Magic Johnson Talks Splitting Time Between Lakers, Dodgers Ahead of World Series

Los Angeles Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson had a lot on his plate Thursday night.

Not only was he in attendance for Lonzo Ball's Lakers debut against the Los Angeles Clippers, but Johnson was also among the many fans following the Los Angeles Dodgers' 11-1 win over the Chicago Cubs that sent them to the World Series for the first time since 1988.

"I got two things going on; I am too excited both ways," Johnson said, per ESPN.com's Ohm Youngmisuk. "I want to go to the World Series in the worst way, and then I got my first [Lakers] game this season and really with a team that [general manager] Rob [Pelinka] and I put together. ... So I am going crazy."

Johnson is part of the ownership group that bought the Dodgers in 2012.

USA Today's Sam Amick shared a clip of Johnson's celebration after Enrique Hernandez's grand slam in the third inning put the Dodgers ahead 7-0:

Johnson's excitement following the victory was evident in his reaction on Twitter:

While the basketball Hall of Famer can enjoy the Dodgers' success, it may be a few years before he can watch the Lakers reach a similar level.

Johnson and Pelinka are building a strong core of young players that includes Ball, Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, Julius Randle and Larry Nance Jr. The roster will need time to jell, though, and the duo of Ball and Ingram are likely a couple of seasons away from becoming impact players.

The Lakers lost 108-92 to the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night.

Even the addition of a marquee free agent or two next year may not be enough to automatically make the Lakers title contenders.

At least Johnson and many other Angelenos can savor the Dodgers' 2017 National League pennant.