The Los Angeles Lakers shocked the basketball world with their midseason acquisition of Luka Dončić. While many expected the franchise to make a deep postseason run after pairing the superstar with LeBron James, they were bounced in the first round of the postseason.
Their early departure has led to plenty of public debates about whether or not the franchise can win a championship with Dončić as their best player. Lakers legend Magic Johnson appeared on ESPN's "Get Up", where he sent a message to the five-time first-team All-NBA guard.
"First of all, great job by coach JJ Redick to put everybody on notice on the Lakers team that they have to be in better conditioning for them to win an NBA championship," Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Magic Johnson stated Thursday. "And I'm glad that Luka listened to JJ and now look at him. I mean, he looks great right now and the rest of the Lakers have to do the same thing, right?"
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"Luka, it's great what you did in Dallas," Johnson continued. "But the difference is, in Los Angeles, we expect championships. And we expect our superstars to lead us to a championship. LeBron has already did that. Now, we want Luka to do the same thing."
Johnson added that it will take more than Dončić simply being in shape, calling on Rob Pelinka to improve the roster. He noted that the Lakers need a big man and additional depth bench.
The five-time NBA champion claimed Los Angeles must also get faster, citing their series against the Minnesota Timberwolves as evidence that they are too slow. Johnson suggested that the Lakers will not be able to win a title next season without improving their defense.
More NBA: Lakers legend Magic Johnson reveals he warned franchise about losing this player