As part of their efforts to restore the franchise to its previous heights, Los Angeles Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson and general manager Rob Pelinka arranged for high-profile visits, dubbed “Genius Talks,” throughout the season.
Film studio executive Jeffrey Katzenberg, rapper Kendrick Lamar, SpaceX founder Elon Musk and Olympian Allyson Felix were among those to address the Lakers at their UCLA Health Training Center. So too was actor Dwayne Johnson, also known by many as ‘The Rock’ from his wrestling days.
While Johnson is now a Hollywood titan, his life was hardly always glamorous. It was that message Johnson aimed to deliver to a young Lakers roster that’s working to establish themselves and continue improving.