Getty Image
Magic Johnson might have abruptly left his post as President of Operations with the Los Angeles Lakers back in April, which was the cherry on top of a dysfunctional season that started with a lot of promise after signing LeBron James last summer, but he also admitted he’s still in contact with the team’s top executives, saying that he sends messages of encouragement. However, Johnson also said that he still hasn’t “directly” talked to his former boss, Jeanie Buss, which seems odd considering the hoops legend views Buss like a sister.
Talking to Bill Oram of The Athletic, Magic Johnson had this to say about not talking to Jeanie Buss since leaving the franchise.
“I haven’t talked to her directly,” he told Bill Oram of The Athletic. “I’ve sent messages, I’ve left her messages. … I call her assistant or whoever and just like I say, ‘Hey, we’ve got to do [the Anthony Davis trade].’ I left them all a message: ‘You’ve got to do it.’ Because now you’re set for 10 years, even after LeBron [James]. And I’m glad they did it.”
That seems pretty strange to me, but, hey, maybe both Johnson and Buss don’t need to hash things out? Maybe they already have a good enough relationship that there’s no need to talk about the why? Either way, Jeanie did recently address reporters to talk about how she felt when Magic Johnson abruptly left.
“It was a surprise when Magic turned in his resignation. I didn’t see that coming. But everything else has been pretty much as any organization moves forward and changes going into a new season. So as much as has been speculated as to what the Lakers are doing, to me, we are in a really good place and we are following our path, and our plan, going into the next season.”
It sure doesn’t sound as if Jeanie Buss has the same enthusiasm that Magic Johnson has when it comes to discussing their relationship since his resignation. Maybe that’s because he isn’t actually part of the franchise anymore, so she’s moved on and doesn’t need the narrative to continue to drag on; which would be the smartest thing anyone in the franchise has done in awhile.