Magic Johnson and the Lakers legend sound synonymous to the extent it’s hard to imagine Buck in any other franchise ever. The 12x All-Star claimed 5 NBA championships, 3 NBA Finals MVP, and 3 MVP with the Lakers. But could this legacy have changed? It turns out Johnson had set plans for another franchise the moment he landed with the Lakers.

The revelation came from Jeanie Buss on episode 81 of ‘All the Smoke’ podcast. Buss recalled she was 17 and “Magic was 19” when drafted into the league. The draft news back then was delivered over a call, as there were no big draft events. Jeannie revisited the day she met Johnson at her father’s house when the LA Lakers had drafted him and he had come for a visit with Bill Sharman, then GM. “So I opened the door and all I could see was this smile, like dazzling smile. Magic Johnson,” Buss said.

She further recollected her conversation with the 5x NBA champ. “Magic said, ‘you know I’m really, really excited that I was drafted by the Lakers, but I’m only going to stay for 3 years because I want to play for the [Detroit] Pistons. That’s where I’m from I want to go back home and play.'” Notably, Johnson hails from Lansing, Michigan, which is approximately 96 miles from Detroit — home to $3 billion worth Pistons. The information was quite a shocker for the Buss back then, as Johnson had just landed with the team.

The Lakers present controlling owner stated on the podcast she somehow excused herself from the conversation and ran to her father, Jerry Buss, upstairs. However, the then Lakers owner could not be less bothered hearing the news from his daughter. “My dad didn’t miss a beat. And he said ‘Jeanie, the first time he puts on a Laker uniform, he’s never going to leave,'” she recalled on the podcast.

As destiny would have it, the 13x All Star played all his NBA career for the Lakers. And Jerry himself was one of the major reasons that Johnson stuck with the team.

Magic Johnson considered Jerry Buss a “second parent”

During an interview with Mike Trudell from NBA.com, the 5x NBA champ had stated both he and Jerry just clicked. He further mentioned the bond between them was not that of an owner-player, but of two guys hanging out. “I think he knew, with me being 20 and alone all the way from Michigan, he became a father figure to me,” he said.

Johnson even credited his success as an entrepreneur to Jerry Buss’ mentorship. “I didn’t even think about being an owner of a team — it just blew my mind,” he said. This came during an interview with LA Times’ Broderick Turner, where Buck stated Jerry ensured he had all the tools necessary to be successful.

As per the reports, Buss had even called upon the 13x All Star during his final days battling with cancer. The two reportedly talked for about 5 hours and sobbed while recalling stories from the past. While Magic won 5 NBA championships with the Lakers, he also made significant money (close to $40 million) to enter the field of business. So all-in-all, the decision to stick with the team turned out fruitful for Magic Johnson.

Stay tuned for more such updates. And to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud, Caitlin Clark’s Olympic snub, and more, watch this video.