<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Magic-Johnson-Lakers-James-Harden-Nets.jpg"></figure><h1>Magic Johnson makes NBA title pick after James Harden trade to Nets</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-14T07:03:51-08:00">January 14th, 7:03am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-14T07:03:51-08:00">January 14th, 7:03am</time><address><a>Skyler Carlin</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Brooklyn Nets landed James Harden in a massive trade with the Houston Rockets, which puts them firmly as a legitimate contender if they can hash out the chemistry on the roster. Despite the Nets getting Harden, Magic Johnson <a href="https://twitter.com/MagicJohnson/status/1349557989535936513?s=20">isn’t wavering his pick</a> of the Los Angeles Lakers to repeat as NBA champions this season.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">James Harden getting traded to the Brooklyn Nets to join KD and Kyrie will be special to watch… but I’m still picking the <a href="https://twitter.com/Lakers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@Lakers</a> to win the Championship 😁</p><p>— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/MagicJohnson/status/1349557989535936513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 14, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Without a doubt, Harden joining the Nets gives them a talented trio alongside the likes of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Though, Irving has been absent from the team in the past week due to personal reasons, leaving many to wonder when he’ll rejoin them.</p><p>Nevertheless, even the duo of Durant and Harden could be a dangerous one in the Eastern Conference. Before Harden makes his debut with Brooklyn, the Nets currently boast a 7-6 record after two consecutive wins over the Denver Nuggets and the New York Knicks despite missing Irving.</p><p>However, the Lakers are the reigning NBA champions and it appears they’ve gotten even better from a season ago. The additions of Dennis Schroder, Montrezl Harrell, Marc Gasol, and Wesley Matthews, along with the emergence of Talen Horton-Tucker gives Los Angeles an extremely deep roster.</p><p>Of course, the duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis is still the best in the NBA, even with James turning 36 years old in December. While the Nets were busy acquiring Harden, the Lakers were able to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-anthony-davis-reacts-to-james-harden-trade-l-a-making-road-history/">extend their road record</a> to 7-0 to begin the season, giving them a league’s best 10-3 record overall.</p><p>There’s reason to believe that Brooklyn could compete for an NBA title if everything goes according to plan with the addition of Harden. With that being said, Johnson remains confident that his Lakers will reign supreme for the second consecutive season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Magic Johnson makes NBA title pick after James Harden trade to Nets

