Magic Johnson on Making Lakers Great Again

>> THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, SIR.
THAT MAGIC MAN, I LIKE THAT.
>> Jimmy: THAT'S RIGHT.
>> YOU KNOW I KNOW THAT SONG.
>> Jimmy: YOU THINK MAYBE THE
TINY SHORTS WERE THE SECRET?
MAYBE THAT'S WHAT HAS HAPPENED
TO THE LAKERS?
>> OF COURSE, OF COURSE.
NOW THE SHORTS ARE TOO LONG, ALL
THE WAY TO THE KNEE.
WE HAD HOT PANTS ON, THEY WAS
HOT.
>> Jimmy: YOU DID.
COULD YOU AS PRESIDENT OF
BASKETBALL OPERATIONS FORCE THE
TEAM TO WEAR LITTLE TINY SHORTS
THIS SEASON?
>> IF THAT'S GOING TO HELP US
WIN, IT WILL HAPPEN.
>> Jimmy: YES.
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]
FIRST OF ALL, CONGRATULATIONS ON
THE NEW JOB.
>> THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
>> Jimmy: NOT THAT YOU NEEDED
ANOTHER JOB.
YOU NOW HAVE ANOTHER JOB.
>> EXACTLY.
>> Jimmy: PRESIDENT OF
BASKETBALL OPERATIONS, IS THAT
AHEAD OF THE GENERAL MANAGER, IS
IT EQUAL, A TOTALLY DIFFERENT
THING?
HOW DOES IT WORK?
>> JIMMY, IT'S A LITTLE BIT
ABOVE.
>> Jimmy: A LITTLE BIT ABOVE
GENERAL MANAGER.
>> EXACTLY.
ROB PLINKO IS OUR GENERAL
MANAGER.
HE'S DOING A FANTASTIC JOB.
>> Jimmy: IF HE DOESN'T YOU FIRE
HIM.
>> FIRE HIM, LUKE WALTON,
EVERYBODY GOT TO GO.
[ LAUGHTER ]
BUT NO, WE'RE HAPPY.
>> Jimmy: WHEN YOU HAVE TO FIRE
SOMEBODY, DOES IT EAT YOU UP
INSIDE?
IS IT SOMETHING THAT YOU THINK
ABOUT FOR DAYS LEADING UP TO IT?
>> NO.
>> Jimmy: IT DOESN'T?
NOT AT ALL?
>> FIRED, GET OUT, THAT'S IT.
NO, I THINK THAT YOU HAVE TO
MAKE DECISIONS.
IT'S TOUGH.
AND I'M A GUY WHO IS A -- JUST
LIKE I PLAY BASKETBALL AS A
POINT GUARD, I DO THE SAME THING
LEADING MY COMPANY.
I LIKE TO WORK AROUND GREAT
PEOPLE, EMPOWERING THOSE PEOPLE.
BUT LOOK, I'M A WORKER SO I WANT
TO WORK WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE
WORKERS TOO.
WHO ARE SMART, SMARTER THAN
MYSELF.
BUT YOU'VE GOT A JOB TO DO.
IF YOU DON'T DO THAT JOB, THEN
YOU'VE GOT TO GO.
IT'S REALLY THAT SIMPLE.
IT'S UP TO YOU.
IF YOU DO YOUR JOB, YOU WORK
WELL WITH ME.
>> Jimmy: THE OWNER OF THE TEAM,
JEANIE BUSS, WHO HIRED YOU FOR
THIS JOB, SHE FIRED HER BROTHER
TO BRING YOU IN.
WHICH IS -- SHE'S A COLD-BLOODED
KILLER.
[ LAUGHTER ]
THAT'S PRETTY --
>> SOMETIMES YOU GOT TO FIRE
FAMILY MEMBERS.
>> Jimmy: YEAH.
SOMETIMES YOU DO.
>> YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THIS THE
LAKERS MEAN A LOT -- THEY'RE THE
MOST POWERFUL TEAM IN THE NBA.
WE HAVE MORE FANS AROUND THE
WORLD THAN ANY OTHER TEAM.
WE'RE TIED WITH THE CELTICS FOR
THE MOST CHAMPIONSHIPS.
AND THAT PLATFORM FOR ANY PLAYER
IS AMAZING AND BIG PLATFORM.
WE'RE GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL
AGAIN, WE'RE GOING TO WIN
AGAIN --
>> Jimmy: YOU WILL MAKE THE
LAKERS GREAT AGAIN.
