Magic Johnson seems pretty content with his decision to leave the Los Angeles Lakers front office.
Despite widespread criticism, former Los Angeles Lakers president Magic Johnson appears to be okay with his decision to leave the team.
Part of why Johnson seems to be fine with his choice is because he still intends to help the Lakers. On paper, it sounds strange given his sudden resignation on the final day of the season.
But, yes, Magic Johnson still seems adamant about bringing the Lakers back to their former elite status. Interesting. What made Magic’s resignation so unbelievable was not just the sheer fact that he chose to step down. It was the way he did it that caught many folks off guard.
There were never any prior reports that Johnson was considering leaving the team. No talks with Jeanie Buss or anything of that nature. Therefore, it is fair to argue that the five-time world champion could have taken a different approach than he did.
However, what is done is done. According to TMZ Sports, Johnson would not do anything differently even if he had a reset button. Dan Duangdao of Lakers Nation transcribed what Magic had to say on the matter.
"“No, the same. Everybody knows I love the Lakers so I’m always gonna help them. Like right now, I’m still going to help them. I love my team, I love my franchise, and I love this city. You have to do things sometimes on your own terms no matter what other people think and I’m that guy. It’s almost like I never left. I’m still talking to them every day. I’m going to help them get the Lakers back right.”"
His love for the organization is undeniable. It sheds light on his decision a couple weeks back (as weird as that is). He expressed concern over damaging the relationship he has built with Jeanie Buss over the years if he decided to remain president.
Moreover, his love for the city is just as hard to meddle with. His ties to the LA Dodgers signify how badly he wants the city to have another championship. One of the bigger takeaways from the quote is the fact that Johnson did not care what others thought about his decision. That remains the elephant in the room.
Jeanie’s dad is the reason Magic’s NBA dream came true. Therefore, it would have made sense if Magic at least dropped a hint to her at some point before that shocking press conference.
It causes one to wonder how much Johnson will really help the Lakers in a behind the scenes kind of capacity. As Joseph Zucker of Bleacher Report conveyed, Magic “wasn’t equipped to handle a day-to-day role.”
The Showtime era’s point guard admitted he was not suited for it, either. During his resignation, he revealed he was not having fun being the president. A lack of enjoyment in any endeavor is never ideal.
It allows one to question why he even took the position to begin with. If he never really liked the job, he was not doing the Lakers any favors.
Perhaps the lone positive out of this is that Johnson can still serve the team as a spokesman of sorts. He can engage in recruiting without having to worry about being slapped with a fine.
As Zucker indicated, Magic Johnson’s name has been and always will be associated with the Lakers. He understands what it means to represent the iconic franchise.
Accordingly, if Magic really hopes to still help the Lakers out this summer, that is great news. He would be like an unpaid consultant to Buss and the rest of the squad. That is not the worst thing in the world.
Nevertheless, the Lakers need to clean things up before the summer comes. The team is in a rocky place right now and is currently without a head coach (let alone a president).
They have a lot of work to do, and, in spite of the predicament they are in, will need to find a way to turn this ship around.