Lakers News: Jeanie Buss credits Magic Johnson for signing LeBron James
By Nick Ziegler
Recent Lakers news is that Jeanie Buss gives credit to Magic Johnson for signing LeBron James and turning the franchise around.
As we wait for the NBA season to hopefully resume, recent Lakers news has been about how the team got to be where they are now.
After winning a championship against the Boston Celtics, things went downhill for the Lakers pretty quick. The Lakers tried to put together a superteam shortly after, but injuries and egos resulted in that being a failure.
Then, the Lakers didn’t have a lot of assets to rebuild right away through the NBA draft, and made some poor signings along the way too. The end of Bryant’s career in Los Angeles wasn’t a good one, as the Lakers had some tough seasons.
However, things did begin to turn around. The Lakers were able to make some nice draft picks and build a solid young core that created some hope in Los Angeles. In the summer of 2018, things picked up.
With new President Magic Johnson, the Lakers were able to convinve LeBron James to leave the Cavaliers and come play for the Lakers. Recently, Jeannie Buss gave credit to Magic for getting LeBron to sign. Here’s what she said on the “Daddy Issues with Joe Buck and Oliver Hudson” podcast with text via Silver Screen and Roll.
"“But Magic got us to where we are today. He got LeBron James to say that the Lakers are back, to believe in the organization, that we were going in the right direction, and I cannot thank Magic more for coming and helping me at the most difficult time in the professional, business side of the operation.”"
Buss is correct that without Magic Johnson, the Lakers might not have LeBron James right now. Johnson was able to come in and spark some hope while giving the Lakers credibility despite losing.
Even though his tenure as the President didn’t end well, Johnson was able to have a huge impact on the franchise by getting James to sign. Now, the Lakers have been able to pair James with another superstar in Anthony Davis, and they could very well win a championship if the season resumes.
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While Johnson might be remembered for his poor exit from the role, he did have a positive impact on the franchise by getting James to sign. If not for the signing of James, who knows where the Lakers might be right now.