The Los Angeles Lakers reportedly will not hire a replacement for former president Magic Johnson, and now it's apparent why general manager Rob Pelinka figures to be the sole decision-maker moving forward.
He and his last president simply did not see eye to eye.
In an explosive appearance on ESPN's "First Take" Monday, Johnson accused Pelinka of betraying him within the Lakers organization, admitted he and the GM didn't get along during their first season together and detailed an internal power struggle over now-former coach Luke Walton's future with the club.
Is Magic justified in shredding his former employer? Is he right about long desiring to move on from Walton, an opinion he said Monday was not shared by either Lakers owner Jeanie Buss or executive Tim Harris?
Raja Bell found himself sympathetic to both sides on Monday's "Off The Bench" podcast. Discussing the Lakers' fallout with guest host Tommy Tran, Bell echoed some of Magic's sentiments regarding Walton and the necessity for business and personnel decisions to be separate. But he also cited Magic's ESPN comments as another example of the Lakers franchise's broad dysfunction.
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