>> THANK YOU, I'M GOING TO DO
THAT.
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]
>> Jimmy: BUT THERE'S ONLY SO
MUCH YOU CAN DO.
AS PRESIDENT OF BASKETBALL
OPERATIONS.
>> OF COURSE.
>> Jimmy: YOU CAN'T GO OUT THERE
AND PLAY.
I'M SURE YOU WILL FEEL LIKE THAT
AT SOME POINT, YOU'LL WANT TO DO
THAT.
WHO ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
PAUL GEORGE?
IS IT CHRIS PAUL YOU'RE LOOKING
AT?
MAYBE TEEN WOLF?
YOU REMEMBER HIM?
[ LAUGHTER ]
HE WAS REALLY GOOD.
>> I WISH I COULD TALK ABOUT ALL
THOSE GUYS.
>> Jimmy: YOU'D BE CONTRACT
TAMPERING NOW.
>> EXACTLY, EXACTLY.
>> Jimmy: WHEN YOU STARTED THIS
JOB DID THEY SIT YOU DOWN, OKAY,
HERE ARE SOME THINGS YOU HAVE TO
KNOW, YOU CAN'T DO AN INTERVIEW
AND SAY YOU WANT THIS SPECIFIC
PLAYER.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
>> Jimmy: DID YOU HAVE TO LEARN
A LOT?
>> HAD TO GO TO SCHOOL, HAD TO
GO TO CBA SCHOOL, SALARY CAP
SCHOOL, AND TAMPERING SCHOOL.
FOR REAL.
YEAH, YOU CAN'T TAMPER WITH
SOMEBODY ELSE'S PLAYER.
YOU CAN'T -- I HAD TO LEARN THE
NEW CBA THAT WE HAVE.
>> Jimmy: WHAT CONSTITUTES
TAMPERING?
LIKE IF YOU'RE ON VACATION AND
YOU RUN INTO PAUL GEORGE, ARE
YOU NOT ALLOWED TO SPEAK TO HIM?
>> NO, WE GOING TO SAY HI
BECAUSE WE KNOW EACH OTHER.
YOU JUST CAN'T SAY, I WANT YOU
TO COME TO THE LAKERS.
EVEN THOUGH I'M GOING TO BE
WINKING.
YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS, RIGHT?
[ LAUGHTER ]
[ APPLAUSE ]
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]
>> Jimmy: WHEN YOU GOT THIS JOB
WHO CALLED YOU?
DID YOU GET A LOT OF PEOPLE
CALLING YOU?
>> PRESIDENT CLINTON?
OH, WOW.
>> PAT RILEY.
I MEAN, DENZEL.
EVERYBODY.
>> Jimmy: WHICH DENZEL?
>> DENZEL WASHINGTON.
[ LAUGHTER ]
THAT WAS GOOD.
YOU ARE SO GOOD!
[ LAUGHTER ]
EVERYBODY CALLED.
I MEAN, THEY ARE SO EXCITED.
AND ALSO COACHES AND GENERAL
MANAGERS OF OTHER TEAMS CALLED.
>> Jimmy: OH, REALLY?
>> PHIL JACKSON.
IT WAS AMAZING THE RESPONSE.
>> Jimmy: DID YOU SPEAK TO LARRY
BIRD?
>> LARRY BIRD.
>> Jimmy: AH, NOW YOU GUYS ARE
RIVALS ONCE AGAIN.
>> THAT'S RIGHT, THAT'S RIGHT.
>> Jimmy: WOULDN'T IT BE THE
GREATEST TO GO AGAINST HIM IN
THE NBA FINALS?
>> I WANT TO BEAT AND KILL LARRY
EVERY TIME I SEE HIM.
[ LAUGHTER ]
THAT WON'T STOP FOR ME.
YOU KNOW, IF HE PUT ON THEM
GREEN LITTLE TIGHT SHORTS THEY
USED TO WEAR, I'D WANT TO KILL
HIM AND BEAT HIM THEN TOO.
WE ALWAYS ARE GOING TO BE
COMPETITIVE AGAINST ONE ANOTHER.
>> Jimmy: YEAH.
>> HE WANTS TO WIN THE
CHAMPIONSHIP WITH HIS PACERS, I
WANT TO DO THE SAME THING.
>> Jimmy: WEST WITH THAT SAID
WOULD YOU GIVE HIM ADVICE IF YOU
ASKED HIM FOR ADVICE?
