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Lakers Nation > Blog > Lakers News > Lakers News: Jeanie Buss Praises Magic Johnson, Rob Pelinka For Exceeding Her ‘Expectations’
Lakers News

Lakers News: Jeanie Buss Praises Magic Johnson, Rob Pelinka For Exceeding Her ‘Expectations’

Matthew Moreno
Published: 08/16/2018
2 Min Read
Jeanie Buss, Magic Johnson, Lakers
Andrew D. Bernstein-NBAE
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With the Los Angeles Lakers in the midst of another disappointing season, controlling owner made the swift and stunning decision to remove her brother, Jim, and general manager Mitch Kuphcak from the team’s front office.

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Jeanie elevated Magic Johnson from an advisory role to Lakers president of basketball operations. Rob Pelinka was hired as general manager shortly after.

Working cohesively with Buss, Johnson and Pelinka have overhauled the Lakers and put them back on a trajectory toward restoring the franchise to its former glory.

During her interview on the “The Rich Eisen Show,” Buss praised Johnson and Pelinka for accomplishing more than she expected thus far:

“I have complete faith in Magic Johnson in terms of his ability to be a leader, to know how to put together a winner. And I have patience. I think what he’s done has exceeded my expectations. How quickly they’ve kind of turned around the roster. I think Rob Pelinka has done a great job handling the salary cap. It’s really important. … Together, they knew what they wanted.”

In their time leading the Lakers front office, Johnson and Pelinka created salary cap flexibility that put them in position to sign LeBron James and potentially another max-level free agent this summer.

Additionally, the deadline-day trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers this past season netted the Lakers a first-round pick in the 2018 NBA Draft that the team otherwise would not have had because of deals consummated under the previous regime.

While the Lakers are again headed in an upward trajectory, they ultimately will be judged by championships — or lack thereof. But if one thing is clear, Buss is unified with Johnson, Pelinka and head coach Luke Walton in the steps the franchise is taking.

Are you following us on Instagram? We’ve changed our handle to @LakersNationOfficial! Find us on Facebook at @LakersNation, and on Twitter @LakersNation.

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TAGGED:Jeanie BussLos Angeles LakersMagic Johnson
ByMatthew Moreno
Matthew Moreno is a journalist from Whittier, Calif., who is a credentialed reporter and is currently the Managing Editor of DodgerBlue.com and LakersNation.com. In addition to covering Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angels Lakers games, Matthew has a strong passion for keeping up to date with the sneakerhead culture. It began with Michael Jordan and Air Jordan shoes, and has carried over to Kobe Bryant's signature line with Nike. Matthew previously was the lead editor and digital strategist at Dodgers Nation, and the co-editor and lead writer at Reign of Troy, where he covered USC Trojans Football. Matthew graduated from California State Long Beach University with a major in journalism and minor in communications. Contact: matt@mediumlargela.com
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