The Los Angeles Lakers seem to be bringing back as many of the legends of yesteryear as they can as they shore up their efforts to revamp the franchise. Magic Johnson is leading the way, with Kobe Bryant helping the front office evaluate talent they currently have, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar interested in an unspecified role that includes mentoring Ivica Zubac.
One Hall of Famer clearly won’t be coming back, though. Golden State Warriors executive board member Jerry West has all but closed the door on returning to the Lakers. With the hiring of Johnson as president of basketball operations and Rob Pelinka as general manager, West returning “does not seem to be a possibility,” reports Tim Kawakami of The Mercury News.