Magic Johnson has passed on NBA ownership opportunities in the past with the Golden State Warriors, Atlanta Hawks and Detroit Pistons, but the New York Knicks are the one team he would consider buying into, Johnson said in an interview with The Associated Press.
"I think it would be intriguing," Johnson said of getting into NBA ownership. "The only team I would actually probably think about is the New York Knicks."
Johnson, who says to this point his loyalty to the Lakers has kept him out of the ownership game with other teams, explained it like this:
"I think because of the way fans love basketball you might have to think about that one, because I love coming to New York and going to the Garden and watching the Knicks play. I love being with fans who are so passionate about their team and the Knick fans are, and they're smart. They're smart basketball fans and so that one I would have to think about. I think that other than that, I would probably never think about ever being a part of another franchise."
Johnson says no ownership discussion has ever taken place with current Knicks owner James Dolan. It's merely a hypothetical.
"That one you would really have to think about, in terms of being a minority owner of that team," Johnson said of the Knicks. "But other than that, I would just stay with the Lakers and even with my role now, just being a fan, I'm happy just doing that with the Lakers because, again, I bleed purple and gold."
