Magic Johnson Says ‘No’ To Returning To Teaching As Lakers Search Continues

In a latest interview, the businessman asserted that these days of main the basketball workforce have been within the previous. The workforce is presently and not using a coach after parting methods with Darvin Ham. 

Johnson declined to take a position on potential replacements for the Lakers’ head coach place final week. When requested concerning the emptiness, the previous skilled basketball participant, who briefly occupied the position over thirty years in the past, mentioned:

“I could not inform ya. It is as much as the Lakers and Jeanie [Buss] and Rob Pelinka. I hope they get a very good one, although.”

As for whether or not the 64-year-old would ponder one other teaching alternative, he emphatically advised TMZ, “No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Thank you although.”

Johnson’s temporary stint because the Lakers’ head coach occurred when he stepped in in direction of the top of the 1993-1994 season, succeeding Randy Pfund and Invoice Bertka. 

Regardless of a promising begin, the workforce struggled, main the ex-point guard to announce his resignation on the season’s finish, with a remaining report of 5-11. After his stint as coach, Johnson resumed enjoying for the Lakers and by no means returned to teaching.

With Johnson off the record of potential head coaches, studies have surfaced that his former workforce is about to contact teaching candidates quickly.

Based on insiders, the primary spherical of interview requests will goal present assistants and former head coaches that the Lakers haven’t beforehand met with or know much less about than others.

One such candidate is ESPN analyst JJ Redick, who sources have mentioned is being researched by Pelinka.

The outlet’s informants added that the Lakers VP of Basketball Operations and basic supervisor has repeatedly used the time period “grinder” as a key attribute he desires for the subsequent coach throughout his discussions with league officers.

These sources additional claimed that the preliminary interview lineup is anticipated to characteristic assistant coaches similar to Chris Quinn from Miami and James Borrego from New Orleans.

They mission that the search course of will unfold in phases, commencing with this primary batch. It would then transfer on to discussions with coaches who’ve a deeper historical past with the Lakers.

Subsequently, the record will probably be narrowed down to a remaining spherical of candidates. As already talked about, the Lakers lately parted methods with Ham after his two-season tenure.

The 50-year-old’s report stands at 90-74, together with a visit to the Western Convention finals in his first season and a first-round playoff loss to the Denver Nuggets earlier within the yr.

Moreover making an attempt his arms at teaching, Johnson additionally had a brief profession as a late-night present host.

As The Blast reported, the perception into the short-lived position coincided with the 2022 launch of an Apple TV Plus docuseries titled, “They Name Me Magic.”

Within the sequence, which debuted on April 22, 2022, it was revealed that Johnson’s late-night endeavor, “The Magic Hour,” was axed after simply three months.

Notably, the present had one standout second when its producers invited Howard Stern as a visitor following the comic’s public mockery of Johnson’s interviewing prowess and comedic timing.

Upon Stern’s arrival on the present’s stage, Johnson promptly requested, “Let’s get proper to it. Why have you ever been speaking about me a lot, man?” In response, the media character expressed:

“The factor you might want to work on, in my estimation, is that you’ve got gotta cease making an attempt to speak just like the white man. Everyone’s anti-Ebonics. I say, let it fly! What you might want to do, ‘my brotha,’ is to actually get down with it. You speak Ebonics all you need.” 

What adopted have been quite a few remarks from Stern alluding to Johnson’s race and his well-known HIV standing.

Johnson later made it clear that he was not on board with the producers’ choice to make use of the brewing battle between him and Stern to extend viewer curiosity and subsequently enhance the present’s scores. In his phrases:

“I used to be mad after they booked him. However there’s nothing you are able to do. When folks search for scores, that is what occurs. It’s what it’s. I realized rather a lot from that. I’ve by no means put myself — or HIV and AIDS, or my race — in that place once more, ever once more.”

“So many instances, I needed to say one thing and hit him on the similar time — on air,” the 1992 All-Star MVP Award winner added.

Johnson additional disclosed that he had by no means engaged in a dialog with Stern following their on-air encounter.