Magic Johnson's Exit Made One Thing Clear: Lakers Have Serious Trust Issues

emplay · Site Staff Joined: 15 Apr 2001 Posts: 25549

Hey All,

Latest @BleacherReport Magic Johnson's Exit Made One Thing Clear: Lakers Have Serious Trust Issues
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2837254-magic-johnsons-exit-made-one-thing-clear-lakers-have-serious-trust-issues

Cheers,

EP
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jodeke · Posted: Tue May 21, 2019 10:24 am Post subject:

Magic was a whistle blower. If anything was revealed it was a dysfunctional front office.

If Pelinka and staff are given the authority to structure with Jeannie having the last word with little interference it could change the culture. On the outside looking in I think the voices Magic spoke of must be quelled.

Pelinka and Vogel seemed to be synced. If the truth is Vogel is just a temporary for for Kidd I hope it's made clear,.

I don't like the way Magic dealt with exposing the dysfunctional aspects of the FO but it's done and maybe some eyes within the organization were opened.

It'll either be crabs in a barrel or the building of a well oiled machine. Jeannie has her job cut out for her. Personally I don't think she has what it takes. I hope I'm wrong.
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deal · Posted: Tue May 21, 2019 5:41 pm Post subject:

A- Magic definitely on of my favorite players in the word

B- He has no clue of what loyalty actually means. By trashing the
FO he trashes the team, I would expect more from a successful
"business person". Pretty trashy projection.
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unleasHell · Posted: Tue May 21, 2019 6:00 pm Post subject:

Knowing human nature and based on the few facts that have leaked out, I'm gonna give you my best Joe Kenda impression and try to piece together what happened:

First, Jennie hires Magic, knowing he loves the Lakers and her father, she probably was all whiny to him and begged him to come help resurrect the mess they were in.

She also probably did NOT pay him comparable money that others in his position are paid, but knowing his loyalty, pride, willingness to help, and since he is already pretty well off, and he figured why not!

Magic is a rich man, with tons of business interests and probably even told her he could not put in 90 hour work weeks due to the other things he has going on and I'm sure Jeannie was fine with that.

Then Jeanie hires Rob, knowing Magic is going to need some help, Magic has already said he did not know Rob prior.

Rob took the job, thinking he was going to be learning the insides of the Lakers from Magic, but since Magic is not there very often, he could not do so. Rob probably had to call, text or email Magic to ask simple basic things that if Magic was "there" he could have told him directly.

So there is Rob, wanting to get things done, and his boss Magic is not around and probably does NOT let him do things without Magic's full approval and participation!

So Rob get frustrated and starts talking about how Magic is not around!
Now, it's NOT backstabbing, when it's the TRUTH!

Rob emails Jeanie and discusses it and clueless Jeanie BCC's Magic, so Magic sees the crap they are talking about him and wants to fire Rob, which Jeanie will not allow, but she does tell him to fire Luke and Magic did not want to go out like that and Magic thinks - I don't have time for this crap and quits on the last night of the season, which sends a chill throughout the Lakers organization and they lose that game.

Magic could have waited until the season was over, but he wanted to be a jerk about it..

Then the day they hire (announce) a new coach, he goes on line and discusses how Rob is a "backstabber" ..

Hey Magic - who should Rob have complained to about YOU not being around? Think about it, no one can complain to their boss about their boss not being around - that's a sure fire way to get fired!

I'm sure the day of the draft Magic will decide to pull off some other interview, further trying to embarrassing the team he loves, because it's all about him and he's wounded, but don't call him "poor" when he is worth $600 million!

It's time for Magic to SHUT UP and the team to MOVE FORWARD....!
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foreveralakerfan · Starting Rotation Joined: 14 Jun 2015 Posts: 197

I doubt seriously that Magic leaked the names in the proposed trade - as a player he always wanted to keep thinks in the locker room, not the public. I think it was leaked by NO.

And the problem with running a team "by committee" is that there needs to be one clear vision on how the team needs to look today, in 2-3 years and 5 years. Not only cant that be done here, but you dont have a real basketball person capable of this critical thinking. The lakers had Wet for many years and was great at it, then Kupchak who was decent until he took a loss of his senses and signed Deng and Mozgov. Though maybe that was Jim Buss pushing for them, who knows.

I DO know the ONLY FA that might come is Butler. No other top FA will come. And even I know the right thing to do is trade the 4th pick for a vet that can help LJ win now, but I have little confidence that the FO can carry this out.

And Pelinka? an a**-kisser that knows how to cozy up to Jennie and the Rambis's. Totally unqualified for the position he is in.

foreveralakerfan · Starting Rotation Joined: 14 Jun 2015 Posts: 197

[quote="unleasHell"
Magic could have waited until the season was over, but he wanted to be a jerk about it..

Then the day they hire (announce) a new coach, he goes on line and discusses how Rob is a "backstabber" ..

Hey Magic - who should Rob have complained to about YOU not being around? Think about it, no one can complain to their boss about their boss not being around - that's a sure fire way to get fired!

I have no issue with Magic trying to save his image and his credibility before this ship hits the bottom. If the laker organization was stand up and respectable, Magic would have no cause to speak out.

