The final game of the 2018-19 season for the Los Angeles Lakers season meant nothing, but it had absolutely everything. Magic Johnson abruptly quit his job as team president, alerting the media to it before he actually told Lakers owner Jeanie Buss. What resulted was nothing short of chaos, and then a basketball game in which it looked like the Lakers would upset the Portland Trail Blazers until a Moe Harkless dagger from the corner shocked the already-shocked Lakers.
HOW COULD HE BE MOE HARKLESS?!?! pic.twitter.com/Oax371GmOW
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) April 10, 2019
After the final shot fell for the Blazers, there was LeBron ducking the media and a whole lot of reaction from Lakers players and the rest of the NBA. But the hoops action wasn’t done at Staples Center, and I don’t mean the Clippers in the NBA playoffs. Once the Lakers cleared the floor, the Maroon 5 frontman took center stage along with a group of friends, all wearing custom Lakers jerseys with the number 40 on them, signifying his new age. Oh, and he has a mohawk now.
The Lakers season is officially ending with Adam Levine celebrating his 40th birthday with a basketball game at Staples Center. pic.twitter.com/rNSJgpG4JD
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) April 10, 2019
No, really. This was the thing that happened to cap off the Lakers season, and one of the wildest NBA days in recent memory.
Perfectly appropriate cap to a truly bizarre day in Laker Land? Adam Levine celebrating his 40th birthday with an 11 p.m. pickup game on the Staples Center court. pic.twitter.com/iEFkNTznul
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 10, 2019
According to the NBA media that was left watching, it wasn’t all that bad a game, either.
This might be the most entertained I’ve been at a Lakers game in awhile. pic.twitter.com/5RV56LD18I
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) April 10, 2019
He got his own custom video board birthday message, too.
Meanwhile… this is what’s happening at Staples Center right now. pic.twitter.com/d4kAtJ8hNK
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) April 10, 2019
It might not register to some as strange given all the stuff that happened before the Lakers actually took the court, but in a certain lens it’s the most bizarre thing that happened on what was a completely wild Tuesday night in the NBA. Magic’s departure dominated the news on a night where Dirk Nowitzki and Dwyane Wade each played the last home game of their career. And then, late into the night, the lead singer from Maroon 5 debuted a new haircut to a bunch of frazzled sports reporters in Los Angeles.
The regular season isn’t even over yet, and neither is the drama in Los Angeles. But anyway happy birthday, Adam.
