Jerry West Talks Magic Johnson's Lakers Exit, Warriors vs. Clippers, More
Los Angeles Clippers executive board member Jerry West said Thursday he's not sure why Magic Johnson stepped down as the Los Angeles Lakers' president of basketball operations, but he noticed his fellow NBA legend looked like a "happy camper" after making the decision.
West told Sam Amick of The Athletic the Lakers are still an "iconic brand," but noted there are always reasons someone with as many other projects as Johnson has might not want to handle a front-office role:
"He got the pressure off of him. I have no idea what he's going to do with his life. Well, I know what he's going to do with his life, he's going to pursue his other interests, which are time-consuming. But he might have a greater interest in those than he does the day-to-day stuff in basketball, the criticism that's involved. That's not fun to see, particularly for someone like him. I wish him the best. I really do. And I'm just hopeful that we can beat them more than they beat us."
Meanwhile, the Clippers executive and Amick also discussed his team's first-round playoff meeting with the Golden State Warriors, for whom he served in the same capacity from May 2011 through June 2017:
"I would be stupid not to be gratified by being involved and winning against a team where everybody said we're going to get beat 4-0, and the odds are 1000-to-1 or some damn thing. It's fun to maybe make them think a little bit. They will answer. That's for sure. I have great respect for [Warriors head coach] Steve [Kerr], and obviously the players. They play the game the way it should be played, so hopefully we can play really well and move on."
Johnson held an impromptu press conference last Tuesday to announce he was leaving the Lakers after being installed as president of basketball operations in February 2017.
"I want to go back to having fun," Johnson told reporters. "I want to go back to being who I was before taking on this job."
He added: "I was happier when I wasn't president."
The successful signing of superstar LeBron James highlighted his tenure. L.A. fell well short of expectations during the first season of the James era, however, as it missed the playoffs this season with a 37-45 record following an injury-riddled campaign.
Shaquille O'Neal, who won three of his four NBA championships with the Lakers, said the team should target West to fill Johnson's void:
West didn't directly discuss that possibility, but he told Amick there's no animosity between himself and the Lakers organization, and he's not sure what the future holds beyond this season.
"Well as far as I can tell, I really don't have a future, OK? My future is now," he said. "I don't really worry about that. I worry about getting through this season, and really concentrating—all of us, concentrating—on free agency."
For now, he's focused on seeing whether the Clippers can shock the two-time defending champion Warriors after a 31-point comeback in Game 2 allowed them to level the series at one game apiece.
"We'll see (what happens)…(But) oh my God, I went from the outhouse to the penthouse in, what, 45 minutes or something like that? From being in the depths to the top of the mountain," West told Amick. "That's what makes sports so fun. Oh my God."
Game 3 is scheduled for Thursday night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
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