Magic Johnson abruptly resigned as the Los Angeles Lakers president of basketball operations in early April, and now we’re finally starting to hear some of his reasons for doing so.
In an interview on ESPN’s “First Take” Monday, Johnson described some of the behind the scenes activity occurring in LA, and it wasn’t pretty.
The former Lakers star called out general manager Rob Pelinka, saying that he had been speaking about Johnson behind his back to other employees. Johnson noted that Pelinka was emphasizing how he was not present, nor working hard enough at his position.
Take a look:
Magic Johnson identifies Rob Pelinka is the person who was backstabbing him. pic.twitter.com/3mul9lJuzi
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) May 20, 2019
Speaking behind someone’s back never has a good outcome, and the same rings true here.
Many believed the Lakers’ front office was messy, but it appears it may have been worse off than we assumed. Ahead of a busy offseason, the team reportedly decided to not hire a replacement for Johnson, according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne.
The Lakers have decided they will not hire a President of Basketball Operations to replace Magic Johnson, a team source told ESPN.
General manager Rob Pelinka will continue in his role, reporting directly to ownership. Pelinka had previously reported to Johnson
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) May 17, 2019
With Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving all potentially hitting the open market on July 1, the Lakers are sure to be players to find a sidekick for LeBron James. Will their dysfunctional front office hold them back? Time will tell.
