Three decades ago, Pat Riley and Magic Johnson helped lead the Los Angeles Lakers to four NBA championships. But despite the time that has passed, the player-coach bond is still strong, as Riley had his former star’s back following Johnson’s move to the Lakers’ front office as president of basketball operations.
Plenty of questions have been raised throughout the basketball world about Johnson’s lack of front-office experience, but Riley has faith in the 12-time All-Star and five-time champion.
“To adamantly say Earvin is not qualified is nonsense. Like Jerry West, he’s a prodigal son of the Lakers,” Riley said in an interview with The Vertical.
He continued to defend Johnson, saying, “He’s the smartest player I ever coached. ... So why shouldn’t Earvin get an opportunity?”
While it’s not surprising that Riley would come out in support of his former player, his argument wasn’t simply an emotional one, with Riley noting Johnson’s wide-ranging success in the business world following his playing career.
“Earvin is a guy who has been a prolific businessman,” Riley said. “He’s gone into companies and changed management, changed the culture. He’s charismatic, gets up in front of people and puts an immediate face on an organization.”
And sure, running a basketball team, especially the Lakers, brings a whole new set of challenges and a different level of pressure. The general public isn’t breathing down your neck to make sure things are going smoothly at your Starbucks franchises. It is also true that simply being an all-time great player doesn’t automatically translate into success in the front office.
But despite Johnson’s lack of experience in an NBA boardroom, the ingredients are there to make this move a successful one for the Lakers. Johnson has a brilliant basketball mind, as Riley noted, he’s shown no aversion to hard work, and, judging by the addition of Rob Pelinka as general manager, is willing to bring smart people on board to work alongside him.
