Four years ago, Magic Johnson called Rob Pelinka a backbiter on national television. Now, he’s publicly praising the Los Angeles Lakers’ vice president of basketball operations and general manager for building an undeniable contender around LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times on Friday, the Hall of Fame point guard expressed great enthusiasm for Pelinka’s performance over the past seven months.
“From the trade deadline to this offseason, we all deserve a standing ovation because the Lakers are dangerous. This is a championship team and they shouldn’t run away from that. They should accept that and keep working hard. I think LeBron sees that, too. One of the things I’m really happy about is that he can see that he has a championship team. When he and Anthony Davis are like, ‘Oh, man. Okay, we can win it all, ‘Watch them.”
During Thursday’s preseason press conference, Pelinka joined Davon Ham in touting the Lakers’ “pre-agency” approach ahead of the 2023 deadline, which included adding D’Angelo Lasse Er, Jared Vanderbilt and Rui Hachimura, and pushing Austin Reeves into bigger games. Role Play The Lakers re-signed all four players to team-friendly deals as they prioritize continuity and youth for the first time in years while improving depth and versatility on the “edge.”
“We didn’t let anyone get away with it,” Magic said. “I think he set the tone by re-signing them first and then making all the incredible acquisitions. So, I’m proud of Rob.”
Days after training camp, the Lakers have the fifth-best odds (+1,200) to win the 2024 NBA championship, according to FanDuel.
“This is going to be one of the most exciting seasons because this is an exciting team,” Magic added. “Look, every one of us can run. They can jump. It’s going to be crazy. People are going to be so excited to watch this team play. I’m just giddy. I can’t wait. So, Rob, thank you, thank you , he deserves to be Executive of the Year. “They’ve ignored him over the years, but they can’t ignore him this time. “
“I feel like we’re the best team … the deepest team in the West, and to me, that makes us the best team in the West.”
Even if the Lakers live up to Magic’s hype, Pelinka may need a miracle to win Executive of the Year. I guess he would have no problem wearing the ring.