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The Los Angeles Lakers will no longer have Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson at the helm as the NBA hall of famer surprised everyone when he suddenly informed the press that he was stepping down from his post as “President of Basketball Operations“.
Magic Johnson was appointed to the post back in February 2017 and he played a major role in securing the services of LeBron Johnson for this season.
However, things haven’t gone very well for the Lakers who have not made the playoffs after going through a terrible season.
The Lakers were scheduled to take on the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night in what was to be their last game of the season.
Just before the game commenced, Johnson told reporters that he was stepping down as the pressure was too much and he needed to relinquish the responsibilities and gain the freedom he is used to enjoying.
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There is no doubt that Johnson has had to face tremendous pressure in the last couple of months due to the team’s performance and the controversy brought on by going after Anthony Davis from the Pelicans. The poor performance of the Lakers in spite of having LeBron James this season and the backlash from the fans was a little too much for Johnson to endure.
In a statement, Johnson said
I want to go back to having fun. I want to go back to being who I was before taking on this job, and we’re halfway there with LeBron coming. I think this summer, with that other star coming in, whoever’s going to come in, I think this team is going to be in position to really contend for a championship with the growth of the other young players.
Lakers Pay Tribute To Magic Johnson
Johnson did not inform Jeanie Buss of his decision as he found it very difficult to break the news. He wanted to inform the press first before heading over to Buss who is the controlling owner of the Lakers. The Lakers accepted his resignation and paid tribute to Johnson for his contribution as a player, ambassador and executive.
Johnson will go back to his business ventures and his role of being a mentor. Magic did tell the press that he recently got a call from tennis ace Serena Williams who wanted him to be her adviser.
