Latest news with #MagicJohnson
Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Stephen A. Smith Lists Top 5 NBA Point Guards Of All-Time In Front Of Magic Johnson
Stephen A. Smith Lists Top 5 NBA Point Guards Of All-Time In Front Of Magic Johnson originally appeared on Fadeaway World. The role of the point guard is one of the most critical ones on the basketball court. While giving the masters of this craft their dues on "First Take", ESPN's Stephen A. Smith shared his list of the top 5 point guards of all-time, while facing NBA legend Magic Johnson. Advertisement Smith started his list with Chris Paul at No. 5. He said: "Led the league in assists on several occasions. He is one of the all-time great facilitators. Controls paces, controls tempo. A leader. Knows everybody's job, everybody's accountability." Smith justified that this was a tough decision to make, since he had to decide between Paul and Gary Payton for the fifth spot. But the analyst eventually justified it using Paul's offensive impact as a reason. At No. 4, Smith selected Jason Kidd and said: "Did you see this, brother? Without a jump shot, and you still couldn't stop him. You talk about a fast break? Lord, have mercy. Watch this brother push the ball up the court. You see the passes that he made. Richard Jefferson was relevant because of Jason Kidd... Jay Kidd was something special to behold, and by the way, a champion, even as he got older." Advertisement As enamored as Smith was by Kidd, he didn't place him in his top 3. Instead, he picked Isiah Thomas at third and justified: "Michael Jordan got him as No. 2, I got him as No. 3, but damn it, the greatest little guard in the history of basketball... A two-time champion, a national champion. The brother is something special. He was Kyrie before Kyrie. And the Bad Boy Pistons, even with all those rough riders, those leaders, he was clearly the unquestionable leader." Following up with Thomas at three, Smith selected Stephen Curry as No. 2 on his list. He added: "The greatest shooter God has ever seen. But, Magic pointed it out on "Get Up" earlier this morning - the ball handling, the passing skills. This brother sets it up. And here's the thing, impact is what it comes down to." Advertisement "This brother's movement without the ball, keeping everybody's head on a swivel, scaring the living hell out of you because he can shoot, but with the ball handling capabilities, and he's a four-time champion... When we think of him, we think of divine intervention, because his gifts are God-given. It works on it even more. Give him credit. He's that dude." For all the positive comments, Curry still couldn't crack the top spot. Smith especially reserved that for the legend in front of him, selecting Magic Johnson as No. 1 on his list. "When you're talking about point guards," he said, quoting Eddie Johnson in the process. "You're talking about facilitators. You're talking about guys that set others up. You're talking about guys that make the other people around them so much better than what they really are. Who did that better than the magic man?" Smith ranted about the Showtime Lakers and the impact they had on the NBA landscape, running most NBA teams into the ground with their dazzling and dominant displays led by Johnson. Johnson couldn't hold back his laughter while watching Smith's animated antics. But by the end of the analyst's segment, the Lakers legend shared his reaction to the list. He said: Advertisement "It's a great list, no question about it. You don't have to change a thing. It's just two guys when I look at - My boy from Utah, John Stockton, he's right there. And Steve Nash... I'm not saying change. I'm just saying, add those two guys." Magic Johnson was by far one of the most iconic players the league has ever seen, particularly in the point guard position. At 6'9", he broke the mould for the position, ushering in the era of positionless basketball. With a career average of 19.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 11.2 assists per game, Johnson was a master of his craft. With his talent and skill yielding success for him as a player, he amassed several achievements, including five NBA titles, three Finals MVP awards, three MVP awards, 12x All-Star selections, and 10x All-NBA selections, while also being named to the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team. This list also features two active players in Paul and Curry. While both remain relevant even at this stage in their careers, it is evident why Curry is listed higher. Advertisement Heading into next season, Paul is expected to test free agency, making a move out of San Antonio to hopefully join a contender in LA. Meanwhile, Curry remains a central figure with the Warriors, who aim to make adjustments to make another title charge next season. Related: Stephen Curry Reveals He Suffers From "Impostor Syndrome" This story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on Jun 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
CNN
2 hours ago
- Business
- CNN
Trendlines: The Lakers aren't alone. The value of sports franchises has skyrocketed
