Los Angeles Lakers: Jeanie Buss admits she was ‘concerned’ when Magic Johnson discussed stepping down
The Los Angeles Lakers’ controlling owner, Jeanie Buss, reveals she was worried when Magic Johnson said he would step down if the team struggled in free agency.
Before free agency kicked off, Los Angeles Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson made quite a bold remark. Given the Lakers’ desire to return to relevancy, he made a huge promise to the organization.
At that juncture, Johnson revealed he would step down from his duties if he did not acquire a big name this summer or in 2019.
Certainly, this was a bit of a jaw-dropping declaration on Magic’s part. Despite that truth, it signifies the sky-high expectations he placed upon himself.
During his brilliant NBA career, Johnson brought five world championships to Los Angeles. Thus, it is safe to say winning is imbued within his DNA. He expects nothing less.
Even before Magic played for the Lakers, the franchise’s pedigree, in general, was already that way. The purple and gold have always cared about winning the whole enchilada. It is the bottom line in the land of beautiful sunshine and girls.
Matthew Moreno of Lakers Nation recently reflected on the last time the Lakers attempted to reinvent their winning tradition.
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Moreno recalled that Jim Buss made a similar declaration back in 2014 while he was in charge. The one difference is that Buss gave himself a larger window than Magic did, with the number being four years.
The discrepancy exhibits a lot about Johnson. It showcases just how badly Magic wanted to turn the storied franchise around.
While Johnson’s dedication to the team is undeniable, whether the Lakers could turn a corner back in June was unknown. For several years straight, the ball club was apparently interested in multiple high-level free agents. However, the Lakers kept striking out in free agency.
Accordingly, many wondered if it would even be possible to expect anything different. The Lakers just could not catch a break to save their lives.
Per Moreno’s piece, it may very well shed light on comments from controlling owner Jeanie Buss.
In an interview on CBS 2 Los Angeles (courtesy of Moreno), Buss admitted she was “concerned” at first when Johnson hinted at stepping down if he failed to draw in marquee names.
"“I was concerned when he said that. But I also knew that whether it was through free agency, the draft, through trades, that the team that Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka were building, was going to be a good team.”"
It is encouraging to see the amount of belief Buss had in Magic and Rob months back. Her belief in them makes sense because they had already done a lot to create cap space. The game plan the pair had for the Lakers was well-established and planned out.
Therefore, Buss’ concern may have simply stemmed from the sheer thought of losing Magic. Starting from scratch yet again from a front office standpoint would not have been too idyllic. Buss did not want another bad break to come to fruition.
Thankfully for Buss and the Los Angeles Lakers, any concern was eradicated pretty rapidly once free agency started. All of that anxiety faded into the sunset when LeBron James elected to join the 16-time champions.
A mighty bold statement followed by an even bolder transaction. That’s just how the former point guard Magic Johnson rolls, ladies and gentlemen.
Whether James and the Lakers’ unique mix of young talent and gritty veterans can gel is yet to be determined.
At the bare minimum, what is good to know is that Magic has helped make the Lakers a destination franchise again. The former Laker got that marquee free agent he yearned for.
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In a perfect world, let’s hope James and company can make Staples Center a place reminiscent of what the past used to be like. It is easier said than done. The pieces are falling into place, though, and Magic Johnson is not going away anytime soon.