Legend Magic Johnson blames poor load management for Lakers’ early playoff exit

A lot of questions were made after the Nuggets almost swept the purple and gold for a second consecutive year at the start of the week. This past Monday, the reigning champions beat the Lakers 4-1 in the first round series, and experts and fans can’t help but wonder why they barely improved from last season. 

Once again, players like Jamal Murray were essential to Denver‘s success. Even though some believe that individual plays made the difference, other point fingers at Anthony Davis’ injury in Game 5 as another reason why they weren’t able to beat their bitter opponents.

However, Hall of Famer Magic Johnson believes he knows the primary reason behind the Los Angeles team’s early exit. The NBA legend made his opinion known on X, explaining why poor load management decided the Lakers’ fate.

#MagicJohnson is painting a dire picture for the Los Angeles Lakers!

Read more 👉 https://t.co/RH9FZuhkzF pic.twitter.com/ZkXFdqoM8x

— TMZ (@TMZ) May 1, 2024

“The Lakers have nobody but themselves to blame. They wouldn’t have been in the play-in game or finished as a 7th seed this season if they hadn’t lost too many games because of load management,” wrote the purple and gold icon.

Even though the L.A. team started regular season on the wrong foot, they eventually conquered the first ever In-Season Touranment in December. After this, Magic believes that the team’s biggest stars barely got a day’s rest.

The thing is, we aren’t dealing with any NBA superstars, as LeBron James is the oldest athlete in the league and had been suffering insistent ankle pains for quite some time. While the veteran kept playing and only missed three games since March 1, Davis only missed two of them.

Many experts insisted that the all-time leading NBA scorer had played his last game with the Lakers this Monday, especially as the forward wasn’t able to give a straight answer when asked about it. “I’m not going to answer that,” he said.

“Haven’t given it much thought,” James expressed. “Obviously, at some point I’ll sit down with Rich, my agent, and sit down with my family and see what’s best for my career. We’ll cross that when we need to.”

LeBron James Takes Social Media To Deny Rumors Of Him Already Having Decided His Future

Only minutes after being eliminated by the reigning champions on Monday, LeBron James was already being haunted by the press who suggested he had played his last game with the Lakers. The superstar immediately told the media that he just wanted to spend time with his family and make a decision in the coming months.

However, this didn’t stop the tsunami of rumors surrounding his future, and he decided to put the speculations to rest before the waves got too big. The veteran took his thoughts to social media to set things straight. 

“I’ve seen, heard a lot of reports about my future,” he wrote on X. “I said it last night and I’ll say it again. I do not know yet as I’m only thinking about spending time with my family & friends! When I know after speaking with the fam, my counsel as well as my representation about it then you guys will know

Even though the all-time NBA scorer has expressed many times in the past his desire to play alongside his son Bronny before his retirement, insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported this Tuesday that this isn’t a priority for the superstar anymore.