Prior to Tuesday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers, Magic Johnson spoke to the media and announced that he would step down from his position as president of basketball operations for the Lakers.
Johnson made the announcement at an impromptu news conference held before the Lakers' season finale against the Portland Trail Blazers in Los Angeles.
"I want to go back to having fun," he said.
Johnson, said he had not told Jeanie Buss, the team's controlling owner and president, or general manager Rob Pelinka of his decision.
"I knew I couldn't be face-to-face and tell her," he said of Buss, saying he loves her like a sister. "I couldn't stand to tell her."
"And I think I had more fun when I was able to the be big brother and ambassador."
"(Jeanie) doesn't know I'm standing here," he said of Buss, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
"Somebody's going to have to tell my boss because I knew I couldn't be face-to-face and tell her," he said, per Oram. "... I couldn't stand to tell her."
Johnson and Pelinka visited with Lakers star LeBron James and his agent, Rich Paul, on Saturday, league sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Johnson offered no indication that he was on the brink of leaving the team, but Woj also mentioned that Johnson "never fully committed" to being the president of basketball operations and had limited office hours running the team. Wojnarowski also added that Johnson was often away from the team and didn't seem to want to put the time commitment in to running a front office.
Johnson took the Lakers job in February 2017, after the team fired Mitch Kupchak as general manager and removed Jim Buss as executive vice president of basketball operations.
Johnson said his position with the Lakers didn't allow him to be a statesman of the game of basketball, and he wants to go back to his life away from the job.
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