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Magic Johnson Quits Lakers

calamity

calamity

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Magic Johnson's sudden, rambling resignation was a fitting ending to LeBron James' disappointing first season with Lakers

What he said was shocking enough -- Magic Johnson, less than two years after taking the reins of his beloved Los Angeles Lakers franchise, which had fallen on unprecedented hard times, was stepping down as president of basketball operations. The way he said it, however -- a rambling, 45-minute impromptu press conference before the team's final game of the season -- was flabbergasting.

...to abruptly resign from his post, unbeknownst to owner Jeanie Buss and general manager Rob Pelinka, then spout off bewildering one-liners like, "I'm a free bird and I've been handcuffed," and, "if we were not [moving in the right direction as a franchise], I'd probably be staying."

In the end, it was all the theater of the Lakers' disappointing season bundled into a moment only a Laker -- THE Laker -- could produce.
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What the hell happened?
 
The whole season was an epic failure at a high cost... The Lakers tend to do this.
 
calamity said:
Magic Johnson's sudden, rambling resignation was a fitting ending to LeBron James' disappointing first season with Lakers




What the hell happened?
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From what I'm hearing this morning is he just didn't put the time in, he didn't seem like he cared enough.

In his press conference he said this:

Johnson pointed out that he couldn't be in Miami for Dwyane Wade's final home game and he was made to look like the "bad guy" when Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons wanted Johnson to mentor him.
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Why worry about things like that? Sounds like his mind was elsewhere.
 
haymarket said:
What the hell happened was the ridiculous expectation that the Lakers are a "special team" that is somehow suppose to be inane to the same lows that hit every other team.

I for one am happy to see it happen.
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Not to bring too much politics into this, but I see a parallel between the Lakers and the US. Delusions of grander based on past success, bring in someone with no skill in managing tasks to run the place, ignore all the advice experts give, fail glaringly but pretend you are succeeding, and watch younger, brighter, more progressive competitors clean your clock.

Is failing to surround LeBron with shooters (something everyone but Magic understood needed to be done) the same as ignoring a move toward clean energy? I think so. Is putting a diddler who is more interested in side activities, like Johnson appeared to be, the same as putting an old fool who spends forty or more hours a week watching TV and golfing in the White House? Was making the Lakers great again just as much of a failure as MAGA?

I believe so.
 
calamity said:
Not to bring too much politics into this, but I see a parallel between the Lakers and the US. Delusions of grander based on past success, bring in someone with no skill in managing tasks to run the place, ignore all the advice experts give, fail glaringly but pretend you are succeeding, and watch younger, brighter, more progressive competitors clean your clock.

Is failing to surround LeBron with shooters (something everyone but Magic understood needed to be done) the same as ignoring a move toward clean energy? I think so. Is putting a diddler who is more interested in side activities, like Johnson appeared to be, the same as putting an old fool who spends forty or more hours a week watching TV and golfing in the White House? Was making the Lakers great again just as much of a failure as MAGA?

I believe so.
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What has always not sat right with me is the sense of pure ENTITLEMENT that Laker fans demonstrate.

We deserve Chamberlain.
We deserve West.
We deserve Baylor.
We deserve Magic.
We deserve Lebron.

Its just a little hard to take.
 
Peter King said:
I am flabbergasted that he is leaving. He should have given it one more year, get a few players to form a good team and then see where the Lakers really stand. Now he is just ending up an epic failure even with LeBron on the team.
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When has Earvin Johnson waited for anything in his adult life?
 
Peter King said:
I am flabbergasted that he is leaving. He should have given it one more year, get a few players to form a good team and then see where the Lakers really stand. Now he is just ending up an epic failure even with LeBron on the team.
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What I fail to understand is why he did not hire an accomplished basketball GM like David Griffen to handle the details while he played "ambassador." It's pretty obvious that you need a guy like that to handle all the red tape involved with managing a club.
 
haymarket said:
What has always not sat right with me is the sense of pure ENTITLEMENT that Laker fans demonstrate.

We deserve Chamberlain.
We deserve West.
We deserve Baylor.
We deserve Magic.
We deserve Lebron.

Its just a little hard to take.
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That 1979 draft just straight up stank. Lakers get the first pick from Utah due to some bullcrap when Utah was in New Orleans. I have to look it up.

On August 5, 1976, the Los Angeles Lakers acquired 1977, 1978 and 1979 first-round picks, and a 1980 second-round pick from the New Orleans Jazz in exchange for a 1978 first-round pick and a 1977 second-round pick. This trade was arranged as compensation when the Jazz signed Gail Goodrich on July 19, 1976.[24] The Lakers used the pick to draft Magic Johnson.

