Los Angeles Lakers President of Basketball Operations Magic Johnson’s willingness to pay the $500,000 tampering fee demonstrates his natural leadership and what he means to the organization.
Not too long ago the Los Angeles Lakers got charged with tampering via accusations from the Indiana Pacers. As a result of the investigation, it is well-known that the purple and gold were given the gavel with a $500,000 fine.
While such a total is not hefty by the Lakers’ standards, it is by no means ideal. This team currently remains in a period of growth due to their overall youth and new executives. Enough weight is there in terms of trying to get this group back to playoff contention.
Many initially thought that the charges stemmed from what President of Basketball Operations Magic Johnson did on national television earlier this year. When pressed about former Pacer Paul George on a late night show, Magic’s response included a playful “wink-wink” type gesture.
The gesture is crucial to note because many thought that it bordered on tampering. It is also important because George’s name has been linked with Los Angeles for some time now, sure enough.
When tampering occurs, ramifications beyond money are possible. In this case, it could have meant that the Lakers may have forever lost the chance to acquire George.
Thankfully, this did not happen. The Lakers remain poised to add a big piece or two next summer, let alone All-Star Paul George possibly.
What is interesting is that General Manager Rob Pelinka was found guilty in spite of the aforesaid story—not Johnson. An independent law firm derived that Pelinka showed explicit interest in George while the latter remained under contract.
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Thus, it is fair to chalk this one up as a learning experience. This fall will mark Pelinka’s first full year as an NBA GM, so he now knows what is permissible and what is not.
The organization seems to be viewing the situation in the same light as well. In an article by Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times, it is contested that the Lakers will do everything they can to not duplicate this mistake down the road.
"After the league’s announcement, the Lakers released a statement from Pelinka in which he expressed regret over the incident. The team also released a statement from Adam Streisand, the attorney who represented Buss in the legal battle with her brothers that resulted in her confirmation as the team’s controlling owner for the rest of her life. Streisand said the Lakers ‘will be hyper-vigilant going forward to make sure this is never an issue again.’"
This hyper-vigilance speaks volumes about the gentlemen Jeanie Buss hired earlier this year. Magic and Rob have been associated with basketball for some time, and they seem dedicated to bringing the Lakers back to glory.
Part of what will make this even more likely is when bold action is taken. Certainly, the duo has demonstrated that this summer through Los Angeles’ multiple acquisitions.
However, Johnson, in particular, stands out at the moment. Although he was not technically the one to blame for the fine, he is taking one for the team. And, no, not just the expression—literally.
Johnson told the Los Angeles Times recently that he will handle the fine. He stressed that it would not be fair for Jeanie to cover the cost.
"It’s under my watch. I apologize to Jeanie, and that was the main thing. I told her she could take it out of my salary because I don’t want the Lakers to be paying that fine. … I don’t want her spending $500,000, because she didn’t do anything. That’s on me."
Even though Magic Johnson is certainly not strapped for cash, this action says much about his character. A lot.
Pelinka was obviously the guy the investigation team called out. So, to see Magic Johnson stepping up to the plate shows where he and Rob’s relationship is at. It is definitely a strong one already.
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Likewise, it puts on display the immense respect he has for Ms. Buss. Needless to say, her father played a tremendous role in getting him to where he is today.
Accordingly, Magic is now paying it forward to a certain degree.
Did he absolutely have to do so? No, not at all. Even though the Lakers have struggled for several years now, they remain one of the richest teams in sports.
But let alone his admiration of the Buss family, it seems like Magic did this out of love for the Lakers at large. He has consistently maintained that he wants L.A. to return back to the golden days. He publicly admitted that he would not have even accepted this gig in the first place if he did not believe that such a goal was possible.
The fact of the matter is that the Lakers are lucky to have Magic on their side. A $500,000 fine is not cool, but Magic’s willingness to pay it shows a sense of unity.
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Basketball is a sport centered around togetherness, so perhaps a lesson can be garnered from this. Maybe Magic’s actions will inspire the team to sacrifice themselves for one another on the court this season. Only time will tell.