Lakers Turn to Magic To Turn the Season Around

LOS ANGELES, CA — Earvin "Magic" Johnson will be returning to the Los Angeles Lakers' front office, working as an adviser to owners and coaches on business and basketball issues, including evaluating and mentoring players, the team announced Thursday.

"Everyone knows my love for the Lakers," Johnson said. "Over the years, I have considered other management opportunities, however my devotion to the game and Los Angeles make the Lakers my first and only choice. I will do everything in my power to help return the Lakers to their rightful place among the elite teams of the NBA."

Team President Jeanie Buss said she is "thrilled and honored to add Magic's expertise and abilities, and I look forward to working alongside him."

Johnson will report directly to Buss. His duties will also include "assessing future franchise needs and helping ownership to determine the best path for growth and success," according to the team.

In Johnson, Johnson asked the team to eliminate his honorary title of vice president and to remove his name from the team staff directory in publications and other sources in hopes of clarifying any confusion over Johnson's involvement with or representation of the team.

The request came after Johnson tweeted that then-Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant be the first free agent the Lakers go after and that team management should call the agent for perennial all-star forward LeBron James "just in case he leaves" Cleveland.

Johnson sold his ownership stake in the Lakers in 2010 to Patrick Soon- Shiong, now the chairman and CEO of the Chan Soon-Shiong Institute for Advanced Health, in what he called "a bittersweet business decision."

Johnson is part of the ownership groups of baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers, the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks and the Los Angeles Football Club, which is set to begin play in Major League Soccer in 2018.

City News Service; Sean Russell via flickr.com