The Lakers blame game has begun and everyone involved with decision making in team’s front office is starting to point their fingers at each other.
Yesterday afternoon there were reports going around that Lakers president Magic Johnson hadn’t spoken to Luke Walton for weeks and was viewed as an “absentee executive”.
I opened #TheJump noting how so many of the Lakers' issues have zero to do with Luke Walton, so whether they fire him or not, they can't expect change until they face their deeper truths. Then @RamonaShelburne reported Magic hasn't spoken to Luke in weeks, and everyone went nuts: pic.twitter.com/fDgJaIKs3C
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) April 9, 2019
Since taking over as president of the Lakers, Magic Johnson never fully committed to the job. Often he was traveling and away from the team. His office hours were limited. He didn't do a lot of scouting. Running an NBA team takes a tremendous commitment of time and energy.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 10, 2019
Last night, Magic surprisingly stepped down as Lakers president of operations because he was tired of all the “backstabbing” going on in the Lakers organization.
Magic Johnson shocks – well, everyone – and announces he’s stepping down as president of the Lakers. Says he’s not yet spoken to Jeanie Buss to tell her. Says he’s sick of tampering rules, he’s tired of the “backstabbing” & says he didn’t want to disappoint Jeanie by firing Luke. pic.twitter.com/m50VKQmmDR
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) April 10, 2019
On this morning’s edition of ‘First Take’ Stephen A Smith reported that Johnson wanted to fire Pelinka but Jeanie Buss wouldn’t let him.
Rob Pelinka the general manager, Rob Pelinka is perceived as the individual who has been talked about that was at Lakers facilities constantly joking around where’s Magic? To bring attention to the fact that Magic was perceived to be an absentee executive. Magic Johnson obviously wanted to fire Luke Walton. She (Jeannie Buss) was going to let Magic Johnson do whatever he wanted to do with basketball operations as it pertains to the coach. Pelinka is an entirely different matter. He’s there because of his relationship with Kobe. Magic inherited him like Magic inherited Luke Walton, wasn’t necessarily the guy Magic wanted. I was told Magic Johnson walked into there and talked with them about wanting to get rid of not just Luke Walton but Rob Pelinka as well. And that’s when Jeanie Buss got her back up.
Stephen A Smith goes on to say that Jeanie Buss and Rob Pelinka denied that Magic wanted Pelinka fired.
Jeanie Buss and Rob Pelinka called me last night categorically and emphatically denying that there’s any truth to that whatsoever but either it’s Adrian Wojnarowski or Ramona Shelburne or a host of other NBA reporters. All of us have heard this in the last 12 hours
The Lakers are a fucking mess right now and it’s probably the smart move for Magic to step down.