After some years of desolation and irrelevancy in the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Lakers and their fanbase can now say that they are back in business after hauling in the biggest fish of this year’s free agent market in LeBron James. It would not have been possible without the front office commandeering of general manager Rob Pelinka and team president of basketball operations Magic Johnson.
Speaking of Johnson, the Hall of Fame point guard recently took to Twitter to express his delight over the team’s success in signing LeBron James as well as his gratitude to the partners of the four-time MVP, namely Rich Paul, the president of Klutch Sports Group, and Maverick Carter, business manager of James.
After Monday's signing I am so excited for our franchise and LeBron joining our team. Thank you to Rich Paul for managing this process with such class.
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) July 11, 2018
I look forward to working with both Rich Paul and Maverick Carter, two consummate professionals, over these next 4 years. The future is bright for both LeBron and his team.
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) July 11, 2018
The Lakers emerged as the winners of the LeBron James sweepstakes, but they were not without competition. The Philadelphia 76ers and the Houston Rockets were also reportedly in play to acquire James, but the talented forward obviously shunned those options for a chance to play in Hollywood. The one-hour wait of Magic Johnson outside of James' home was definitely worth it.
With the paper work all done, James and the Lakers will now turn their attention to their preparation for the upcoming season. Los Angeles finished with just a 35-47 record last season, the team’s fifth-straight losing campaign.
With James in tow, the Lakers are expecting that they are not just going to make it to the playoffs for the first time in 2013, but also go deep in it, perhaps even unseat the Golden State Warriors as the long-time rulers of the Western Conference.
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