AUSTIN, TEXAS: Joe Rogan recently recollected memories of an incident between Magic Johnson and Dennis Rodman that occurred in the 1990s when HIV and AIDS came to light and ended up being a social stigma due to a lack of awareness.
Notably, Johnson was one of the first NBA players to come out about testing positive for HIV. Despite the presence of awareness programs related to the disease, many NBA players were still afraid of it at the time and were hesitant to play against Johnson or guard him.
'One of the best jokes I've ever heard'
Rodman, according to Rogan, was unafraid of guarding Johnson and remembers what he said to Johnson during their clash. "Motherf**ker, I f**k Madonna, I’ll spit in your mouth and accelerate your symptoms," Rogan said and burst out laughing. He also remarked, "To this day, that's one of the best jokes I've ever heard - I’ll spit in your mouth and accelerate your symptoms!" A Twitter user shared the clip of Rogan, captioning the post, "I’ll spit in your mouth and accelerate your symptoms." Rogan's reaction to the Rodman and Johnson event was almost as good as the incident itself. However, to some, Rodman's statement looked unreasonable, especially considering the HIV situation at the time.
When Johnson announced his HIV diagnosis, it sparked outrage and forced his retirement from the NBA. Some players offered their support and calmed the situation, claiming that simply playing against him was not enough to contract the disease. Despite the disinformation surrounding AIDS, a nonchalant Rodman proceeded to face the great point guard.
At the time, Rodman said, "I couldn't care less if the guy I'm guarding has HIV. I'm going to slam him anyway."
'Everybody would be f**ked'
In another of his basketball opinions, Rogan speculated on a podcast episode how LeBron James would have fared had he chosen MMA instead of basketball. Considering James is 6 feet 9 inches tall, Rogan believes he would have defeated every other combatant in the ring. "I don’t give a f**k what kind of steroids you take, you are never going to look like that. Never," Rogan declared, adding, "There are human beings who have just the most unfathomable physical advantages."
The 55-year-old podcaster went on to say, "LeBron James would have an unfathomable physical advantage over someone who would have an unfathomable physical advantage over you. A guy like that, if he was fighting, everybody would be f**ked! They are lucky, they are God damn lucky there’s that much money in basketball and LeBron James got into it."
