Magic Johnson abruptly steps down as Lakers president of basketball operations

(Image credit: Jesse Grant/Getty Images)

published 10 April 2019

In a surprise move, Magic Johnson announced on Tuesday he is stepping down as president of basketball operations for the Los Angeles Lakers.

The NBA great held an impromptu news conference before the start of Tuesday's game, and revealed that he was "happier when I wasn't the president." Johnson said he hadn't yet told owner Jeanie Buss that he was leaving, because he "couldn't face her to tell her," adding, "It's hard when you love an organization like I love this organization. It's hard when you love a person like I love Jeanie."

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

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