In 1981, NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson shook up the basketball world when he requested a trade out of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Why Magic Johnson Wanted Out
Johnson suffered an injury in the 1980-81 season. The torn cartilage in his left knee limited him to only 37 games. He returned for the 1981 NBA Playoffs but struggled on the court, resulting to a loss against the Rockets.
During the offseason, Johnson signed a ‘lifetime’ contract with the Lakers. The 25-year deal at $25 million had been shaken by his frustrations in the 1981-82 season. Then head coach Paul Westhead refused to do the fast-paced offense Johnson suggested. Westhead wanted to keep the offense through Johnson’s teammate, Abdul-Jabbar.
In November 1981, Johnson went public on his desire to get traded out of the Lakers. His words:
“I can’t play here anymore. I want to leave. I want to be traded. I can’t deal with it no more. I’ve got to go in and ask [Buss] to trade me.” (via The New York Times)
The Lakers had an immediate solution to the problem. In less than 24 hours, they replaced Paul Westhead as head coach with Pat Riley. It was a difficult decision for the team, but it may have been the best decision as well.
The team won 50 of its final 71 regular season games. Later on, they dominated the 1982 NBA Playoffs by winning 12 out of 14 postseason games. It was also the year Johnson won another NBA Finals MVP trophy.
Johnson stayed committed to the Los Angeles Lakers and had the most successful runs in the history of the NBA under Pat Riley's system.
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