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}.webfeedsFeaturedVisual {	display: None !important;}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <div><img alt="Magic Johnson, Lakers" class="webfeedsFeaturedVisual wp-post-image" height="673" src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/lakers.jpg" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 5px; clear: both;" width="1200"><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Showtime Lakers are one of the most famous teams in NBA history. Led by Magic Johnson, the team fathered the swag and up-tempo style of basketball the NBA stands on today. Even though this current generation has evolved into a 3-point parade Johnson’s contemporaries never could have fathomed, there are certain players who were made for Showtime.</span></p><h2><strong>5. Imagine Nikola Jokic on the 1980s Lakers</strong></h2><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There is a common belief in the basketball world that if a team has a good big man and a good point guard, it will always be a contender. The Showtime Lakers had that and then some. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is arguably one of the greatest power forwards in the history of the league and Magic Johnson is the consensus GOAT point guard. That duo set the tone for the belief that a good point guard and good big man equal contention. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So imagine if that big man was the Joker. While Jokic has much more to accomplish in his career to be put in the same sentence as Jabbar, he does have a few similarities to the all-time great. The biggest would be his passing ability. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The 80s Lakers that dazzled generations of NBA fans were known for transition offense. To successfully run teams off the court, passing has to be elite, at all positions. Jabbar, aside from Johnson, set that bar. Whether it was hitting a teammate who leaked out down the court or hitting the skip pass on the trail, Jabbar was an integral part of the Lakers’ facilitation.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Jokic has shown that he is the best passer on the Nuggets, and possibly in Denver. Jokic would find Byron Scott and James Worthy the same way he finds Gary Harris and Jamal Murray, only Worthy is a Hall of Famer and Scott led the champion Showtime Lakers in scoring.</span></p><h2><strong>4. Khris Middleton</strong></h2><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Khris Middleton isn’t the passing force that Jokic is, but when Magic Johnson is manning the offense, there isn’t much needed. What Middleton does do well, is run the floor. Again, the Showtime Lakers pushed the pace and pushed it at an all-time elite level. They did so through their defense. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">At 6’7 with a 6’11 wingspan, Middleton is a very versatile defender. He can defend on the wing and switch onto bigs while grabbing a </span><a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/middlkh01.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">career average of five rebounds a game</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. His length would give the Lakers an even longer defensive lineup. He, alongside Johnson, Worthy, Kurt Rambis, and Jabbar would make a starting five that features no one under 6’7.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On the offensive end, Middleton is a very good shooter– shooting a career 39% from the three point line. With Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar dishing out dimes in the half-court, Khris Middleton would have literal target practice. Inserting him into the shooting guard slot would make the Showtime Lakers. </span></p><h2><strong>3. Kawhi Leonard</strong></h2><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">During the offseason, <a href="https://www.clipsnation.com/2020/10/23/21529676/la-clippers-news-kawhi-leonard-wants-new-starting-point-guard-shaq-paul-george-trade" target="_blank">sources close to the Clippers said that Kawhi Leonard wanted a true point guard</a>. While the Clippers failed to make it happen, the reasoning behind that request is pretty obvious. Leonard’s rise to stardom came with a Spurs team which at the time was led by a Hall of Fame point guard by the name of Tony Parker.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lakers fans know that Leonard then won a championship next to an All-Star point guard in Kyle Lowry in Toronto. Leonard is a phenomenal player who can create his own shot, but he is most lethal when he is being set up for a shot– particularly in the low post. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Insert Magic Johnson. Kawhi has one of the highest basketball IQs in the league. His ability to know when and where to cut and which lane to fill on a fast break are the type of skills that the Showtime Lakers built their success on. Fancy passing wasn’t what made that team special– though it did make them aesthetically pleasing. Spacing, pace, and shot-making made them special.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Basketball IQ is what makes the first two lethal and Leonard has that at an elite level. It goes without saying he is a shot-maker.</span></p><h2><strong>2. Lakers champion Anthony Davis</strong></h2><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Again, if a team has a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-video-anthony-davis-scares-jimmy-butler-into-making-horrible-pass/" target="_blank">good point guard</a> and a good big man success is almost inevitable. Anthony Davis of the Lakers is more than good– just ask Christian Wood.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Davis’ ability to play in transition, hit the open jumper, while still being an elite defender is a monstrous combination to pair. You can see how Davis’ game was taken to new levels once he was paired with Lebron James on the Lakers; his game would be insane next to Magic Johnson on the Laker dynasty of the 1980s. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Showtime Lakers did their damage in transition, regardless if they got a steal. If they got a steal, often it was one or two passes into a layup. More times than a few, the Lakers had to push the ball after a bucket. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">To properly run transition after a basket, the right lanes have to be run. The two guards typically run the right side of the court, while the three-guard runs on the left side. The center usually rim runs, while the point guard pushes the ball in the middle of the floor. The four, who is often the inbounder, trails the play. The trailer is usually a playmaker who can pass and score the outside.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Davis, who powered the Lakers to an NBA title last year, fits that profile to a tee. </span></p><h2><strong>1. Stephen Curry</strong></h2><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Stephen Curry is the greatest shooter ever. That’s clear. Johnson’s passing ability is something that the current generation is very aware of, but his scoring ability was still elite. He was a very capable slasher. Any slasher needs a reliable shooter to space the floor.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Curry is one of the only players who creates offense for others through “gravity.”  Johnson would have little to no opposition since you can’t help too far off of Curry. Also, Curry is a very capable ball-handler who can set others up– he is a point guard. In a half-court offense, the Lakers would have premium spacing because of Curry’s shooting ability, and wouldn’t lose a single step in their motion offense. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Matching Curry with the Showtime Lakers would result in a repeat of his time with Kevin Durant– a literally unstoppable offense.</span></p><p>The post <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/the-current-generation-nba-talents-who-would-fit-perfectly-with-magic-johnsons-showtime-lakers/" rel="nofollow">The current generation NBA talents who would fit perfectly with Magic Johnson’s Showtime Lakers</a> appeared first on <a href="https://clutchpoints.com" rel="nofollow">ClutchPoints</a>.</p></div>    </body></html>

The current generation NBA talents who would fit perfectly with Magic Johnson’s Showtime Lakers

