Magic Johnson Reveals His Lakers Coach Eligibility Condition as Jeanie Buss Continues Her Hunt

The Los Angeles Lakers are currently in a dire situation. After they fired Darvin Ham following their playoff exit, there arose more than the need for just a new head coach. For years, the team has been built around LeBron James. But with the 39-year-old getting closer to retirement every season, there’s a need for fresh faces to build the team around, for star players who could help revive the team. And Lakers legend Magic Johnson seems to share this sentiment as well.

The five-time NBA champion emphasized that the team needs not only a new, accomplished, and capable coach but also a stronger and more effective roster to change its fortunes. Furthermore, as Jeanie Buss keeps up the hunt for the perfect fit, Johnson stated his one condition for the Lakers coach in an interview at the premiere of Bad Boys: Ride or Die.

Playing on the name of the action-comedy film, the interviewer asked Magic Johnson, “Ride or die? Los Angeles Lakers.” The 64-year-old replied, “Ride or die. I’m a Los Angeles Laker through and through forever. We just got to make some changes, get better. We hopefully get this coach in here, whoever they going to decide to coach the Lakers. But also, we got to improve the roster. If we can do that, we’ll be good.” As important as hiring the perfect coach for the Lakers would be, it’s just as crucial to have a team they can mold into a championship-winning unit.

Expressing precisely this and the fact that the competition in the Western Conference is as tough as it gets, Johnson added, “As a matter of fact, I’m leaning more toward improving the roster. It doesn’t matter who the coach is. If the roster doesn’t get better, we can bring in the greatest coach in all the world, but we can’t win. So we have to improve the roster because the West is so deep.”

Ever since LeBron James’ arrival in the City of Angels in 2018, the Lakers have had three different coaches. The search for a fourth one is ongoing, but because not many names in the coaching market stand out, it is taking longer than most fans would have expected. And that’s not the only issue.

At present, one of the hurdles that the Lakers need to break off is the Denver Nuggets, who the Lakers have lost to in the playoffs for two consecutive seasons. Magic further detailed the situation in the Western Conference while praising the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves. He said, “You think about Dallas, you think about Minnesota. But then there’s Denver. We can’t beat Denver right now. Oklahoma City gonna be around for a long time… The West is really competitive, it’s really deep. So we gotta get better.”

The thing is, Magic Johnson isn’t the only one who feels this way. In an appearance on the Stephen A. Smith Show, Snoop Dogg and Smith discussed the state of the Lakers right now. The analyst couldn’t help but say, “I don’t what [the Lakers] can do [with the current lineup].” And Lakers superfan Snoop Dogg couldn’t help but agree, albeit quite harshly. He said, “I do. You can clear that locker room out.” The Grammy-nominated artist asserted the importance of bringing fresh, young talent to the roster to revitalize the 2020 champions. However, there are two sides to a coin.

Giving his take on the Lakers’ head coach situation for the past few years, Snoop Dogg stated, “I don’t think we had the right coach or right anything when it came to [fitting together as a unit].” He highlighted the importance of a good coach, just as Magic Johnson did: “One thing about great coaching is that you can have all the talent in the world, but if you don’t know how to coach it, then you’re just wasting time.” The Lakers have started making strides in one of those aspects.

As per The Athletic, the Lakers have indeed set their sights on certain players who could make them contenders again. Donovan Mitchell leads the list, followed by Darius Garland and Trae Young. However, the head coach position is still up in the air.

Jeanie Buss and the Lakers are struggling to find the right coach 

After the Los Angeles Lakers’ exit from the NBA Playoffs, the franchise was quick to fire Darvin Ham. Now, in the hunt for a replacement, one name that has surfaced in the rumor mill is former NBA player JJ Redick. If the Lakers were to hire him, it would mark Redick’s debut coaching year in the NBA (he coaches his nine-year-old son’s basketball team right now). Moreover, he’s also good friends with the current team leader in LA, LeBron James. They’re also co-hosts of the Mind the Game podcast.

After the second consecutive defeat for LeBron James & Co. against the Denver Nuggets, the mood among the Lakers fanbase isn’t great. To rebuild enthusiasm and hope again, the Lakers need to find a new synergy to dominate. The suggestions NBA experts provided are promising, but nothing has been confirmed yet.

As Magic stated, the West is extremely competitive with teams like the Mavs, the Wolves, Denver, and OKC, which are set to dominate in the foreseeable future. Considering this, it’s imperative that the Lakers get the choice of their new head coach right. Time is ticking for everyone involved with the franchise.

Stay tuned to this space for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, had to say about the marketing genius, watch this video.