Magic Johnson Denies ESPN Report, Details How He Should Have Handled Lakers Job

Magic Johnson joined ESPN's Stephen A. Smith and Michael Wilbon on Tuesday's SportsCenter and responded to a report that alleged he helped to create a toxic working environment and intimidated and verbally lashed out at employees while serving as the president of basketball operations for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Johnson pointed to his extensive business partnerships and career as a player, member of the front office, media personality and more and said, "I've never sat in an HR's person in 35 years."

His comments were in response to a Tuesday report from Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com that extensively detailed an organization that was "fraught with dysfunction, on and off the court" under Johnson and general manager Rob Pelinka.

"Do you think Jeanie Buss would allow me to abuse employees?" Johnson asked. "It never happened. ... I'm a person who brings everybody together."

He stressed that "a lot of Lakers employees didn't like that I held them accountable."

Johnson's denial is just the latest development in the Lakers' ongoing drama.

To call their 2018-19 campaign a mess would be an understatement. On the court, the Lakers dealt with injuries throughout the season and missed the playoffs at 37-45 even after they signed LeBron James this past summer. It was the first time James missed the postseason since his second year in the league in 2004-05.

Their win-loss record was far from the only concern, as Johnson resigned as president of basketball operations in a stunning, impromptu press conference before the final game of the regular season. The team also parted ways with head coach Luke Walton a few days later.

Yet the reported interactions between Johnson, Pelinka and various Lakers employees stood out most in Holmes' piece.

Holmes cited nearly two dozen current and former Lakers employees who described a toxic working environment that "marginalized their colleagues, inspired fear and led to feelings of anxiety severe enough that at least two staffers suffered panic attacks" in addition to the losing, tampering investigations and questionable roster decisions.

Staffers said Johnson was much different than the jovial personality who appears on cameras, telling Holmes that he often spoke to employees in a threatening way.

As for the team, the failed trade talks for Anthony Davis led to "mistrust" between the young players who were included in the discussions and the front office. Those players also reportedly distrusted James, who shares agent Rich Paul with Davis, and some within the team and coaching staff thought those close to James had too much access and influence.

Holmes pointed to one lunch between NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and James' business partner, Maverick Carter, in which Paul complained about Walton to Silver and said he believed Tyronn Lue should be the coach. Paul didn't hesitate to criticize Walton in other instances, and some on the coaching staff thought Johnson's berating of the head coach was the result of criticism from James' camp.

A former player even called Paul's presence on a team flight a "culture killer," although Johnson said on ESPN the agent flew with the team only once.

Even the Lakers' search for a head coach after Walton's departure was tumultuous, as Lue and Monty Williams each turned down the job before Frank Vogel accepted it.

Johnson only added to the disarray narrative when he appeared on First Take earlier this month and said Pelinka criticized him for his poor work ethic. "If you are going to talk betrayal, it's only with Rob," the Hall of Famer said when asked who betrayed him within the organization.

On Tuesday, Johnson said of his relationship with Pelinka: "When we were there, we worked well together, but the little things that were going on behind the scenes, that bothered me."

When asked what he would do differently if given another opportunity, he noted that he inherited Walton and said, "I would have hired my own people from the beginning. ... Then you can judge me."

It echoed the sentiment he expressed on First Take when he said he was frustrated that he didn't have the freedom to fire Walton when he wanted.

It's been easy to mock the Lakers after they missed the playoffs each of the last six seasons. James turns 35 in December, and the team needs additional pieces around him to have a chance to compete in the Western Conference in 2019-20.

This critical offseason has already started for the Purple and Gold but has been dominated by reports of organizational failures rather than momentum and potential roster additions. Pelinka and the rest of the front office will be under pressure to turn things around, while Johnson is now free to continue making comments on shows such as he did on Tuesday's SportsCenter.