Power play
The ascent and ascension of living legend Magic Johnson to the top of the Lakers’ front-office heap hogged headlines yesterday, and with reason. For one thing, it had the stuff of drama and high tension; given where it was happening, what was at stake, and who were involved, the power play most definitely deserved the ink it got and merits the interest it continues to receive. For another, the timing of the development puts it front and center in the minds of hoops habitues and casual observers alike.
Taken in this context, the decision of Lakers President and Co-owner Jeanie Buss to hand over the reins to Johnson — and, it must be said, at the expense of erstwhile franchise lifers Mitch Kupchak and John Black, and, needless to note, brother Jim Buss — had to have been, in her words, “very difficult.” Yet, it’s telling that she likewise acknowledged it to be overdue. “It was so hard for me to make that I probably waited too long.” No doubt, she was referring to the likelihood of the purple and gold missing out on a record fourth consecutive playoff appearance. For those from the outside looking in, it’s not without irony that Johnson has publicly stated his desire to get recently retired Kobe Bryant’s help with the rebuilding program. After all, the latter stalled the Lakers’ return to glory by angling for a princely two-year contract that hampered roster upgrades and precluded a smooth transition; All- Star free agents stayed away while the future Hall of Famer refused to relinquish Alpha-Dog status and embarked on a prolonged farewell tour.
Nonetheless, Johnson’s assumption of the hot seat — along with the projected arrival of erstwhile Bryant agent Rob Pelinka — should augur well for the Lakers, whose fan base isn’t used to all the losing. The turnaround won’t happen anytime soon, not when Kupchak, spurned by such notables as Dwight Howard, LaMarcus Aldridge, Kevin Durant, and Al Horford, invested big money on the likes of Timo Mozgov and Luol Deng. But it’ll happen; other things being equal, the National Basketball Association’s big names are wowed by glitz, glamour, location, and legacy.
Bottom line, the Lakers are the Lakers, they of the 16 championships and 31 conference titles, not to mention of the legions of singlename faces lining their history and offering glimpses of a stellar sinecure. And with Johnson at the helm, it should be just a matter of time before all and sundry can say, with justified confidence, “Happy
days are here again!”
The Lakers are the Lakers, they of the 16 championships and 31 conference titles, not to mention of the legions of single-name faces lining their history and offering glimpses of a stellar sinecure. And with Johnson at the helm, it should be just a matter of time before all and sundry can say, with justified confidence, “Happy days are here again!”