We all know that the Los Angeles Lakers were a dismal franchise going into today. Their President of Basketball Operations, Magic Johnson, resigned just before the season ended. Their head coach Luke Walton decided to leave and take the Kings job. Now, we have a new chapter added to this dysfunction and it comes from Johnson himself.
Hours before the Lakers introduced their new head coach Frank Vogel, Johnson was on ESPN's First Take to discuss his situation and why he left the Lakers office, and he didn't hold back in his interview. However, the interview also may have harmed his own reputation and those of people he loved and the franchise he loved so dear.
Johnson described the situation with the Lakers as both one of a circus and one of a snakepit. He accused GM Rob Pelinka of being a backstabber and said business executive Tim Harris was butting into situations where he didn't belong. He also portrayed the youngest Buss brothers of being entitled and clueless about being executives on the Lakers.
He also said of Jeanie Buss that she is incapable of hearing multiple opinions and making the right decision. Based on what Johnson said, though, it's suggesting that Buss is incapable of making any decision, right or wrong.
So this is where we are at the crossroads. Magic Johnson is accusing the Lakers of basically being unable to run a basketball team, and he seemingly pointed the finger to the Buss family, and particularly Jeanie Buss, who runs this whole unit.
I won't even worry about what went on at the news conference to introduce Vogel today, because Pelinka just defended himself, saying that Johnson's comments were wrong and he was hoping to clear the air with Johnson in the future. Looks like that future won't come anytime soon.
Then there's the situation with LeBron James. The reason why LeBron came to LA and wanted to be a part of the Lakers was because of Magic Johnson. He thought Magic Johnson and himself were going to be able to turn this around together. He didn't even expect that Magic would just walk out the door at the end of their first season together. It's why I felt Magic should've talked to LeBron because this all went down. But that's that.
One of the reasons LeBron got away from Cleveland was that he was tired of the dysfunction that was surrounding that franchise. He felt Magic Johnson gave him a sense of security, a sense of belonging, and that this was a stable franchise that knew what it was going. Clearly, things have changed since he got there and now he’s probably wondering what the hell has he gotten himself into?
What the Lakers have become is just astonishing to me. They were once a model franchise because Jerry Buss saw them as more than basketball. He saw them as an icon of Hollywood and of sports. It was the most stable franchise in the NBA when Buss ran it. Now that he’s gone and his kids are nowhere near their father’s level. They’ve made this team a clown show and an embarrassment to the NBA and to sports in general. They were too close to the past and it hurt them. Magic Johnson was part of that past that is clearly failing.
My opinion of Magic Johnson may have changed slightly, but only on his front office role. He clearly was not ready to be a President of Basketball Operations for his franchise. He hasn’t had the experience to do this job and he spent too much time doing other things. He felt that this job could be done part-time. It can’t. Please don’t take about backstabbing when it comes to Pelinka. Pelinka is no angel either, but you had no right to tell him he was a backstabber. You didn’t have the experience to do it. I’m sorry.
This Lakers team is garbage, mostly at the top. I can’t even imagine what LeBron is feeling right now, because it seems dysfunction will follow him wherever he goes, from Cleveland to Miami to LA. At least he won twice in Miami and once in Cleveland. Now, it looks like he won’t win one in LA, and that’s sad. He’s too good to still be stuck on three rings.
Now, there needs to be leadership in this organization. Somebody needs to come in and lead this team and possibly get rid of all the friction that exists right now. If that means getting rid of some of the Busses and maybe even Pelinka, it has to be done. It also can’t be in the family. Has to be someone from outside the organization. Right now, what is clearly happening is a franchise, once proud, turned into a mockery because solid leadership no longer exists.
Can they turn it around? I don’t know. Doesn’t look like it right now. But it starts at the top and someone who can show real leadership and make sure LeBron is in on everything. He’s your business partner and he deserves to know everything that he can. It’s about transparency with your players and making sure they stay in the loop and that means you take his advice, you give him leadership, and you make sure this franchise hires the right people so that it can become a pillar and a stable franchise in the NBA once again.
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