Luke Walton Found Out About Magic Johnson Resignation When Media Did

Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton was apparently as surprised as the rest of the basketball world to hear about Magic Johnson's decision to step down as president of basketball operations.

"I found out the same time you guys did," he said after his team's 104-101 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday, per Rachel Nichols of ESPN.

Johnson announced the stunning decision during an impromptu press conference and didn't even tell team owner Jeanie Buss:

It shouldn't exactly come as a surprise Johnson didn't give Walton a heads up before his press conference. ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported on Tuesday's episode of The Jump the two hadn't even spoken for weeks, which is a notable development considering their respective positions on a team looking to eventually return to contention.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the entire coaching staff "expected to be fired" after Tuesday’s contest—the final one of the disappointing season—and felt that way for months.

However, Johnson's departure could change the equation for the head coach:

To Walton's credit, coaching in Los Angeles was far from straightforward this season. In addition to the adjustments that come with the signing of a dominant presence such as LeBron James, a majority of the team's important playmakers missed significant time with injuries during the season.

James, Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram and Rajon Rondo all sat out with physical setbacks, and the team was in the playoff picture when the King suffered his groin injury on Christmas Day against the Golden State Warriors.

Throw in the off-court drama surrounding the pursuit of Anthony Davis before February's trade deadline and the fallout of keeping young players who were included in trade discussions, and Walton faced a challenging proposition throughout the season.

Johnson's surprise announcement is just one more headline in a season full of them for Walton and the Lakers.