Ox 51
Musclechemistry Guru
Vincent Goodwill,Yahoo Sports•February 12, 2019
It seemed like a fait accompli and the league knew what was up once Magic Johnson and his billion-dollar smile reunited with the Los Angeles Lakers.
The NBA’s biggest brand joined with the only player who competes with Michael Jordan for synonymous association with a franchise, and everyone knew Magic had his sights on LeBron James.
But even though he’s delivered on the game’s best player, the only thing Johnson has been known for since revolves around sloppy statements that should be said coyly or unsaid altogether and league investigations involving the murky world of tampering.
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As the Lakers botched or were flat-out played in negotiations to trade for New Orleans Pelicans star Anthony Davis, Johnson was forced to assuage hurt feelings in his team’s locker room as virtually every player of worth not named “James” had his name in the rumor mill up to the trade deadline.</figure>The Lakers president had to come to Philadelphia to smooth things over with his players, although he had to walk the delicate line of refusing to make promises he knows he can’t keep. Johnson said he felt the Pelicans weren’t negotiating in good faith, yet the Lakers were apparently bidding against themselves and the players had to hear their business all through the NBA streets.
“Quit making this about thinking these guys are babies because that’s what you’re treating them like,” Johnson said. “They’re professionals. All of them. And this is how this league works. They know it, I know it — that’s how it goes.”
As a player, one of a handful of the league’s best, Johnson was an exception to every rule — then and now. Before his unfortunate HIV diagnosis in 1991, nothing stuck to him. Not his role in getting Lakers coach Paul Westhead fired in 1981 —because it led to Pat Riley and “Showtime.” To a lesser extent, earning the nickname “Tragic” didn’t truly stand after he choked away the 1984 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics — because he made up for it in spades.
Heck, he even admitted to conspiring to keep good friend-turned-rival Isiah Thomas off the famed 1992 Dream Team, and nobody seemed to bat an eye.
One could say the smile he’s so well-known for gave him the ability to slide out of any sticky situation, and generally Johnson is loved and respected across the board.
But in his position as the Lakers’ face and voice, his ill-timed statements and wink-winks aren’t earning those passes from the public or the league office. The Lakers have been slapped on the wrist for tampering and will endure another investigation from the NBA, this time for suggesting Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons wants to spend time with Johnson this summer to learn the nuances of playing point guard, a proposal 76ers general manager Elton Brand nixed some time ago.
It seemed like a fait accompli and the league knew what was up once Magic Johnson and his billion-dollar smile reunited with the Los Angeles Lakers.
The NBA’s biggest brand joined with the only player who competes with Michael Jordan for synonymous association with a franchise, and everyone knew Magic had his sights on LeBron James.
But even though he’s delivered on the game’s best player, the only thing Johnson has been known for since revolves around sloppy statements that should be said coyly or unsaid altogether and league investigations involving the murky world of tampering.
<figure class="canvas-image Mx(a) canvas-atom My(24px) My(20px)--sm" data-type="image" itemscope="" itemprop="associatedMedia image" itemtype="https://schema.org/ImageObject" style="margin: 20px auto; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18px; max-width: 100%;">
“Quit making this about thinking these guys are babies because that’s what you’re treating them like,” Johnson said. “They’re professionals. All of them. And this is how this league works. They know it, I know it — that’s how it goes.”
As a player, one of a handful of the league’s best, Johnson was an exception to every rule — then and now. Before his unfortunate HIV diagnosis in 1991, nothing stuck to him. Not his role in getting Lakers coach Paul Westhead fired in 1981 —because it led to Pat Riley and “Showtime.” To a lesser extent, earning the nickname “Tragic” didn’t truly stand after he choked away the 1984 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics — because he made up for it in spades.
Heck, he even admitted to conspiring to keep good friend-turned-rival Isiah Thomas off the famed 1992 Dream Team, and nobody seemed to bat an eye.
One could say the smile he’s so well-known for gave him the ability to slide out of any sticky situation, and generally Johnson is loved and respected across the board.
But in his position as the Lakers’ face and voice, his ill-timed statements and wink-winks aren’t earning those passes from the public or the league office. The Lakers have been slapped on the wrist for tampering and will endure another investigation from the NBA, this time for suggesting Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons wants to spend time with Johnson this summer to learn the nuances of playing point guard, a proposal 76ers general manager Elton Brand nixed some time ago.
