During the offseason, Magic Johnson became the center of a controversy stemming from tampering charges involving Paul George's recruitment. He eventually received the highest anti-tampering fine in league history, amounting to $500,000, which he paid out of his own salary.

The Los Angeles Lakers president of basketball operations made an appearance on the pre-game show for Game 2 of the World Series between the L.A. Dodgers and Houston Astros, where he had a very entertaining interview with the FS1 broadcasters. Former Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz even asked him a hilarious question about the possibility of LeBron James bringing his talents to his team next year, and the five-time NBA champion had to dodge, and make sure he answers without getting in trouble with the league office once again.

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It can be recalled that news surfaced about Magic Johnson having impermissible contact with George, and apparently recruiting him to join the Lakers once his current contract expires. The four-time All-Star forward is a native of Palmdale, California, and had made it known in the past that he wants to play for his hometown team someday.

As it turned out, George was ultimately traded by the Indiana Pacers to the Oklahoma City Thunder over the summer. He has teamed-up with two other superstars in Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony, and has a strong chance to be part of a contender for the title. For now, Magic Johnson can only wait until he is allowed to pitch to George and James, who are both expected to be two of the most sought after free agents after this season.