Magic Johnson’s post-Los Angeles Lakers career:
He was the quintessential incarnation of the Showtime era, and even after his retirement, he has basically remained the face of the organization.
In his basketball-related career he has never connected to any other NBA franchise and, in some way or another has always been involved in Lakers’ destiny.
Besides his short stint as Head Coach in 1994 and his return on the floor in 1996, he mostly maintained a low profile in the organization, becoming a minority owner and an unofficial advisor to the Buss family, almost as a family member.
Just a few weeks after he elected to become a Special Advisor to Jeanie Buss, in 2017, he was appointed President of Basketball Operations, taking the reins of the team, which was going adrift. He immediately imposed a change in culture and personnel, hiring Rob Pelinka as General Manager and Kurt Rambis, among the others.
Magic had to make some tough decisions, such as sacrificing young players in order to free cap space, but all his work paid off when they signed LeBron James in 2018. His only (admitted) mistake was letting go of Brook Lopez.
Anyway, the team was finally on the right course after years of struggles and disappointment, a trade away from championship contention. But Magic abruptly resigned citing (along with the spread rumors) different reasons that, as of today, remain unclear. It came unexpectedly considering all the success he had brought to the Lakers once again and the glory in front of them.
Earvin left his huge mark as an executive. He has been instrumental in relaunching the image and culture of the Los Angeles-based team and making key moves that paved the way for LeBron James and, later, Anthony Davis to revitalize the championship expectations of the historic franchise.