1979 NBA draft - Wikipedia
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calamity said:
That 1979 draft just straight up stank. Lakers get the first pick from Utah due to some bullcrap when Utah was in New Orleans. I have to look it up.
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That was certainly convenient.

Who was that big guy the Lakers had in the middle then?
 
Jack Hays said:
NBA
9:56 AM[h=2]Magic Johnson Was Never Cut Out To Do This[/h]By Chris Herring
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uh-huh

From the outset, Johnson struggled with how to play inside those rules. Even more concerning about his front-office tenure: He often struggled to properly assess the value of players and what they brought to the table. Months after taking the gig, he traded a young, talented point guard in D’Angelo Russell to get Brook Lopez and his expiring contract, as well as the pick that would become Kyle Kuzma.1 While Kuzma has been fine for a young player, Russell has since become an All-Star who has led Brooklyn back to the postseason. And Lopez — whom L.A. let walk in free agency last summer — has been one of the NBA’s best floor-spacing bigs, giving Milwaukee exactly what this shooting-starved Lakers club needs.


Similarly, 24-year-old Julius Randle had a career year (21 points, 8 rebounds a game) in New Orleans after the Lakers let their former No. 7 overall pick go in free agency despite his relatively modest price tag.3 Instead, L.A. followed up on its LeBron move by then agreeing to deals with Rajon Rondo, JaVale McGee and Lance Stephenson, leaving it woefully deficient from a perimeter-shooting standpoint. The head-scratching decisions weren’t limited to the perimeter, though: The Lakers also offered talented big man Ivica Zubac to their Los Angeles counterparts at the deadline, reportedly befuddling the Clippers by trying to unload a solid young player unnecessarily.
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Well said.
 
Big star former players never seem to do well in sports management roles, in any sport, and if you’re Magic, why would you want that position in the first place?
 
The Man said:
Big star former players never seem to do well in sports management roles, in any sport, and if you’re Magic, why would you want that position in the first place?
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Bill Russell won 9 NBA titles as a player and 2 more as coach.
 
haymarket said:
When has Earvin Johnson waited for anything in his adult life?
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Wouldn't know, I am not that into basketball, the NBA finals interest me a bit, but my main focus is NFL and Ajax (GO Ajax, I hope you defeat Juventus tonight).
 
calamity said:
What I fail to understand is why he did not hire an accomplished basketball GM like David Griffen to handle the details while he played "ambassador." It's pretty obvious that you need a guy like that to handle all the red tape involved with managing a club.
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You need someone to do "the dirty work/the boring work/the daily stuff" while he could have indeed played his royal basketballnes the great Magic Johnson.
 
More turmoil in LeBronLand.

Lakers announce Walton is out after 3 seasons

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports that former Cleveland Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue is a strong front-runner to replace Walton and that Philadelphia 76ers assistant coach Monty Williams joins Lue as the central candidates in the Lakers' search, according to league sources.

"We would like to thank Luke for his dedicated service over the last three years," Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said in a team statement. "We wish Luke and his family the best of luck moving forward."
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Plan A. Sign Jerry West immediately and make his son Ryan West the assistant GM (he already works for the Lakers).

Plan B. Sign Pat Riley, who will bring his staff from Miami to LA.
 
Bucky said:
Plan A. Sign Jerry West immediately and make his son Ryan West the assistant GM (he already works for the Lakers).

Plan B. Sign Pat Riley, who will bring his staff from Miami to LA.
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It is unlikely either West or Riley would take the job.
 
Bucky said:
Plan A. Sign Jerry West immediately and make his son Ryan West the assistant GM (he already works for the Lakers).

Plan B. Sign Pat Riley, who will bring his staff from Miami to LA.
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Plan C: Trade Lebron.


Oh, wait. They are going to hire Ty Lue. :2rofll:
 
calamity said:
Plan C: Trade Lebron.


Oh, wait. They are going to hire Ty Lue. :2rofll:
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a .600 winning percentage in the regular season and playoffs. Not a bad resume.
 
Bucky said:
a .600 winning percentage in the regular season and playoffs. Not a bad resume.
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A peaking Kyrie with Lebron at age 30-34 is not Lebron with no one, at age 35-40.

Lue will find that out the hard way. Hell, he almost needed a trip to the mental hospital as it was after Kyrie left.
 
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