How dumb is magic johnson?

[STEVEHOLT]

http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/...-rips-jim-buss-says-kobe-bryant-put-foot-down

Guy blames the downfall of the franchise on Jim Buss when the Jeanie is the genius who decided to give Kobe that stupid life time achievement award contract.

Then magic cements his place in the moron hall of fame by saying Kobe should "threaten" to not play next year.

Really? That would be a freaking windfall for the franchise.

1. you dont have to pay him.

2. You dont have to play him.

Please..please..please follow through on this threat.

 

[two3zone]

Some guys earned it. Think the Yankees would pay Jetes the max when he wasn't worth it? Sorry. It's a pr move.

 

[STEVEHOLT]

Some guys earned it. Think the Yankees would pay Jetes the max when he wasn't worth it? Sorry. It's a pr move.

He earned what he made on his previous contracts. You dont have to then pay him more than he is worth. You cannot compare baseball to NBA. There is no salary cap in baseball and carrying one mascot position player doesnt cripple you like it does in basketball

 

[cuseattle]

I think Magic is a genius level b-ball mind and a helluva businessman. As long as he doesn't do another talk show, I'm ok!

 

[Shark58]

I had a business meeting with Magic a few years ago

he gave me a fist bump when I told him "they don't call me Air Rambis for nothing"

 

[two3zone]

He earned what he made on his previous contracts. You dont have to then pay him more than he is worth. You cannot compare baseball to NBA. There is no salary cap in baseball and carrying one mascot position player doesnt cripple you like it does in basketball

The cap issue is legit, but that is Kobe. Possibly or probably a top 10 player of all time. Can't see him in another jersey. I'm not usually like this but the dude is a legend and you have to pony up for them.

 

[Phenomenon]

He earned what he made on his previous contracts. You dont have to then pay him more than he is worth. You cannot compare baseball to NBA. There is no salary cap in baseball and carrying one mascot position player doesnt cripple you like it does in basketball

Fox had just signed the Lakers to a 2 billion dollar extension. I imagine in the contract there was verbage to nullify said contract if the Lakers fielded a team featuring:

Ryan Kelly
Tariq Black
Robert Sacre
Jordan Clarkson
Wayne Ellington
Carlos Boozer
Nick Young
Jeremy Lin

The Lakers weren't winning a championship this year or next anyways. By resigning Kobe, people still showed up to their games (pre-injury), watched them on TV (pre-injury), and they will still get a top-five pick. It was a win-win for the Lakers.

Another interesting development since the injury was the big narrative the stat geeks were pushing regarding Kobe was that the Lakers were a better team without him. As it turns out, they are 1-8 since the season-ending injury

 

[RandygoCuse]

The cap issue is legit, but that is Kobe. Possibly or probably a top 10 player of all time. Can't see him in another jersey. I'm not usually like this but the dude is a legend and you have to pony up for them.

I disagree - I think STEVEHOLT put it best. "He earned what he made on his previous contracts." If I had to choose between losing an all time legend to another team after the player would not be of much value (strictly in terms of helping us win) and overpaying him significantly, I'd let him go. The Lakers don't owe him anything.

 

[realorange]

So how much different is this in the Yankees honoring A-Rod's contract?

 

[STEVEHOLT]

Fox had just signed the Lakers to a 2 billion dollar extension. I imagine in the contract there was verbage to nullify said contract if the Lakers fielded a team featuring:

Ryan Kelly
Tariq Black
Robert Sacre
Jordan Clarkson
Wayne Ellington
Carlos Boozer
Nick Young
Jeremy Lin

The Lakers weren't winning a championship this year or next anyways. By resigning Kobe, people still showed up to their games (pre-injury), watched them on TV (pre-injury), and they will still get a top-five pick. It was a win-win for the Lakers.

Another interesting development since the injury was the big narrative the stat geeks were pushing regarding Kobe was that the Lakers were a better team without him. As it turns out, they are 1-8 since the season-ending injury

Have you been following what sports teams are getting paid for broadcast rights across the major sports? It wouldnt matter if the Laker's fielded a team of Tatu from Fantasy Island, Webster from .well, Webster..gary coleman, and the Lollipop guild...they were going to get paid a mother load of cash because of the city they play in and their history as a top franchise.

 

[CorduroyG]

I think Magic is a genius level b-ball mind and a helluva businessman. As long as he doesn't do another talk show, I'm ok!

Teach-o shoot-o
Teach-o bounce-o
Just-a promise
No more announce-0!

 

[Phenomenon]

Have you been following what sports teams are getting paid for broadcast rights across the major sports? It wouldnt matter if the Laker's fielded a team of Tatu from Fantasy Island, Webster from .well, Webster..gary coleman, and the Lollipop guild...they were going to get paid a mother load of cash because of the city they play in and their history as a top franchise.

#1 Lakers - 122 million/year
#2 Rockets - 45 million/year

http://www.forbes.com/sites/christinasettimi/2014/01/22/the-nbas-richest-local-television-deals/

They earned that deal on the back of Kobe. Nice narrative you had going there though.

 

[STEVEHOLT]

#1 Lakers - 122 million/year
#2 Rockets - 45 million/year

http://www.forbes.com/sites/christinasettimi/2014/01/22/the-nbas-richest-local-television-deals/

They earned that deal on the back of Kobe. Nice narrative you had going there though.

Are you kidding me? Its because they are the LAKERS. They were the lakers before kobe, they will be after Kobe.

 

[Phenomenon]

Are you kidding me? Its because they are the LAKERS. They were the lakers before kobe, they will be after Kobe.

