Lakers Legend Magic Johnson Says He Turned Down Chance to Buy Stake in Warriors

Magic Johnson's loyalty to the Los Angeles Lakers apparently got in the way of him buying a stake in the Golden State Warriors.

During a discussion with Shannon Sharpe on the Club Shay Shay podcast (h/t Jonathan Sherman of Lakers Daily), Johnson revealed that Warriors governor Joe Lacob and executive chairman Peter Guber attempted to persuade him to purchase a stake in the team.

"I do, just the right situation," Johnson said when asked if he had interest in NBA ownership. "But I'm such a Laker fan, I don't know if I can do it. … I've had four opportunities, and I turned them all down. Joe Lacob and Peter Guber sat down with lunch with me in Santa Monica. 'We want you to be our partners with the Golden State Warriors.' I love both men. I just couldn't do it. I'm a Laker. I love the Lakers."

Johnson, who is a part owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Sparks, played his entire Hall of Fame career for the Purple and Gold, winning five championships and three league MVPs.

He was also the team's president of basketball operations at one time, although he stepped down in a rather shocking fashion in April 2019.

If Johnson was going to be involved with purchasing a stake in a team, it's hard to script a better situation than the one with the Warriors. Golden State has won four of the last eight championships, moved to a new arena in 2019 and was named the NBA's second-most valuable team by Forbes for the 2021-22 season.

Johnson had his chance to be a part of it, but the idea of being involved with a Western Conference rival didn't seem to sit right with him.