Shannon Sharpe Echoes Magic Johnson’s Harsh Criticism Against LeBron James And The Lakers

The Lakers suffered a significant setback in their playoff opener, falling 117–95 to the Timberwolves. For those who bleed purple and gold, this loss felt more like an embarrassment in the first playoff game of the LeBron James-Luka Doncic era. Although the Lakers got a good start, they were outscored in the next three quarters.

Luka started the game on a high note, scoring 16 points in the first quarter. By the end of the game, he remained the only Laker who performed like he was playing a playoff game. LeBron James was far from impactful with his 19 points.

The poor outing by the players was further highlighted by JJ Redick’s lackluster coaching. Lakers legend Magic Johnson was very disappointed in the way his team performed tonight. He outlined several aspects of the game where the team was outmatched in front of the Wolves.

Shannon Sharpe agreed with everything Magic had to say.

While discussing the loss on Nightcap, Sharpe said, “The Lakers, with the exception of Luka, nobody really played well…The home team has lost on their court in the first game, and normally, that’s not what you want to see.”

Sharpe believed that the Lakers would easily win the first game because they’ve had eight days to prepare for this. He wasn’t prepared to see his team get dismantled by the Timberwolves at all. He then referred to Magic’s post on X, where he outlined the major issues with the Lakers’ game plan for the night.

Magic wrote, “Coach JJ Redick did a great job all season, but he didn’t do a good job for Game 1. The Lakers stood around on offense,  played too much one-on-one basketball, and he didn’t make any necessary adjustments.”

Before posting about the Lakers’ flaws, Magic gave credit to the Minnesota team for dominating the game.

“The Minnesota Timberwolves dominated the Lakers in every category winning 117-95 tonight. They were more physical, more athletic, faster, and came up with every loose ball,” Magic wrote. He gave a shoutout to Jaden McDaniels for being the star performer in Game 1. McDaniels had 25 points with nine rebounds and two assists for the Wolves.

Anthony Edwards ended up with 22 points, Naz Reid with 23, and Julius Randle with 16. They will meet again in LA for Game 2 on Tuesday.