Magic Johnson, the President of Basketball Operations for the Los Angeles Lakers, has always shined in the bright lights of Hollywood. As such, it was no surprise that his magnetic charm and signature smile were on full display during an appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live”.
Johnson spent the interview cracking jokes and enjoying himself while discussing topics such as how he got his current job and whether he or general manager Rob Pelinka has more power in the organization (Johnson does).
However, Kimmel questioned Johnson about all the things he had to learn for his new role, like the Collective Bargaining Agreement and salary cap. When Kimmel asked Johnson about tampering, he described a hypothetical situation in which Magic ran into Indiana Pacers star Paul George on vacation and whether or not they were allowed to talk. Magic’s response was hilarious, but perhaps also telling:
“No, we can say “hi” because we know each other. I just can’t say “hey, we want you to come to the Lakers”, even though I’m gonna be wink-winking. You know what that means, right?”
George, who has long been rumored to be interested in returning home to Southern California to play for the Lakers, is currently struggling to get the Indiana Pacers past the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs. The Pacers were rumored to have listened to offers for him at the trade deadline this year and the Lakers were one of the teams that expressed interest.
However, George will likely opt-out of his contract in the summer of 2018, making him a free agent. This creates a tricky situation, as the Lakers could attempt to secure a trade for him this summer in which they would have to part with assets, or they can cross their fingers and hope to sign him in 2018. If successful, this strategy would allow Los Angeles to keep their assets and add George, which would certainly be an ideal outcome.
Check out the full interview below:
