Magic Johnson indicated one change he would have made before resigning in 2019 would have been to let LeBron James know about it before it was announced.
Johnson spoke to the New York Times on a variety of topics and indicated regret that his departure as Los Angeles Lakers president of basketball operations didn’t include a heads-up to either James or team owner Jeanie Buss.
“The only thing I probably would’ve did was probably talked to LeBron before I stepped down, because I felt that I owed him that, so that’s probably the only mistake I made was not talking to Jeanie and talking to LeBron before I actually did it,” Johnson said. “So, yes, I would do that different.”
The move by Johnson came after a disappointing 2018-19 season in which the Lakers failed to reach the postseason. One of the key reasons why the Lakers fell short that year was because of James being sidelined by injury.
James had arrived in 2018 as a free agent, with Johnson serving as a major part of the recruiting effort to put him in a Lakers uniform.
Johnson’s regret about not letting Buss know was surely due to the deep connection he has to the Buss family, which began when her late father, Jerry, served as the team’s owner.
While no longer part of the Lakers’ front office, Johnson maintains a bond with the organization and will be rooting for them this season and in the years ahead.
