Magic Johnson said he had nothing to do with the firing of Mike Brown, but he sure does agree with it.
The Lakers’ legend told the USA Today that the marriage between his former team and Brown wasn’t right from the beginning. He also said he completely supported the decision because the Lakers can’t wait around to start winning.
“The Lakers are about winning championships,” Johnson said. “They’re not about waiting. … The Lakers don’t give people fair shakes. … Other organizations, they have time and patience because they’re not about winning the championships.”
Brown went 41-25 last season with the Lakers before losing in the conference semi-finals to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Lakers were 1-4 before Brown was fired this season. Brown went 272-138 in five seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers while LeBron James was there. The fact that the Cavs did not win a championship in Brown’s time with James was reason enough to fire the former Lakers coach according to Magic.
“We have to go back to history with Mike. Mike didn’t get it done in Cleveland,” said Johnson. “If he can’t get the championship done in Cleveland, having the game’s best player [James], how are you going to come to Los Angeles and win it. It’s just too bad.”
Johnson didn’t pull any punches in critiquing the now-unemployed Brown. Johnson was able to pinpoint the fatal flaw that got Brown fired in Cleveland and Los Angeles.
“Mike Brown has one big flaw in his coaching: he does not make adjustments in game. That’s what killed him in Cleveland, and that’s what killed him with the Lakers,” said Johnson. “If you go back to every series that the Cleveland Cavaliers lost, and every series that the Lakers lost, Mike Brown did not make adjustments within the game. … That’s his biggest flaw. It’s not preparation. It’s not his defense, before the game and getting a game plan together. It’s within the game.”
The Lakers are forging on without a head coach for now, but they’ve made it obvious that they want Phil Jackson to lead the team in 2012-13. Jackson met with the team on Saturday, but came away without a job offer. The Lakers are also considering other options in case they can’t get a deal done with Jackson.
