Magic Johnson gave the basketball world a shocker on Sunday night after announcing his decision to step down as Los Angeles Lakers president. The announcement came before the Lakers had their season finale against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Staples Center.

Johnson said that he decided to leave his post because he is no longer having fun. He pointed out that he was happier when he was not the Lakers president. However, Stephen A. Smith of ESPN thinks that there is a bigger reason behind the shocking announcement from the NBA legend.

Smith said that he has no idea and cannot believe why Johnson quit as Lakers president. He added that the Johnson might be convinced that it would be hard for him to get another superstar to pair with LeBron James to make the team a serious contender next season.

However, Smith also insisted that Johnson's decision to walk away is not “clean” and there is something going on in Los Angeles. He talked about the possibility of James having a hand on it, but it remains to be seen whether or not the surprising development in Los Angeles was a power play move from LeBron and his camp.

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It is worth noting, though, that Magic Johnson was primarily the reason why the Lakers managed to nab James in free agency last summer. The Hall of Famer visited James few minutes after the free-agency period started and managed to convince LeBron to become the new face of the franchise.

However, the first season of James in purple and gold was a disaster. They looked like a playoff team early in the 2018-19 NBA season, but injuries and failed trade attempts ruined their chances. The Lakers will likely end up 10th in the stacked Western Conference.

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