Fansided

Lakers Power Structure: Amid chaos, dysfunction, who runs Showtime?

By Josh Hill and Jason Cole

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - FEBRUARY 5: The Los Angeles Lakers huddle up prior to the game against the Indiana Pacers on February 5, 2019 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - FEBRUARY 5: The Los Angeles Lakers huddle up prior to the game against the Indiana Pacers on February 5, 2019 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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EL SEGUNDO, CA – JUNE 26: Magic Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers helps introduce 2018 NBA draft pick Moritz Wagner during an introductory press conference at the UCLA Health Training Center on June 26, 2018 in El Segundo, California. (Photo by Chris Elise/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Magic Johnson

Magic still wields an axe in Los Angeles the way Paul Bunyan went through the Northwest. The only difference is Magic is real. Yes, there are Lakers players who were arguably better than Magic. Kareem, Wilt, West and Kobe, for example. None of them captured the imagination of Los Angeles the way Magic did. From the first game he played in the regular season to his soul-crushing press conference when he retired because of HIV, Magic has always had a way of bringing people together in a city that is often brutally divided.

That said, Magic has never been afraid to wield his power. When he got tired of playing for Paul Westhead in 1981, Magic ripped the head coach and forced the Lakers to bring in Pat Riley. When Riley pushed Magic to take over as the top offensive threat on the Lakers a few years later, Magic responded by becoming a dominant scorer along with his play-making ability. On Monday, he not only stole the headlines before Lakers announced Vogel, he savaged Pelinka.

Magic transformed his on-court greatness into off-court power and success. He has been the face of one business venture after another, most of them successful. When Guggenheim Partners needed a face to attach to their bid to buy the Los Angeles Dodgers, they didn’t find some famous ex-Dodgers player like Orel Hershiser. They went with Magic because they understood his importance in Los Angeles. Magic gave them credibility.

Magic has maintained that power in Los Angeles even though it has been nearly 30 years since he last helped the Lakers win a title. Players such as Kobe and Shaq have come and gone, yet Magic remains bigger than all of them. And that’s what Magic was doing for the Lakers until he quit because he felt Pelinka was undermining him.

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