LeBron James has a bit of a reputation for being on teams that are at the center of some really weird turns of events, but even by that standard, Magic Johnson’s sudden resignation as the Lakers’ President of Basketball Operations on Tuesday night was absolutely insane. Compounding all of this was the fact that Johnson, per reports, had meetings with both James and owner Jeanie Buss over the weekend and gave no sign that the thought was crossing his mind.
A new report by Ramona Shelburne of ESPN confirms what you might have expected: James had zero idea that this was coming, with those close to James saying he was “stunned” by Johnson’s resignation. Despite this, there’s no indication that his commitment to the Lakers is wavering.
“But despite Johnson’s abrupt resignation, James stands behind Lakers owner Jeanie Buss and the organization, the source told Shelburne,” ESPN wrote.
James’ contract runs for another three seasons, but has a player option leading up to the final year of the deal. He was obviously close to Johnson, who met with him at midnight when free agency opened last summer to seal the deal that brought James to Los Angeles, but for now, Johnson’s departure doesn’t mean anything for James’ long-term plans with the franchise.