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/nba-news-denzel-valentine-tries-fails-to-channel-showtime-magic-johnson.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>Denzel Valentine tries, fails to channel Showtime Magic Johnson while down 28</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-01-02T21:22:56-08:00">January 2nd, 9:22pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-01-02T21:23:27-08:00">January 2nd, 9:23pm</time><address><a>Mike Cruz</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>They say everybody wants to be Like Mike. As for Chicago Bulls forward Denzel Valentine, he apparently wants to be like Magic Johnson. Valentine tried to do his best impression of Lakers icon “Showtime” Magic Johnson in Chicago’s 126-96 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. Not only was he trying <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/clippers-rumors-la-to-show-interest-in-kris-dunn-with-bulls-not-planning-to-extend-qualifying-offer/">to do so</a> while down 28, he also miserably failed at it.</p><p>Watch Denzel Valentine make an absolute <a href="https://twitter.com/TheNBACentral/status/1345434153974685697?s=20">embarrassment of himself</a> on the break against Milwaukee:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Denzel Valentine really tried to be Magic Johnson down 28 points 😂😂😂 <a href="https://t.co/XVKGpsm6KC" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/XVKGpsm6KC</a></p><p>— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheNBACentral/status/1345434153974685697?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">January 2, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Someone should send this clip to Magic. Maybe he’ll tweet out an entertaining take on Denzel Valentine’s failed impression of him.</p><p>Denzel Valentine must have thought a trailer was right behind him. Still, did he not see the two Bucks defenders running alongside him? That almost seemed too easy of a pick off for the Milwaukee defender.</p><p>This was essentially garbage time already for both teams with the score so lop-sided, so it didn’t really have much impact on the outcome of the game. Nonetheless, Denzel Valentine did give fans something to laugh about. No doubt, he should find himself on the next edition of Shaqtin’ a Fool for this one.</p><p>Denzel Valentine hasn’t played as much and might not find himself as a staple on new Bulls coach Billy Donovan’s rotation moving forward. The fourth-year wing has played in three of Chicago’s five games so far this year. With Chandler Hutchison recently testing positive for COVID-19, the 27-year old may get an opportunity to earn minutes and eventually carve out a role for the Bulls.</p><p>Denzel Valentine has expressed frustration in the past over not getting a chance to show that he can be a rotation player in the NBA. Plays like this, however, will certainly not help his cause. It is all part of the Bulls’ slow and unavoidably messy attempt to remake themselves under a new head coach and general manager. The growing pains are evident in Chicago.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Denzel Valentine tries, fails to channel Showtime Magic Johnson while down 28

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/magic-1.jpg"><figcaption>CP</figcaption></figure><h1>Magic Johnson reacts to Knicks’ blowout of Bucks, Nets’ loss to Hornets</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2020-12-27T20:14:20-08:00">December 27th, 8:14pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2020-12-27T20:16:01-08:00">December 27th, 8:16pm</time><address><a>Kriel Ibarrola</a></address><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Sunday’s scheduled NBA games was indeed full of surprises following several major upsets. As always, Hall of Famer Magic Johnson was on top of the action and <a href="https://twitter.com/MagicJohnson/status/1343391793958838275" rel="noopener">summed up all the insanity</a> with one tweet.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The NBA is going to be so exciting this year!! Look at what happened tonight…the Hornets beat the Nets, the Knicks blew out the Bucks, and the Cavaliers blew out the Sixers.</p><p>— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/MagicJohnson/status/1343391793958838275?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">December 28, 2020</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>While it doesn’t take much to get Magic Johnson all hyped up, it’s hard not to get excited following the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-scores/" rel="noopener">results of the weekend NBA games</a>. The Los Angeles Lakers legend pointed out the reversal of fortunes of the two New York-based teams, on the day at least.</p><p>Perhaps the biggest surprise of the evening came from the perennial cellar dwellers New York Knicks, who somehow pulled off a 20-point rout of powerhouse Milwaukee Bucks. Behind the brilliance of Julius Randle and Elfrid Payton, the ‘Bockers absolutely outplayed Milwaukee and their two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.</p><p>The rejuvenated Brooklyn Nets, meanwhile, were expected to make quick work of the Charlotte Hornets after their back-to-back victories over the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics. Brooklyn fell behind early and tried to mount a mighty comeback in the fourth but to no avail.</p><p>Lastly, the heavily-favored Philadelphia 76ers also suffered the same fate, as they got blasted by the Cleveland Cavaliers inside the Quicken Loans Arena, 118-94.</p><p>Magic, meanwhile, is no stranger to being on the giving and receiving ends of massive upsets during his playing career in the NBA. No doubt he enjoys seeing David destroy Goliath from time to time.</p><p>The shortened 2020-21 NBA season is off to a great start so far. For sure, fans can expect more of these thrilling upsets in the coming months.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Magic Johnson reacts to Knicks’ blowout of Bucks, Nets’ loss to Hornets

