As NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum announced that the Phoenix Suns would have the fourth pick in the 2017 NBA Draft – meaning the Los Angeles Lakers would again defy the odds and keep their top-three protected draft pick for a third straight season – ESPN’s television cameras immediately cut to Magic Johnson sitting on the dais. Johnson, understandably, was in a good mood. He flashed his trademark smile, pumped his fist, and even did a little shimmy in his seat.
He looked like a man who knew he still owns the NBA, even after all these years.