Welcome to Trendlines, your weekly installment of what's trending up and what's trending down in the world of sports. This week we're talking about money, money, money. It turns out that it's not just ABBA or the O'Jays who enjoy it. I mean look at the Los Angeles Lakers. The Buss family has decided to sell the team that Jerry Buss bought back in 1979 from Jack Kent Cooke. You might have seen the price tag that the Lakers are set to be sold for and went, 'Man, that is a lot of green.' But just how good was Buss' investment back in the days before Magic Johnson? Let's dive right into this question with a big upswing. The Buss family was able to sell the team for a franchise valuation of $10 billion this go around. That's way more than the previous media valuations had put the team at. Moreover, it's way more than the team was purchased for in 1979. Buss bought the team for less than $100 million in 1979. To put that in percentage terms, we're talking about an increase of over 10,000% The percentage increase falls to about a 'meager' 4,000% taking into account inflation. I wish my investments had such meager returns. It probably helps that the Lakers were absolutely dynamite during the Busses' ownership. They were previously a team that had generally struggled to win the big one while in Los Angeles. The team has won 11 NBA titles since 1979. No other team won more than six during that time frame. I think we should be very clear that what is happening with the Lakers is not occurring in a vacuum. The average NBA is worth nearly $5 billion now. The average team was worth a little bit more than $100 million in 1995. Now, one way to look at that is the Lakers are worth a lot more than the average. That's true. That's what you get for being such a good team in the second most populated city in the country. The other way to look at it (and in my opinion, the correct way) is that the same phenomenon that made the Busses wealthy beyond anyone's wildest dreams is occurring league-wide. Most would attribute that to the massive media deals that the NBA and other leagues have been able to sign the last few decades. Indeed, there has been no league better at signing media deals than the NFL. Companies will pay hundreds of millions to broadcast just a few games. It helps that the NFL has long pooled its media rights when negotiating with television and now streaming companies. Even so, the scale of the increase is nuts. NFL teams were worth less than $200 million on average in 1995. Now, we're talking well more than $6 billion for the average team! This is an increase of about 4,000% in just 30 years. I'd point out too that this is an average. I have little doubt that a team like the Dallas Cowboys would fetch far more than $10 billion if Jerry Jones decided to put the team on the market.
CNN
3 hours ago
- Business
- CNN
Trendlines: The Lakers aren't alone. The value of sports franchises has skyrocketed
Welcome to Trendlines, your weekly installment of what's trending up and what's trending down in the world of sports. This week we're talking about money, money, money. It turns out that it's not just ABBA or the O'Jays who enjoy it. I mean look at the Los Angeles Lakers. The Buss family has decided to sell the team that Jerry Buss bought back in 1979 from Jack Kent Cooke. You might have seen the price tag that the Lakers are set to be sold for and went, 'Man, that is a lot of green.' But just how good was Buss' investment back in the days before Magic Johnson? Let's dive right into this question with a big upswing. The Buss family was able to sell the team for a franchise valuation of $10 billion this go around. That's way more than the previous media valuations had put the team at. Moreover, it's way more than the team was purchased for in 1979. Buss bought the team for less than $100 million in 1979. To put that in percentage terms, we're talking about an increase of over 10,000% The percentage increase falls to about a 'meager' 4,000% taking into account inflation. I wish my investments had such meager returns. It probably helps that the Lakers were absolutely dynamite during the Busses' ownership. They were previously a team that had generally struggled to win the big one while in Los Angeles. The team has won 11 NBA titles since 1979. No other team won more than six during that time frame. I think we should be very clear that what is happening with the Lakers is not occurring in a vacuum. The average NBA is worth nearly $5 billion now. The average team was worth a little bit more than $100 million in 1995. Now, one way to look at that is the Lakers are worth a lot more than the average. That's true. That's what you get for being such a good team in the second most populated city in the country. The other way to look at it (and in my opinion, the correct way) is that the same phenomenon that made the Busses wealthy beyond anyone's wildest dreams is occurring league-wide. Most would attribute that to the massive media deals that the NBA and other leagues have been able to sign the last few decades. Indeed, there has been no league better at signing media deals than the NFL. Companies will pay hundreds of millions to broadcast just a few games. It helps that the NFL has long pooled its media rights when negotiating with television and now streaming companies. Even so, the scale of the increase is nuts. NFL teams were worth less than $200 million on average in 1995. Now, we're talking well more than $6 billion for the average team! This is an increase of about 4,000% in just 30 years. I'd point out too that this is an average. I have little doubt that a team like the Dallas Cowboys would fetch far more than $10 billion if Jerry Jones decided to put the team on the market.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Lakers' Magic Johnson gives strong Mark Walter endorsement after shocking sale