>> OF COURSE, OF COURSE, OF
COURSE.
LARRY IS GOOD.
BUT HE WON'T GIVE ME TOO MUCH.
YOU KNOW, HE WANT TO KEEP ME
DOWN, SO TO SPEAK.
>> Jimmy: YEAH, RIGHT.
>> HE'LL GIVE ME JUST ENOUGH SO
I WON'T BEAT HIS PACERS.
PROBABLY OR HIS CELTICS.
BUT DANNY AINGE AND LARRY BIRD,
I HAD SO MANY FORMER PLAYERS, AS
WELL AS ALL THE PLAYERS -- KOBE
BRYANT WAS A GREAT CONVERSATION
WITH HIM.
SO I'M JUST HAPPY AND BLESSED.
>> Jimmy: HAVE ANY FORMER
TEAMMATES CALLED AND SAID, I
NEED A JOB, I WANT A JOB, WILL
YOU HIRE ME?
>> JIMMY, LET ME TELL YOU.
NOT JUST MY FORMER TEAMMATES.
EVERYBODY AROUND THE LEAGUE.
>> Jimmy: OH, REALLY, YEAH.
THAT'S GOT TO BE A TOUGH
SITUATION.
>> FORMER PLAYERS -- IT IS
TOUGH.
BECAUSE YOU WANT TO BUILD YOUR
STAFF THE RIGHT WAY.
AND SO ROB AND I SIT DOWN, YOU
KNOW.
WE'LL LOOK AT --
>> Jimmy: YOU BLAME IT ON ROB?
>> OH, YEAH.
>> Jimmy: RIGHT.
>> I CAN'T HIRE YOU BECAUSE ROB
WON'T ALLOW ME.
[ LAUGHTER ]
I TOLD HIM WHEN HE FIRST GOT THE
JOB, YOU'RE GOING TO BE THE --
I'M ALWAYS GOING TO BE SMILING.
YOU'LL BE THE BAD GUY.
>> Jimmy: POOR ROB, HE CAN'T
WIN.
EXACTLY.
>> Jimmy: SO THE LAKERS, AT THE
END OF THE SEASON, A CRAZY THING
HAPPENED.
ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY START
WINNING ALL THESE GAMES.
WHICH HURT THEIR CHANCES OF
GETTING THE NUMBER ONE PICK.
WERE YOU WATCHING THIS AND
GOING, HEY, GUYS, SLOW DOWN,
RELAX HERE, THIS IS NOT WHAT WE
WANT?
>> I WAS SAYING, OH, IT'S GOOD.
BUT DAMN, WE'RE WINNING.
NO, I WANTED US TO TASTE
WINNING.
WE'VE BEEN LOSING FOR FOUR
YEARS.
>> Jimmy: RIGHT.
>> AND I WANTED THE GUYS TO
EXPERIENCE WHAT IT FELT LIKE TO
WIN.
BECAUSE IF YOU NEVER GET THAT
FEELING, JIM -- SORRY, JIMMY --
YOU NEVER KNOW HOW IT FEELS.
>> I KNOW.
I KNOW THAT VERY WELL.
[ LAUGHTER ]
>> WE'RE GOING TO CARRY THAT
INTO NEXT SEASON.
>> Jimmy: I SEE, OKAY, ALL
RIGHT.
>> SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR
OUR YOUNG -- WE GOT A YOUNG
TEAM.
>> Jimmy: YEAH.
>> AND SO THEY WERE FEELING
REALLY GOOD ABOUT WINNING.
AND WE WERE HAPPY THAT THEY WERE
FEELING GOOD ABOUT WINNING.
NOW WE GOT TO WORK HARD IN THE
SUMMER, GET OUR BODY FAT DOWN,
GET IN THE BEST SHAPE, AND COME
BACK AND REALLY WIN HOPEFULLY
MORE CONSISTENT DURING THE
SEASON.
>> Jimmy: WILL YOU ALSO GET YOUR
BODY FAT DOWN FOR THE TEAM?
>> OH YEAH.
>> Jimmy: YOU WILL?
>> OH YEAH.
I CAN'T TELL THEM TO BE IN SHAPE
AND I DON'T BE IN SHAPE MYSELF.
>> Jimmy: THAT'S RIGHT.
>> I'M DOING PRETTY GOOD.
>> Jimmy: YOU ARE, YOU'RE VERY
GOOD.
VERY HANDSOM

Magic Johnson on Making Lakers Great Again

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