Dodgers Rumors: Magic Johnson ‘Absolutely Interested’ In Clippers
Update: Magic Johnson refuted the report via his personal Twitter account:
To NBA Fans, I want to put a stop to a rumor. I am not trying to buy the Clippers, they already have an owner.
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) April 29, 2014
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Backlash regarding the alleged audio recording of Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling’s racist comments has gone beyond the NBA and has permeated throughout the entire sports world. Athletes, entertainers, and even United States President Barack Obama have all voiced their disgust with the Clippers owner and are showing little mercy.
As a minority owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, NBA legend Magic Johnson has been the centerpiece of the scandal in more ways than one. Not only did Sterling’s girlfriend’s picture with Johnson on her Instagram spark the conversation heard in the recording, Johnson has also been among the most vocal to speak out against Sterling.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, Johnson may be adding another layer of involvement to the situation as he and his Guggenheim business partners are reportedly interested in purchasing the Clippers should they be put up for sale:
Magic Johnson and his billionaire backers, the Guggenheim Partners, want a chance to purchase the Los Angeles Clippers, league sources told Yahoo Sports. “Magic’s absolutely interested,” one source closely connected to Johnson’s business interests told Yahoo Sports on Sunday night.
The opportunity to buy the Clippers would be a dream come true in Johnson’s quest to build a Los Angeles sports empire considering his dreams of buying the Lakers were short lived, via Wojnarowski:
Magic’s Dodgers group is angling for a Southern California sports empire. Magic Johnson and Guggenheim had been aggressive in pursuing a purchase of the Los Angeles Lakers– only to have the Buss family make clear to them the franchise isn’t for sale, sources told Yahoo Sports.
The proposed ownership change could pan out to be a win-win situation for all parties involved. The NBA likely isn’t fond of the prospect that one of its owners shares the beliefs and opinions Sterling does, and the Clippers owner would see a lump sum of money come his way after selling the team. For Johnson, it would add another Los Angeles team to his growing repertoire of sports franchises that also includes the Los Angeles Sparks.
After seeing what Johnson and Guggenheim have done with the Dodgers since the Frank McCourt era, the realm of possibilities would be endless for the Clippers in this rumored poetic ending to Sterling’s career with the NBA.
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