Los Angeles Lakers luminary, Magic Johnson, details the events that transpired which resulted in him resigning from his role as Lakers president!
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Magic Johnson was initially appointed as the head of basketball operations for the Lakers in February of 2017, in an effort to revitalize and revamp their hierarchy. They sought out Johnson in the hopes that his work would enable them to once again make the NBA Playoffs.
However, just two years later, the five-time NBA champion would step down from his responsibilities abruptly, leaving the league, the organization, and its players in disbelief.
Johnson announced his decision to the media initially, as he was of the belief that Lakers owner, Jeanie Buss, would have attempted to talk him out of it.
Whilst breaking the news to the reporters, Johnson stated–
“It’s a difficult decision. I cried before I came here. I want to go back to having fun. I want to go back to being who I was before taking on this job. I want to do the things I used to do, so I had to weigh both situations, so this is better for me”
Johnson leaving was a direct result of his desire, yet inability to be a part of the NBA as a whole, as he was the President of basketball operations for the Lakers, and any interactions with athletes outside the Lakers, would have been considered tampering.
Magic Johnson and his departure!
At the time of his leaving, reports had emerged that Johnson had desired to get rid of then-Lakers head coach, Luke Walton. Johnson refuted the claims but later went on to provide his perspective on why he wished to make that move.
Johnson stated-
“Yeah, I was preparing to make that decision. But you know, it was going to be tough for her, because she(Jeanie Buss) loves him, loves me. And I was already saying, you know what? Really, Earvin, are you really happy? So when I decided I wasn’t, I didn’t want to put her in a position like this. And so this was the right move to make. And I’ve never been so relieved.”
Magic Johnson was recently sighted with Shannon Sharpe on his show ‘Club Shay Shay‘, where he provided further details on Walton and the decisions that led to his departure.
Johnson stated-
“I wanted to fire Luke Walton. Oh, I knew he wasn’t(capable of leading the Lakers). And so I said, ‘Hey, we’ve got to let him go. He’s not the right guy; he is not a great coach for the Laker team.’ And they wanted to keep him.”
Would the scenario in Los Angeles be different right now, had Magic Johnson stayed?
The Los Angeles Lakers 2018-2019 campaign!
That same season that the 63-year-old left, the roster finished with 37 wins and 45 losses, crashing out of the NBA Playoffs. In retrospect, perhaps letting Walton go, might have turned the tides in their favor.
Nevertheless, the departure had a remarkable effect on the Lakers. As soon as the next campaign kicked in, the organization got rid of Walton and hired Frank Vogel.
In addition, they made one of the greatest trades in NBA history when they acquired Anthony Davis, for integral members of their young core.
The move would be validated when they won the NBA championship in 2020. The franchise faces a similar situation now as it did back in 2019. However, they do not have the resources to fix their issues. A dilemma that is being faced by the franchise currently.
Also read: Rajon Rondo Thought LeBron James Retired, but a Prominent Lakers Personality Had Bigger Plans
