Magic Johnson Promises To Step Aside If He Can’t Turn Around The Lakers

Trevor Lane
2 Min Read
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

As a franchise, it would appear that the Los Angeles Lakers are embarking on the beginning of a new era. With star guard Kobe Bryant retired, the rebuild is in full swing, and the club has already acquired young talent like D’Angelo Russell, Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle, and Ivica Zubac. Magic Johnson has been brought in as the new President of Basketball Operations and former agent Rob Pelinka has taken over as General Manager.

The hope is that Johnson’s charisma mixed with Pelinka’s savvy will produce the kind of results needed in order to bring the Lakers back to their rightful place atop the NBA. However, at Pelinka’s introductory press conference, Johnson said that he will step aside if he finds that he cannot do the job (via Lakers Nation reporter Serena Winters):

While some may see this statement as dangerously close to the infamous guarantee that former Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Jim Buss made, the key difference here is that Johnson doesn’t give a specific timeline for how long it will take to rebuild (coincidentally neither did Pelinka). He also doesn’t specify what goals need to be met in order to prove that he can do the job.

In this case, Johnson’s vague-yet-determined statement is the correct path to travel. It allows him to firmly state his intentions to the fanbase without setting the bar too high, which would only serve to create impatience and weaken leverage in trade discussions with other franchises.

Part of the reason why Johnson was selected to helm the Basketball Operations department for Los Angeles is because of his genuine love for the team and desire to see the Lakers return to greatness.

We shall see if he is up to the challenge.

Trevor Lane is a longtime NBA and Los Angeles Lakers fan who had the good fortune to grow up during the glory days of the Showtime Lakers, when Magic Johnson, Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, and the rest ruled the Great Western Forum. He has written about basketball, soccer, fantasy sports, MMA, and even pro wrestling over the course of his career, but the spectacle that is the Lakers is his true passion. He made the leap into podcasting for Lakers Nation and provides voice-over analysis for our YouTube channel. With a who's who of stars gracing the Lakers lineup over the years, including Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal, Pau Gasol, and many others, the Lakers always provide plenty to talk about. When he isn't writing or recording, Trevor can be found spending time with his wife and daughter or on the sidelines for one of the youth teams he coaches. Outside of the Lakers, Trevor is a supporter of the LA Galaxy, US Soccer, Dallas Cowboys, and Los Angeles Dodgers. Contact: trevor@mediumlargela.com
Exit mobile version