Before the beginning of the Los Angeles Lakers’ season finale against the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday, group president Earvin “Magic” Johnson unexpectedly declared that he was moving to one side.
Johnson made the declaration at a 43-minute impromptu press conference at Staples Center. “I want to go back to having fun,” he told the gathering of columnists.
The NBA legend refered to a powerlessness to be an envoy of the amusement in his job with the Lakers and his dissatisfaction at being fined by the league for tampering. “I thought about Dwyane Wade retiring tomorrow and I can’t even tweet it out or be there,” Johnson said.
“I had more fun on the other side than on this side,” Magic continued. “What I didn’t like was the backstabbing and the whispering. I don’t like that.”
Johnson included that he had not informed group proprietor Jeannie Buss or general manager Rob Pelinka about his decision.
Johnson didn’t straightforwardly attach his choice to the fate of mentor Luke Walton, who was broadly expected to be fired by Johnson soon. In any case, Johnson over and again referenced Buss’ partiality for Walton and Johnson’s desire not to cause change between them.
The big question is, obviously, what will LeBron James state about this move by Magic? Johnson set forth a ‘two summer plan’ when he enlisted James to turn out to L.A. the previous summer.
“We don’t know what people (free agents) are going to decide, and we can’t control that. So if guys decide not to come here, it’s not a failure — we turn to next summer. It’s going to be a two summer thing for the Lakers,” Magic said at the time. “This summer and next summer. That’s it. If I can’t deliver I’m going to step down myself. She (Buss) won’t have to fire me, I’ll step away from it, because I can’t do this job.”
Evidently, he’s a year in front of timetable.
Before the match-up against Portland, the Lakers remained at 37-44. They have not made the playoffs since 2013.