During the 2010s, LeBron James was at his absolute best, reaching the NBA Finals eight straight times with the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers . Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers were experiencing a decline, which became more pronounced after Dr. Jerry Buss passed away in 2013 and Kobe Bryant retired in 2016.
It was one of the worst stretches for the Purple and Gold franchise since the Minneapolis days, and Magic Johnson was brought in to assemble a championship-caliber team to help navigate the post-Kobe era.
Magic didn't take long to reach LBJ, at that point, had practically achieved everything in his career – multiple MVPs, NBA championships, Olympic gold medals, while also leading the Cavaliers to their first title in franchise history. Nothing more was left for Bron to prove on the court except to enjoy his career and chase some individual records.
Still, the five-time NBA champion knew which card to play when pitching the idea to LeBron and Rich Paul about coming to California.
"I knew what he wanted, I knew he wanted to win, No. 1 but No. 2, I knew Los Angeles he could live, and live free and drive around and live a life he wanted to live that he couldn't live in Cleveland or Miami because everyone's on top of him," Johnson said on "All The Smoke" podcast.
"And I think because we have so many celebrities here, he could fit right in. So, I told him I'm going to build a team that's gonna win a championship, no question about it," Magic added . "But also that he's going to build a billion-dollar business here off the court because we love our celebrities out here, and he bought into it."
It was a tempting but risky move for James, who'd already been burned in Cleveland after leaving the Cavaliers the first time to take his talents to Miami. Still, this time the situation was different as the city got redemption with a Larry O'Brien trophy, making up for all those years of heartbreak.
Still, leaving behind comfort and security for a city where only success is recognized carries pressure. While it's great to be a Laker, the day-to-day expectations we still see with LeBron today were probably unnecessary at that stage of his life.
Magic, who has always had a huge influence on LeBron, presented him with an on-and off-court plan that the Ohio native couldn't resist.
"I said, 'These are the moves I'm going to make after I sign you.' At that time, I thought it was going to be Kawhi, 'cause he was the next free agent the next year. Nobody knew Anthony Davis was going to be available next year," Magic concluded.
Related: Byron Scott picks his one and only NBA comparison to Magic Johnson in the modern era
Magic's initial hope of landing Kawhi Leonard didn't materialize. Still, he did bring in Anthony Davis and the rest is history. James and Davis won a title together in their first season as teammates, followed by an NBA Cup a few seasons later, with Bron earning Finals MVP honors both times, forever cementing his legacy in Lakers history.
LBJ also became the first player to win Finals MVPs with three different franchises, the NBA's all-time leading scorer, the league's all-time assists leader and helped Team USA capture another gold medal at the Olympics, earning MVP honors along the way.
When it came to moving to L.A. James' celebrity persona grew and his public image took on new dimensions, only seen with the greatest players ever to wear that franchise's Purple and Gold uniform. It was a win-win situation at that moment and Magic perfectly leveraged his unmatched IQ to present a new challenge to King James.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Feb 6, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
