EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Jeanie Buss listened to the press conference in which Magic Johnson abruptly resigned as President of Basketball Operations on April 9 and felt like she was in a time machine.
The words, the substance, even the blindside felt just like 1981 when Johnson told her father, the late Dr. Jerry Buss, that he just didn't feel like he could be Magic Johnson playing in Paul Westhead's system. Dr. Buss told Johnson he'd make a change, but asked for a little bit of time.
Instead, Magic unloaded all his grievances publicly after the next game, catching the Lakers off guard and unprepared.