Magic Johnson apologized to LeBron James! Eight years ago, LeBron joined the Lakers because of him.

Eight years ago, LeBron signed a four-year, $154 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, who had been out of the playoffs for several seasons. He was surrounded by young talents such as Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram. Only in the following year, the 2019-20 season, did LeBron personally persuade Anthony Davis to join, leading the Lakers to a title.

Soon after, in 2021, the Lakers' management chose to dismantle the championship roster, releasing players like Caruso. In the years that followed, the Lakers experienced playoff exits, had to compete in the play-in tournament just to secure a postseason spot, and advanced no further than the Western Conference Finals.

Over these eight years, LeBron has won only one championship with the Lakers. This pales in comparison to his earlier career in the East, where he made eight straight Finals appearances and secured three titles.

Many fans still cannot understand why LeBron chose the Lakers in the first place. If he had stayed in Cleveland or gone to New York, he would certainly have won more than one championship. The Lakers' incompetent management and constant internal drama have left fans frustrated and exhausted.

Former Lakers president Magic Johnson recently said on a podcast thatbefore he resigned as the Lakers' president in 2019, he regretted not calling LeBron in advance to inform him, and he apologized to LeBron for that.He also revealed that his plan to fire coach Luke Walton was the trigger for his decision to leave.

On the show, Magic said, "I regret not calling LeBron ahead of time to tell him I was stepping down. That has always bothered me. I should have told him first. I should have done that."

"I thought I had the authority to act as I saw fit. I wanted to fire Luke Walton because I knew he wasn't the right fit for the team and couldn't lead the Lakers to success. But the front office wanted to keep him."

"I also didn't want to damage my long-standing good relationship with Jeanie Buss. Rather than hold onto my thoughts and stay in a stalemate, I chose to walk away. I felt that was the best outcome for everyone, and I still don't regret resigning. My only regret is not telling LeBron beforehand."

Magic also mentioned that he felt some people in the management were eyeing his position and wanted to replace him, so he simply said, "Give him my position." This was an indirect reference to then-general manager Rob Pelinka spreading rumors that Magic was not often in the office or committed to his work.

Internal family factions and power struggles within the Lakers' management once hindered Magic's personnel decisions. The front office was concerned about losing control, such as the fear that Tyronn Lue, who had a long-standing friendship with LeBron, would take over the Lakers.

After Magic resigned, Pelinka officially took over as the Lakers' president of basketball operations. The Lakers fired Walton after the season, but the management continued to be in turmoil, and the team's roster gradually disintegrated after winning the championship in the 2020 bubble.

In 2018, it was Magic Johnson who personally visited LeBron's home to persuade him, and LeBron agreed to join the Lakers. At that time, LeBron believed that under Magic's management, the Lakers would certainly achieve great things.

However, before the first season even ended, on April 9, 2019, Magic suddenly announced his resignation, leaving LeBron stunned.

Fortunately, LeBron's eight-year Lakers tenure is finally over. This has likely been the worst management he has experienced in his career. Leaving this troubled situation, LeBron is about to announce his next destination this week. Let's hope the new team's management is far superior to the Lakers'. We'll wait and see.