Magic Johnson Doesn't Regret Leaving LeBron James in Dark About Lakers Exit

LeBron James did not like the way Magic Johnson left the Los Angeles Lakers.

Johnson, however, has no regrets. The former Lakers president appeared on First Take on Monday and said he would not change a thing about how he exited the organization:

"I respect LeBron for what he said. I love LeBron. I love his family, what he's done for the Lakers organization, what he did for me as president of the Lakers organization. But sometimes as a man, you have to make decisions based on your well being, and I made that decision based on me and my own happiness.

"I could have done it a different way, yes, he's right, but I did it my way. That doesn't take anything away from our relationship or how I feel about LeBron. But sometimes, as a man or a woman, you got to make a decision based on your own happiness. And sometimes you just gotta go out and do your thing.

"I'm not a regretful person...I stick to my guns. This was not just, I woke up and said, 'Oh I'm gonna leave the Lakers.' This was building up."

James opened up about Johnson's departure on The Shop, saying he took issue with the timing and way it was announced. Johnson abruptly announced his resignation without informing anyone in the Lakers organization on the day of the team's final regular-season game. 

"We was like, 'Damn, right now?' It was literally 70 minutes on the clock—they're getting ready for a game, and you decide to do this right here, right now?" James said. "I feel like there's a time and place for things, and I believe you knew you were going to make that decision. So why would you do it here, do it now?

"So it was just weird for him to just be like, 'Nah, I'm outta here,' and not even have no, 'Hey Bron, kiss my ass, I'm gone.' It wasn't even that."

Johnson was instrumental to recruiting James to Los Angeles. He was at LeBron's home at 12:01 a.m. ET July 1, the very first minute he was allowed by NBA rules. James has also gone out of his way to credit Magic—while rarely mentioning general manager Rob Pelinka—since signing a four-year deal last summer.

Johnson went into detail about his falling out with Pelinka on First Take, saying he felt "betrayed" by a man who is now the Lakers' chief decision maker. He nevertheless maintained that LeBron should want to stay in Los Angeles because of the potential team the Lakers could build.

"Because he has a chance to turn it around," Johnson said of why LeBron should want to stay. "Listen, the young core is special, the young core is special. And if you put, I don't care who the free agent is. One of those free agents, Kyrie, Kawhi, I don't care who it is, one of those guys... Just get one of those guys with LeBron and then you use the mid-level to get a shooter, the Lakers are right back in it. Because there's one special team, that's Golden State, everybody else is about even. And they're not special. There's one special team and that's Golden State Warriors."

The Lakers have max-level cap room this summer and are expected to pursue every top free agent on the market. They have been regularly linked with Kawhi Leonard and Kyrie Irving, along with consistent rumors about a potential Anthony Davis trade.

Johnson maintained that he is still rooting for the Lakers and wants the best for the organization. If that's the case, it's not hard to see why he'd want LeBron to stay—even if it's a toxic situation he couldn't wait to leave.