Johnson initially said that he did not know how he contracted the disease,[1] but later acknowledged that it was through having numerous sexual partners during his playing career.[101] He admitted to having "harems of women" and talked openly about his sexual activities because "he was convinced that heterosexuals needed to know that they, too, were at risk".[101] At the time, only a small percentage of HIV-positive American men had contracted it from heterosexual sex,[87][102] and it was initially rumored that Johnson was gay or bisexual, although he denied both.[87] Johnson later accused Isiah Thomas of spreading the rumors, a claim Thomas denied.[5][103]