Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson is regarded as one of, if not the best, point guards to ever play and he continues to be invested in today’s iteration of the NBA.
After playing 13 seasons and then getting into coaching and ownership, Johnson sampled being a front office executive for L.A. in 2017 before resigning in 2019. Due to the taxing nature of constructing winning rosters, Johnson opted to take a step back and enjoy basketball as a fan.
In addition to being an invested partial owner in the Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Sparks, Los Angeles FC, Washington Commanders and the Washington Spirit, Johnson also keeps up with the NBA. One of the more recent headlines was the New York Knicks’ decision to part ways with head coach Tom Thibodeau, and Johnson took to social media to express how surprised he was by the move:
As a coach, Thibodeau is a polarizing figure due to his heavy reliance on starting lineups. However, he led New York to an Eastern Conference Finals appearance this season for the first time in 25 years and frankly turned the franchise around.
On the contrary, the same was said for former Laker head coach Darvin Ham, who the team fired after two seasons. He made a Western Conference Finals appearance in his first season and nearly won 50 games the year after.
But, there’s no denying that both Ham and Thibodeau have their flaws and perhaps the Knicks want to rely on depth next season to avoid injuries and burnout come playoff time.
Parity is at an all-time high this season as there will be another new champion. Two young, up-and-coming teams in the Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder are facing off to win their first title in franchise history.
Despite Oklahoma City and Indiana not being big market teams, this series should be exciting. With both teams wanting to bring a championship to their respective cities, Magic Johnson is expecting a close series between the Pacers and Thunder.
If Game 1 is any indication, it’s definitely shaping up to be a great NBA Finals.
