Magic Johnson cast aspersions as he quit his position of President of Basketball Operation for the Los Angeles Lakers in a surprise move. Johnson first said he was simply happier when he wasn’t a Lakers executive, and wanted evidently to return to his happy state.
But Magic was also accusative in his resignation rhetoric, saying there was backstabbing around the Lakers organization. When a reporter followed up on Johnson’s backstabbing accusation, the Lakers legend was equivocal, saying coyly “you know” and saying he couldn’t be more forthright because “that’s not what we do here.”
But then asked if the alleged backstabbing was within the organization, Johnson said “you know it’s around, it’s around.” See below.
Even with Johnson casting aspersions about what was going in and around the Lakers organization, the Lakers stayed cool and positive in their response to Johnson’s move. Here’s the succinct statement from the team, which wishes Johnson and his entire family well and reminds everyone that he will always “be not only a Lakers icon, but our family.”
There is no greater Los Angeles Laker than Earvin Johnson. We are deeply grateful to Magic for all that he has done for our franchise – as a player, an ambassador and an executive.
We thank him for his work these past two years as our President of Basketball Operations and wish him, Cookie, Andre, EJ and Elisa all the best with their next steps. He will always be not only a Lakers icon, but our family.
As we begin the process of moving forward, we will work in a measured and methodical fashion to make the right moves for the future of our organization.
The Lakers were much more succinct than Magic was: pic.twitter.com/J6Vbtmr0Og
— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) April 10, 2019
