news, trends, ranking lists, and evergreen articles

Newsletter
Facebook X-twitter Instagram

You Might Also Like

Jimmy Butler
Golden State Warriors News & Analysis

Jimmy Butler Compromised For Lakers Game With Brutal Injury

October 4, 2025
Chris Paul
Los Angeles Clippers News & Analysis

Chris Paul Sets The Record Straight On NBA Retirement Plans

October 4, 2025
Klay Thompson
Dallas Mavericks News & Analysis

Klay Thompson Reveals The Key To Mavericks Title Run

October 4, 2025
Austin Reaves
Los Angeles Lakers News & Analysis

Austin Reaves’ Grandma Was Ready To Confront LeBron James For Yelling At Him

October 4, 2025

NBA - Fadeaway World

  • Atlanta Hawks
  • Boston Celtics
  • Brooklyn Nets
  • Charlotte Hornets
  • Chicago Bulls
  • Cleveland Cavaliers
  • Dallas Mavericks
  • Denver Nuggets
  • Detroit Pistons
  • Golden State Warriors
  • Houston Rockets
  • Indiana Pacers
  • Los Angeles Clippers
  • Los Angeles Lakers
  • Memphis Grizzlies
  • Miami Heat
  • Milwaukee Bucks
  • Minnesota Timberwolves
  • New Orleans Pelicans
  • New York Knicks
  • Oklahoma City Thunder
  • Orlando Magic
  • Philadelphia 76ers
  • Phoenix Suns
  • Portland Trail Blazers
  • Sacramento Kings
  • San Antonio Spurs
  • Toronto Raptors
  • Utah Jazz
  • Washington Wizards

Pages

  • NBA Trade Rumors
  • NBA Media
  • Exclusive NBA Interviews
  • NBA 2K News & Updates

© 2025 Fadeaway World @ All Rights Reserved

  • About Fadeaway World
  • Fadeaway World Authors
  • Editorial Team
  • Ethics Policy
  • Corrections Policy
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Fact-Checking Policy
  • Contact Us
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?