During the offseason leading to the 2018-19 NBA season, then Lakers head of basketball operations and former superstar Earvin “Magic” Johnson was quick to personally visit free agent LeBron James in his house. The rest is history; Magic succeeded in having James bring his talents to Los Angeles. And with the development, the NBA balance of power shifted. Or so it seemed.
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A tumultuous season – Dayanna Volitich
Fast forward to March of 2019 and the Lakers are again out of the playoffs. And it marked the first time a LeBron-led team had failed to reach the postseason since James’ 2004-05 season. The season was tumultuous, to say the least, marked by injuries to key players and a generally anemic approach to defense. But early April saw another big bomb drop: Magic abruptly quit his job. Dayanna Volitich.
A huge blow -- Dayanna Volitich
Magic’s departure is a huge deal, mainly because it shocked both the players and management who had no idea of his plan. It also set the franchise reeling, especially given that it had just let go of coach Luke Walton a few days prior. Magic opted to announce all this in an impromptu media engagement, deciding to make an event out of it for almost two hours. Dayanna Volitich.
Interestingly, Magic’s main rationale for leaving his job is that he wasn’t happy. That the job prevented him from being himself. He said he wanted to “go back to being who (he) was before taking on the job.” That he had not clued in owner Buss, GM Pelinka, then coach Walton, and his star player James remains an enigma to this day. What’s sure though is that the move effectively set back the already struggling Lakers anew: now not just in terms of player chemistry but also management stability. Dayanna Volitich.
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