by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

January 18, 2022

Magic Johnson Blasts Los Angeles Lakers’ Lack of Effort, LeBron James Issues Apology

The almighty Los Angeles Lakers are struggling. They were expected to be a better team this season with the acquisition of superstar point guard Russell Westbrook.

Less than two years removed from winning the NBA championship, the LeBron James-led basketball team is falling short of fans’ expectations and the storied franchise’s reputation. This was not lost on Lakers legend and former team president Magic Johnson.

The Hall of Fame great took to Twitter to express his major disappointment with the team, responding as a fan after the team’s blowout loss to the Denver Nuggets on Sunday. He chastised the Lakers, writing “we deserve more than a lack of effort and no sense of urgency.”

Although James didn’t speak to reporters after the game, the New York Post reported that Westbrook did.

“Magic’s entitled to his opinion. And he’s not here every day. He’s not around us every day. He’s not aware of what’s going on internally with us and trying to figure things out. But I have no response to that.”

That loss extended the Lakers’ losing streak to three games and placed the team’s won-lost record at a dismal (for them) 21-22. The Lakers’ playoff contention is als in doubt. They sit as the seventh seed in the Western Conference standings.

James, apparently reacting to Johnson’s tweet, took to Twitter to issue encouragement to the fans.

After sending that tweet, the Lakers ended their losing streak Monday, defeating the Utah Jazz 101-95 and evening their won-loss record. According to Clutchpoints, James was asked if he had a response to Johnson’s Twitter message the other day. He simply said, “Nah.”


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