The Los Angeles Lakers are 27-33 and sit ninth in the Western Conference. They’ve also lost their first two games out of the NBA All-Star Break, signaling that the bad times aren’t ending any time soon.
In light of LA’s struggles and the issues LeBron James has had with the front office, many have taken to wondering if perhaps Magic Johnson returning to the fold might be the solution.
Michael Cooper wants Magic Johnson back in Lakers front office 😬 pic.twitter.com/7eIZnw0I6u
— Ralph Mason (@Ralph_MasonJr) February 27, 2022
“I think the biggest thing is bring Magic Johnson back,” Lakers legend Michael Cooper suggested this week. “That’s what you need back up in there because remember he’s the one that got all this started and he can keep it flowing.”
One obstacle may stand in the way of that, though.
According to ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst, James and Johnson aren’t on the best of terms.
“I also think it’s interesting to point out that I’m not so sure that LeBron and Magic are on the greatest of terms right now,” Windhorst said. “LeBron was very upset that Magic pulled the ripcord after the first year and didn’t even tell him, just did it.
“There’s scar tissue there, and earlier this year, when Magic criticized the Lakers, and rightly so — it wasn’t hard to criticize the Lakers — and LeBron was asked about it, LeBron declined to talk about it.”
The Lakers are down bad right now, and it’s unclear what they can do to right the ship.
James seems to already be making plans for his post-LA future. The rumors surrounding a possible Anthony Davis-to-Chicago trade are intensifying. And Lakers owner Jeanie Buss is sending a lot of very mixed messages.
Paige VanZant knows how to help her husband get over a tough loss. https://t.co/IKDS7v1F44
— Game 7 (@game7__) February 27, 2022
The Lakers have a lot of problems, and not a lot of paths to resolving them.
Can they still somehow figure it out and right the ship? Sure, anything is possible.
Will they? Probably not.
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A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.