The post Lakers' Magic Johnson gives strong Mark Walter endorsement after shocking sale appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Los Angeles Lakers have once again captured the spotlight, as franchise legend and five-time NBA champion guard Magic Johnson delivered a passionate endorsement of the team's new majority owner, Mark Walter, following the stunning $10 billion sale by the Buss family. With the storied franchise entering a new era of leadership, fans are buzzing with anticipation about what the future holds. Advertisement Right from the jump, Johnson made it clear this ownership transition is the right move. Following the most expensive sale in sports history, the Hall of Famer took to X (formerly Twitter) to reassure Lakers faithful that the franchise is in strong hands, emphasizing that excellence, ambition, and a championship mindset will remain at the core of the organization. 'Laker fans should be estatic. A few things I can tell you about Mark – he is driven by winning, excellence, and doing everything the right way. AND he will put in the resources needed to win! I can understand why Jeanie sold the team to Mark Walter because they are just alike – they are competitive people, l have big hearts, love to give back, and both prefer to be behind the scenes. This makes all the sense in the world. I am so so SO happy and excited for @Lakers fans all over the world!!' Johnson's emphatic endorsement underscores his belief that the Lakers' ownership shift will preserve the franchise's championship identity. By spotlighting Walter, the Dodgers' controlling owner, as a trusted and proven leader now guiding two of Los Angeles' premier teams, Johnson cemented the veteran executive's credibility in the city's sports landscape. The three-time NBA MVP added that Walter's involvement will bring not only financial muscle but also a championship mindset—exactly what distinguished the Lakers during its golden eras in the 1980s. As a player that was known for his on‑court flair and leadership, Johnson's approval carries weight among die-hard Lakers supporters. Advertisement Details of the blockbuster purchase reveal a seamless transition, with longtime governor Jeanie Buss remaining in her role as Walter and his group, TWG Global, assume majority control. As the Lakers evolve under this historic deal, fans can be confident that the acquisition of the team by Walter represents far more than just a business move—it's a commitment to championship culture, community-driven values, and sustained on-court excellence. With Johnson's powerful endorsement, Los Angeles can look ahead to a promising and energized new chapter. Related: Sorry Lakers, Dave Roberts is keeping Shohei Ohtani in Dodgers blue Related: Why Jeanie Buss selling Lakers is different than Mark Cuban's Mavericks sale
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Magic Johnson congratulates Jeanie Buss on $10 billion sale
The post Magic Johnson congratulates Jeanie Buss on $10 billion sale appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Los Angeles Lakers created ripple effects across the NBA and sports world Wednesday. The Lakers got sold for $10 billion. Jeanie Buss helped make the sale happen — which led to a response from Magic Johnson. Advertisement The five-time NBA Finals champion reacted to the blockbuster move. Johnson offered his congrats via X (formerly Twitter) despite fans becoming stunned the Lakers belong to a new owner. 'I just talked to my sister Jeanie Buss to tell her congratulations, and that I'm so happy for her and family,' Johnson said. He added how Buss's late father, Jerry, would've reacted proudly. 'I told her that her dad Dr. Buss would be very proud of her for getting $10B for the Lakers, the largest sports franchise sale in history!' Johnson said. Who takes over the Lakers now following Jeanie Buss move? Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania confirmed the historic move. Plus who now gets the franchise. Advertisement 'BREAKING: The Buss family is entering an agreement to sell majority ownership of the Los Angeles Lakers to Mark Walter, the CEO and chairman of diversified holding company TWG Global, sources tell ESPN,' Charania posted on X. Does this mean Buss is going away from the Lakers? Charania included what's next for her. 'Jeanie Buss will continue to serve in her role as Governor after the sale,' Charania said. Walter is a fixture already in the City of Angels. He became a part of the Lakers' stake in 2021 as a minority stakeholder. He's shared ownership interest in other L.A. sports teams — a la the Dodgers and the WNBA's Sparks. Walter is controlling owner of the defending World Series champion Dodgers. Johnson endorsed Walter as the next Lakers owner. Advertisement Jeanie Buss first took over the team in 2013 following her father's passing. Dr. Buss rose as the architect behind the 'Showtime Lakers' dynasty of the 1980s that featured Johnson. Walter can now build a new era of Lakers basketball. Related: 10 things you need to know about Lakers' new majority owner Mark Walter Related: Sorry Lakers, Dave Roberts is keeping Shohei Ohtani in Dodgers blue