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Lakers-news-Magic-Johnson-gifted-championship-ring-thanks-LeBron-James-for-keeping-promise.jpg"><figcaption>CP</figcaption></figure><h1>Magic Johnson gifted Lakers’ championship ring, thanks LeBron James for keeping promise</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2020-12-26T14:16:13-08:00">December 26th, 2:16pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2020-12-26T14:17:40-08:00">December 26th, 2:17pm</time><address><a>Skyler Carlin</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The members of the Los Angeles Lakers, former and current, all received their championship rings after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-lebron-james-la-dominate-heat-to-take-2020-nba-title/" rel="noopener">securing their 17th NBA title</a> in October, including Magic Johnson.</p><p>Johnson took it to Twitter to <a href="https://twitter.com/MagicJohnson/status/1342897649532416001?s=20">thank</a> Jeanie Buss and LeBron James after receiving his championship ring.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Cookie and I are so blessed to receive our championship rings! Thank you to Laker owner <a href="https://twitter.com/JeanieBuss?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@JeanieBuss</a>, the Laker players and especially <a href="https://twitter.com/KingJames?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@KingJames</a> because he told me he was going to bring a championship to Laker Nation. This is my 11th NBA Championship ring! <a href="https://t.co/R5n7foBPuR" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/R5n7foBPuR</a></p><p>— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/MagicJohnson/status/1342897649532416001?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">December 26, 2020</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Magic Johnson, one of the best point guards to ever play in the NBA, replaced Jim Buss as the president of the Lakers’ basketball operations back in 2017. In his second year in an executive role for the team, Johnson helped convince James to sign with Los Angeles.</p><p>When LeBron joined the Lakers, he promised the city of Los Angeles a championship after delivering on his promise to win a title to the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, Johnson would resign from his role before the 2019 season, citing a desire to follow the NBA from afar as the reason why he left.</p><p>After Johnson’s decision to part with the Lakers, Los Angeles acquired Anthony Davis in a trade with the New Orleans Pelicans. The duo of James and Davis then led the charge as the Lakers won the NBA Finals in six games over the Miami Heat in the NBA bubble.</p><p>During the offseason, the Lakers made a bevy of impressive moves, including signing James to an extension—to the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-magic-johnson-reacts-lebron-james-2-year-extension-la/">delight</a> of Johnson. And on opening night against their intercity rivals in the Los Angeles Clippers, the team was given their championship rings.</p><p>Throughout his playing career, Johnson didn’t have a shortage of rings, winning five of them while he was a member of the Lakers. Even though he wasn’t a member of the Purple and Gold franchise last season, Johnson was rewarded one for his previous contributions.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Magic Johnson gifted Lakers’ championship ring, thanks LeBron James for keeping promise

https://twitter.com/MagicJohnson/status/1349859114579492864/

To the multi-talented TV and movie star, hip hop mogul, businessman and philanthropist @llcoolj, happy birthday!! 

https://twitter.com/MagicJohnson/status/1349557989535936513/

James Harden getting traded to the Brooklyn Nets to join KD and Kyrie will be special to watch... but I’m still picking the @Lakers to win the Championship 😁

https://twitter.com/MagicJohnson/status/1349557562073444352/

If @KingJames continues to play like he is right now, there’s no doubt in my mind he’ll be league MVP!

https://twitter.com/MagicJohnson/status/1349557335337811969/

For the last three or four games the @Lakers have raised their defensive intensity and played lights out against their opponents!!

https://twitter.com/MagicJohnson/status/1349557194933485568/

LeBron James hit five 3’s and scored 26 points leading the Lakers to a 128-99 victory tonight over OKC.

https://twitter.com/MagicJohnson/status/1349082387959869441/

Tuesday Prayer:
FATHER, as we continue to seek you in prayer for the STABILITY of our nation, please echo in our hearts that "WE ARE BETTER THAN THIS" !!! BETTER than what’s been happening. BETTER knowing that it's okay to experience anger, but we SHOULDN'T BE HATEFUL.

https://twitter.com/MagicJohnson/status/1348492015093207041/

Tomorrow I’ll be sitting in my man cave watching Ohio State vs. Alabama for the national Championship! 😁

https://twitter.com/MagicJohnson/status/1348491465014398976/

Andddd we get Tom Brady vs. Drew Brees for the third time next weekend... I can’t wait!

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Magic Johnson reacts to Knicks’ blowout of Bucks, Nets’ loss to Hornets

Magic Johnson gifted Lakers’ championship ring, thanks LeBron James for keeping promise