Lakers great Magic Johnson apologizes for criticism after series loss to Nuggets

02/05/2024

If Lakers fans know anything about franchise legend Magic Johnson, it’s that he loves speaking his mind on social media. Especially when it comes to the team he spent 13 years playing with.

The NBA Hall of Famer won five titles with the Lakers, so he knows a thing or two about what it takes to win in Los Angeles. Which is why, when the Lakers were eliminated by the Nuggets for the second consecutive season — this time in five games — Johnson made sure to let his thoughts be known.

After the series-ending loss on Monday, Johnson posted on X (formerly Twitter), “The Lakers have nobody but themselves to blame. They wouldn’t have been in the Play-In game or finished as a seventh seed this season if they hadn’t lost too many games because of load management.”

Johnson kept it going by adding “And the No. 1 reason the Lakers can’t beat Denver in a seven-game series is because the Nuggets are mentally and physically tougher than the Lakers.”

Harsh words from the 12-time All-Star.

However, Johnson seemed to re-examine his thoughts in the following days, and on Wednesday he decided to issue an apology.

The 64-year-old posted: “Laker Nation, I have to apologize to the Lakers organization. It was injuries that plagued the Lakers this season, not load management.

Was the legend simply doing damage control or did he have a point? The Lakers finished with a 47-35 record and worked through the Play-In to get the seventh spot in the West.

For what it’s worth, Los Angeles did lose multiple players to lengthy injuries. Jarred Vanderbilt only played 29 games due to left heel bursitis while Cam Reddish only made 48 appearances because of an ankle injury. Meanwhile, Gabe Vincent, who was acquired as a UFA from the Miami Heat, played in just 11 games due to knee issues.

However, the Lakers’ star duo of Anthony Davis and LeBron James were as healthy as they have been since joining forces. Davis and James played in 76 and 71 games respectively, the most either has played while in Los Angeles. In fact, 76 games was a career-high for Davis through his 12 years in the NBA.

So, maybe Johnson’s point about injuries doesn’t hold much weight. He could be apologizing because he knows how difficult it can be managing one of the NBA’s glamour franchises. Johnson stepped into the Lakers front office in 2017 but lasted just two years before abruptly stepping down.

He famously broke the news of his departure less than two hours before the Lakers’ regular-season finale in 2019 by calling an impromptu news conference.

What he didn’t backtrack on was his admiration for Canadian and Nuggets guard Jamal Murray.

The 26-year-old shined against Los Angeles, hitting two impressive game-winners on their path to the second round while finishing with 32 points in the elimination game.

“Let’s stop disrespecting Nugget guard Jamal Murray. He should be at the All-Star game next season in San Francisco,” Johnson posted on X.

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