Wino · Posted: Wed May 22, 2019 12:39 pm Post subject:

Say what you want about Magic, but Rob is a problem and will continue to be going forward. Too much chatter going on to believe he can shake all this off and be successful. I have my doubts, I hope I'm wrong but I sure wonder what Jeannie's fallback position is going to be.
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A Mad Chinaman · Star Player Joined: 07 Apr 2005 Posts: 6142

Eric, a good article (https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2837254-magic-johnsons-exit-made-one-thing-clear-lakers-have-serious-trust-issues)

Having hearing from MoMo, Steven A (even though he has already made up his mind before knowing all the details), Brian, Ireland, Mase and others - your articles seems to be "On Point."

=

"The straw that broke the camel's back was I wanted to fire Luke Walton, and we had ... three meetings," Johnson said. ... "We went back and forth like that, and then she [owner Jeanie Buss] brought [Lakers chief operating officer] Tim Harris into the meeting."
~ Yet the news has been structured to clearly indicate that Rob was the reason why he left (Johnson later added, when asked who had betrayed him in the Lakers organization: “If you are going to talk betrayal, it’s only with Rob.” - http://thesource.com/2019/05/21/source-sports-magic-johnson-airs-out-lakers-organization-on-first-take/

=

Points of Interest

Jeanie approved Magic's check list that he did not need to be at the office every day

Jeanie thought that a "Part-Time" President of Basketball Operations (see below), then changed her mind?

Jeanie, most assuredly hearing the stories of his "respect" around the league< hired Rob - was her decision faulty or brilliant?

Why didn't Jeanie have Magic as a Special Consultant, like what Jerry West is presently doing with the Clippers. (It begs the question on why Jerry West wasn't brought in to be a Special Consultant since he loves challenges and the Lakers fulfilled every detail of being a Great Challenge)

If Magic had "Final Say" on basketball decisions and he wasn't at the office or reachable by phone, what is Rob going to say and/or explain why he is not acting in the efficient fashion?

Strange that Magic left because of what somebody "below" him acted?

Interesting that Luke left after the person that wanted him fired resigned because his decision was turned down

Magic last trade was "interesting" (https://247sports.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/Article/Magic-Johnson-explains-rationale-behind-Ivica-Zubac-trade-132194383/) - to say the least
Zubac Trade
Johnson give up an emerging young center, but he did so without even haggling over the deal's price. He called Jerry West and the Los Angeles Clippers, made his offer, and the deal was accepted immediately. Zubac was young, cheap and playing well. But the Lakers still gave him away for what amounted to nothing.
Magic said James and Ball made Zubac better, but he averaged 11.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per game in only around 17 minutes of game time during James' absence in December and January. Zubac's best basketball came without Ball and James, and that doesn't even account for his defense.

Magic's free agency argument holds just as little water. Lakers not only held the right to match any offer for him, but had plenty of time to do so. Restricted free agents can't actually sign offer sheets until the end of the July moratorium, so the Lakers could theoretically have spent all of their cap space before even looking in Zubac's direction. All it would have taken would have been a willingness to keep Zubac's minuscule $1.9 million cap hold on the books until a new deal was reached, a pittance for a player of his caliber. They may still have decided to let him walk for free, but they traded him for Muscala, who had an expiring contract as well, so they were in the same position either way.

As far as spacing goes, the far simpler solution to that problem would have been simply releasing Beasley outright and signing a replacement on the buyout market. There would have been options, particularly if they'd approached Carmelo Anthony earlier in the process. But it has been speculated that Lakers ownership did not want to pay Beasley not to play for the team, so they instead traded him.

Why did Magic have his ESPN meeting mere hours before Frank Vogel's press conference?

Why didn't Magic give the proper respect as (assumed) close friend and boss to inform her before having a complete impromptu press conference

Magic apparently lost Jeanie's trust and confidence

Magic is an Icon and Living Legend. His track record as a basketball exerctuvie (like Isiah Thomas, Phil Jackson, Michael Jordan and others) is spotty at best. Poignantly, it often takes shrewd outside sources to share harsh realities to iconic HOF players of where they are the most effective and not that their every decision is right

Magic is "Teflon" and will always have people like Steven A who will always have blinders on

Life in LaLa Land is Always Exciting!!!

epak · Retired Number Joined: 30 Aug 2005 Posts: 34147

Seems like since magic is gone, everyone can be on the same page.

unleasHell · Posted: Thu May 23, 2019 9:07 pm Post subject:

emplay · Site Staff Joined: 15 Apr 2001 Posts: 25549

emplay · Site Staff Joined: 15 Apr 2001 Posts: 25549

Yes New Orleans also leaked the names - keyword = also
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golden1 · Star Player Joined: 28 Jun 2005 Posts: 3926

Jeanie needs to respond to Magics' comments and the whole situation really, she can't let other people define her, she needs to think how her father would react if this happened under him, lets just call it...
W.W.J.D. =What Would Jerry Do

Threaten to melt down that statue, it's ugly anyways. seriously she has to regain the reigns of this organization and straighten all this talk, let everyone know she is in control and things will change starting now.

Just my 2 pennies worth.

70sdude · Star Player Joined: 05 Feb 2009 Posts: 4567

"Trust" issues seems a result not a root cause. It's nearly a cloaking device for longstanding issues: Buss familial disharmony, their individual and shared lack of needed acumen for assessing basketball and managerial skills, as well as lack of abilities to collaborate on hiring decisions. Call it trust-lack if you will, but it's sprung from deeper issues.