Conversation so far:
When did Magic Johnson announce that he had HIV?
After a physical before the 1991–92 NBA season, Magic Johnson discovered that he had tested positive for HIV.
What did Magic Johnson say about his diagnosis?
He stated that his wife Cookie and their unborn child did not have HIV, and that he would dedicate his life to battle this deadly disease.
Was Magic Johnson a homosexual?
At the time, a small percentage of HIV-positive American men contracted it from heterosexual sex, and was initially rumored that Johnson was gay or bisexual, although he denied both
How did the fan and audience take the news of him having HIV?
Johnson's HIV announcement became a major news story in the United States, and in 2004 was named as ESPN's seventh-most memorable moment of the previous 25 years.

Question: Why did they praise him as a hero?
Self-contained rewrite: Why did t praise him as a hero?