Magic Johnson says he turned down jobs with three NBA organizations before Lakers President Jeanie Buss offered him the chance at dinner to run the Lakers.
Johnson said on ESPN’s ‘First Take’ that the Warriors, Pistons and Knicks all reached out to him with job opportunities.
Magic says he turned down jobs with the Dubs, Pistons and Knicks before taking the Lakers job. Said Knicks’ President Steve Mills called. pic.twitter.com/oEloHJldWF
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) September 12, 2017
The Lakers in February announced Johnson had joined the franchise as an advisor to Buss. A month later, Johnson was named the Lakers’ president of basketball operations.
As for the Knicks, Phil Jackson, Buss’ former fiance and the former Lakers coach, was fired by owner Jim Dolan in June.
It remains unclear when Steve Mills, then the Knicks GM and now the team president, reached out to Johnson, but Magic said he did.
“Steve Mills called me,” Johnson said.
Since Jackson’s firing, Mills has hired a new GM in Scott Perry.
