Magic Johnson on Defying Odds Since 1991 HIV Diagnosis (Exclusive)

When Erving “Magic” Johnson announced that he was HIV positive back in 1991, it almost seemed like a death sentence. But, with the help of modern medicine, his wife’s support and many doctor visits, he realized he was going to be okay.

“Every time I go to the doctor and my T-cell count is off the charts, that’s when I know I’m good,” the former basketball player, 64, told PEOPLE while attending Cedric the Entertainer and Toni Braxton’s Love & Laughter show at the Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas on April 27.

While Johnson is no longer a professional athlete, he still takes his fitness serious, waking up at 4 a.m. every day.

Staying at his physical peak, the Los Angeles Lakers legend said, has significantly helped. 

“I’m stretching, and then I work out for two hours. Then I’m in the office all day, so as long I can continue, and I have been at that pace, it’s been a blessing,” he explained. “So I’ve done my part, the medicine’s done its part, and then my wife stays on me to make sure I’m doing my part.”

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Johnson previously revealed his health diagnosis to the world in a press conference during the early ’90s.

These days, he’s an advocate for HIV/AIDS prevention, and he told PEOPLE he is thriving not just physically, but also as an entrepreneur, philanthropist and highly successful businessman.

Over the weekend, Johnson checked out Cedric and Braxton’s Vegas residency show, which melds Braxton’s singing with Cedric’s comedy. The show doubled as a 60th birthday celebration for Cedric, too.

“He just keeps you laughing,” Johnson said of his pal. “It’s like, you could be sitting there just talking about something, and he’ll make a joke out of it, and he’ll have you on the floor. He hasn’t changed, and he’s bigger than life.”

“He’s authentic, he’s organic and he’s real,” he added. (Cedric and his wife, Lorna Wells, have been close with Johnson and his wife, Cookie Johnson, for more than two decades.)