Jeanie Buss and Magic Johnson (Photos via Getty Images)
Los Angeles Lakers owner Jeanie Buss seemingly hinted at once hooking up with franchise legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson back in the ’70s.
Jeanie Buss inherited the Lakers from her father, Jerry Buss, following his passing at the age of 80 in 2013. Magic Johnson worked in the Lakers’ front office from 2017 to 2019, serving as the president of basketball operations.
Johnson played a pivotal role in recruiting LeBron James in 2018 free agency. Two years later, James led the Lakers to an NBA Championship (their first in 10 years) in the Orlando Bubble.
During a recent appearance on “ALL THE SMOKE” hosted by Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, Jeanie Buss recalled one of the first interactions she had with Johnson after he was drafted first overall in 1979.
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Buss recalled seeing Johnson’s signature and flashy smile when she opened the door to welcome him inside. And with the way she told the story, some fans are now convinced that Buss and Johnson hooked up that night:
Buss recalled Johnson even telling her that his plan was to leave the Lakers in three years so that he could play for his hometown team, the Detroit Pistons. After Jeanie relayed the message to her father, Dr. Buss promised Johnson wouldn’t play for another team after putting on the Lakers jersey.
And the rest, as they say, is history.
Jeanie Buss & Magic Johnson Brought Lakers Back To Relevance
The Lakers endured one of their worst stretch runs in franchise history from 2014 to 2019, finishing no better than 37-45 during that stretch. They missed the playoffs every year and had little draft lottery luck.
But Buss’ decision to bring Johnson back in 2017 proved to be a franchise-changing move. If not for Johnson, perhaps the Los Angeles Lakers would not have recruited LeBron, and their period of irrelevance would have lasted even longer.
