Magic Johnson says he turned down job offers from Warriors, other teams
Magic Johnson’s heart truly never left Los Angeles.
In an appearance Wednesday on ESPN’s “First Take,” the LA Lakers president of basketball operations revealed that he turned down job offers from the Golden State Warriors, the Detroit Pistons, and the New York Knicks before accepting the Lakers job, per basketball writer Adam Zagoria.
Magic says he turned down jobs with the Dubs, Pistons and Knicks before taking the Lakers job. Said Knicks' President Steve Mills called. pic.twitter.com/oEloHJldWF
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) September 12, 2017
All three of those outside offers had their own unique intrigue — the Warriors are, of course, the defending champs and a dynasty in the making, the Pistons would have been a homecoming of sorts for the Michigan State alum Johnson, and the mega-market Knicks are still one of the NBA’s glamour franchises.
But the opportunity to run his beloved Lakers ultimately turned out to be too good for him to refuse, and you can tell by how totally invested he is both in the team’s present and in their future that The Magic Man isn’t looking back.
