Never tweet? Magic Johnson might want to consider that. At least while he holds an administrative title with a professional sports team.
On Saturday, the Los Angeles Lakers eliminated Johnson’s title of Honorary Vice President and removed their former superstar from the organization’s staff directory. The decision was made in light of tweets Johnson posted to Twitter that may have represented a personal opinion, rather than an official position or general thinking in the front office.
Lakers remove Hall of Famer and Lakers legend Magic Johnson from staff listings. pic.twitter.com/tmP6Iw9q5D
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) June 12, 2016
What may have caused any “confusion over Johnson’s involvement with or representation of the team”? Here are a few of the tweets that were likely viewed as problematic (via Deadspin):
Laker Nation: The Lakers should call LeBron James agent. We know he's going stay in CLE but they should go after him just in case he leaves.
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) May 2, 2016
Laker Nation: I would love to see Kevin Durant in the Purple & Gold!
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) May 2, 2016
Kevin Durant scored 37pts against the Warriors tonight! I hope the Lakers' Jim Buss was watching, because that's who we need next season.
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) February 28, 2016
You can see how these tweets — even if they’re Johnson’s personal opinion, rather than an official position from the Lakers — could present a major problem.
At the very least, stumping for the team and its ownership to pursue Kevin Durant (or LeBron James) before he officially enters free agency opens the Lakers up to potential tampering charges, attempting to gain an advantage over other suitors before they have a fair chance to make contract offers to the star forward.
Johnson’s vice president title was entirely ceremonial, so shouldn’t be seen as any sort of official message on behalf of the team. But as long as he’s listed in the staff directory and thus viewed as a team employee, his opinions could easily be seen otherwise and create issues between the Lakers, other NBA teams and the commissioner’s office. The Lakers have now addressed that potential issue and an awkward situation by stripping Johnson’s front-office title and removing him from the team directory.
Now, Magic can just be a fan of the team he led as a legendary point guard (and later, a power forward) for 13 seasons, propelling the Lakers to five NBA championships while winning three MVP awards (and NBA Finals MVP honors three times). Johnson also coached the Lakers during the 1993-94 season, compiling a 5-11 record as interim head coach.