2011 Lakers - 30 million/year
2012 Lakers - 122 million/year


Kobe winning back-to-back championships had nothing to do with that sizeable extension? The Lakers sold high. Whether you want to accept it or not, it was both financially and strategically wise for the Lakers to extend Kobe. From the financial standpoint, it fulfills any guarantees they may have made in the Time Warner contract, increases their chances of renegotiating an even higher deal during the scheduled look-in periods, and places a salable product on the floor which helps in ticket sales.

From a strategical standpoint, the Lakers were not going to be competitive in any circumstance for the following five years regardless. Giving Kobe the excessive contract extension was meant to send a message to the 2014 free agent class that the Lakers organization takes care of their own. There would be no Jordan to the Wizards or Montana to the Chiefs with them. Unfortunately for them, Carmelo and LeBron didn't bite. But it continues a long Lakers tradition of their all-time stars (Kobe, Magic, Kareem, West, Baylor) being able to end their careers in LA.

 

[leftytg]

2011 Lakers - 30 million/year
2012 Lakers - 122 million/year


Kobe winning back-to-back championships had nothing to do with that sizeable extension? The Lakers sold high. Whether you want to accept it or not, it was both financially and strategically wise for the Lakers to extend Kobe. From the financial standpoint, it fulfills any guarantees they may have made in the Time Warner contract, increases their chances of renegotiating an even higher deal during the scheduled look-in periods, and places a salable product on the floor which helps in ticket sales.

From a strategical standpoint, the Lakers were not going to be competitive in any circumstance for the following five years regardless. Giving Kobe the excessive contract extension was meant to send a message to the 2014 free agent class that the Lakers organization takes care of their own. There would be no Jordan to the Wizards or Montana to the Chiefs with them. Unfortunately for them, Carmelo and LeBron didn't bite. But it continues a long Lakers tradition of their all-time stars (Kobe, Magic, Kareem, West, Baylor) being able to end their careers in LA.

The Lakers didn't sell high. You are waaaaayyyyyyy overstating the importance of recent, year to year standings in tv deals. The Lakers are the Lakers and are the number 1 game in town for LA, a massive television market. TV consumption has evolved such that sports are one of the last television programs that people still watch live, and thus, do not fast forward commercials. That is more valuable for advertisers and stations can charge higher prices, accordingly. TV rights have been going through the roof all over the place, and the Lakers (and Dodgers - check to see what their tv rights went for) are a major chip in a major market - of course the rights were going to fetch a huge price, and that is independent of Kobe. The Lakers have always been a highly desired free agent destination, and they will continue to be after Kobe. Because the NBA has a salary cap, other quality of life factors take on greater importance in the free agent game. LA has great weather, great night life, greater brand exposure/marketing opportunities, and is an easier city for a celebrity to live in. All of that is independent of Kobe.

Second, you seem to think that the presence of an aging Kobe is somehow a free agent draw. That is laughable, in that he has had the exact opposite effect. Nobody of consequence wants to play with Kobe. http://espn.go.com/espn/feature/sto...obe-bryant-reason-los-angeles-lakers-downfall

 

[Alsacs]

Magic Johnson on the court top 5 player of alltime
Magic Johnson as a businessman super savvy and smart and successful.
Magic Johnson as a commentator is like Swaggy P all flash and doesn't make any sense.
Dumb comments by Magic as Jeanie isn't innocent.

 

[Phenomenon]

http://espn.go.com/espn/feature/sto...obe-bryant-reason-los-angeles-lakers-downfall

From your article

And there is no more important income than the 20-year, $3 billion Time Warner deal to broadcast Lakers games locally. One well-placed source who has reviewed Lakers team finances says the Lakers' annual income from that deal hinges on ratings, which tend to go up when Bryant is on the court. If the team had jettisoned Bryant and tanked the past season in the name of a high 2014 draft pick, the resulting low ratings would have smacked the business of the Lakers hard.

Game. Blouses.

Second, you seem to think that the presence of an aging Kobe is somehow a free agent draw. That is laughable, in that he has had the exact opposite effect. Nobody of consequence wants to play with Kobe.

The Lakers have attracted exactly 1 all-star free agent in their prime in the last 35 years. Not really the narrative people like to push about LA. They have built through the draft and trades. It's not a new phenomenon that they are having difficulty attracting stars. But Kevin Durant said he would love to play with Kobe. Dragic made similar intonations. As did Paul George. And Carmelo. Smush Parker did not. Ramon Sessions did not. However, in today's age, big free agents in their prime sign on to play with other free agents in their prime. LeBron did it. George did it. It wasn't the presence of Kobe that deterred free agents in this last go round; it was the caliber of the other 12 guys.

 

[Alsacs]

From your article


Game. Blouses.



The Lakers have attracted exactly 1 all-star free agent in their prime in the last 35 years. Not really the narrative people like to push about LA. They have built through the draft and trades. It's not a new phenomenon that they are having difficulty attracting stars. But Kevin Durant said he would love to play with Kobe. Dragic made similar intonations. As did Paul George. And Carmelo. Smush Parker did not. Ramon Sessions did not. However, in today's age, big free agents in their prime sign on to play with other free agents in their prime. LeBron did it. George did it. It wasn't the presence of Kobe that deterred free agents in this last go round; it was the caliber of the other 12 guys.

If Kevin Love leaves Cleveland I would bet money he goes to the Lakers. That FA they lured is Shaq and he led to the 3 titles. West was a great GM Divac for Kobe.
Kupcheck stole Pau Gasol from Memphis but did give up Marc Gasol in that trade.
Bynum for Dwight was a loser for. Everyone but Orlando.

The Steve Nash trade was a horrible and if their pick falls out of the top 5 it goes to Phoenix