Magic Johnson

When a Lakers icon buys the Dodgers, you can bet current Lakers take notice. Lakers stars Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol had a lot to say after the news broke Tuesday night that the group headed by Magic Johnson will be the Dodgers' new owners. "I'm upset he didn't cut me in," Bryant said jokingly. "I'm going to have to talk to him about that. " But Bryant has a hard time seeing himself ever owning a sports team. "No. Well, I mean, if it's in a big market like Los Angeles or something like that, then yeah.

The Lakers seemingly couldn't get through a family breakfast without drama. As if they didn't have enough worries heading into Game 7 of their first-round playoff series, the Lakers had to hear the franchise's most popular figure question the future of their coach on the eve of the game. Magic Johnson , the Lakers vice president who also serves as an ESPN analyst, said Friday that Lakers Coach Mike Brown wouldn't keep his job if his team lost to the Denver Nuggets on Saturday.

In one corner sat Magic Johnson. He talked. He laughed. He smiled. In another corner sat Larry Bird. He spoke only when prompted. He sounded stoic. He usually looked serious. Yes, the former Lakers and Celtics stars, and rivals, showcased once again how different their personalities are when they appeared Wednesday night on "Late Show with David Letterman" to promote "Magic/Bird," a Broadway show that debuted at Longacre Theatre in New York. Even if their personalities remain different, though, their mind-sets remain the same.

The criticism came from all angles, and Andrew Bynum reacted to each of them accordingly. Magic Johnson made headlines by arguing as an ESPN analyst that the Lakers should fire Coach Mike Brown if the Lakers lost their first-round series against Denver. Within the same breath, Johnson then suggested the Lakers forgo exercising Bynum's $16.1-million contract option after seeing his inconsistent effort throughout the playoffs. "I don't have time to entertain stuff like that," Bynum said.

PHOENIX -- There was a noticeable buzz in the Dodgers' clubhouse Wednesday morning. The previous night, traveling secretary Scott Akasaki had sent the players a text message informing them that a group led by Magic Johnson had agreed to buy the team. "I think that's tight, man," Matt Kemp said. "For Magic to be one of our owners. He knows what the Dodgers mean to L.A. Of course, Magic is real important to L.A. and the fans love him, so to get him to be a part of the Dodgers organization is a very good thing for us, and I think this is a pretty good day for the Dodgers.

Magic Johnson, the man who helped make L.A. a Lakers town as a player, will soon be an owner of the Dodgers. Will the presence of the ever-popular Johnson in the ownership group help the Dodgers reclaim the city from the hoopsters at Staples Center? Writers from around the Tribune Co. discuss the topic. Feel free to join the conversation by voting in the poll and leaving a comment of your own. Barry Stavro, Los Angeles Times In L.A. the sports buzz-meter points first to Kobe and the Lakers.

Bob Costas, the television sports analyst widely considered one of the best in the country, was no different from many athletes, sports fans and basketball experts 20 years ago Monday when Magic Johnson held a news conference to tell the world he was HIV-positive. "I was stunned," Costas said, "and my immediate thought was, knowing what we thought we knew about HIV, we would watch Magic Johnson die a public death, that he would waste away. This was what we thought we understood about the virus, that his days were numbered.

No. 46 just bought out the Lakers' No. 32. Magic Johnson will forever be connected with the Lakers, but he can't be called part-owner of the team any longer. Johnson sold his 4.5% ownership stake in the franchise to billionaire season-ticket holder Patrick Soon-Shiong, the team said Monday. Johnson, 51, has become wealthy from his business ventures since retiring from basketball, including commercial real estate, health clubs and restaurants. But Johnson, who wore No. 32 on the way to becoming a Hall of Fame guard for the Lakers, is a relative pauper compared with Soon-Shiong, a surgeon and biotech investor ranked No. 46 among the nation's wealthiest people by Forbes magazine this year.

Magic Johnson's relationship with Larry Bird, like so much else about Johnson, was one of the best things the NBA ever saw. They started out hating each other as rivals in the 1979 Michigan State-Indiana State NCAA final, the highest-rated basketball game of all time; re-floated the Lakers-Celtics rivalry, then, in an unexpected inspiring turn, became lifelong friends, showing themselves and everyone else how much of themselves an urban African...

Happy 50th birthday to Magic Johnson . . . . Eighteen years ago, when Johnson made his bombshell announcement that he was HIV positive, few expected the Lakers star would see his 33rd birthday, much less his 50th. . . . "His impact on increasing awareness that you can live with the disease has been phenomenal," says Cynthia Davis , director of HIV education and outreach at Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science. "Even today, 30 years into the epidemic, there are people who aren't educated and feel that it's a death sentence."

So, Lakers fans, if you are still in shock over what Andre Miller did to your team at Staples Center on Tuesday night and want to know more about him, pull up a chair. Miller seems to fit most fans' image of a journeyman. He is 36, has played for five teams — twice with the Denver Nuggets — and is not generally coveted by NBA fantasy league players. Tuesday night, when the Nuggets beat the Lakers and sent the playoff series back to Denver for Game 6 on Thursday night — a stunning result for Lakers fans — you saw a bit of Michael Jordan, a pinch of Chris Paul and a smidgen of Magic Johnson all in one point guard.

Magic Johnson has the power to veto any development Frank McCourt might propose for the Dodger Stadium parking lots, according to a provision in an agreement between McCourt and the new owners of the Dodgers. McCourt sold the Dodgers to Guggenheim Baseball Management but retained half-ownership of the parking lots. Guggenheim secured the right to approve any development and designated Johnson as the party who would grant approval. The provision, in a document that is not public, confirms what Guggenheim executives have said, that they control development of the property.

When Magic Johnson's face appeared on Dodger Stadium's video scoreboard before the eighth inning of the Dodgers' 9-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants, the announced crowd of 43,713 stood and cheered. Johnson rose from his seat in the owner's box, turned around and saluted the fans. The crowd cheered: “Ma-gic! Ma-gic!” With the Dodgers playing their first home game under new ownership, Monday felt like a scaled-down version of opening day. “We definitely felt it,” starter Ted Lilly said.

So much for being only the popular face of a franchise. Magic Johnson attempted to make it clear Wednesday that he is more than a local figurehead for Guggenheim Baseball, the new Dodgers ownership group. During a news conference at Dodger Stadium, Johnson took charge on a stage set up in center field just as he did on court during the Lakers' Showtime era. At one point, he directed controlling owner Mark Walter to leave his seat behind a table and stand at the lectern to answer a question about former owner Frank McCourt.

One of the biggest sports and entertainment moguls in Southern California took a back seat to the other Guggenheim money men Wednesday as the incoming Dodgers owners attempted to set the tone for a new era. Former movie studio boss Peter Guber, who has built an empire of popular minor league baseball teams, left the news conference speeches to his partners and later deflected questions about how he might like to see the parking lots around Dodger...

Frank McCourt officially surrendered ownership of the Dodgers on Tuesday, closing a turbulent chapter in the history of one of baseball's most historic franchises. The new owners wired the final payment on the record $2.15-billion purchase price Tuesday, closing the transaction that ended the McCourt era and ushering in Guggenheim Baseball as the Dodgers' third owner since the O'Malley family sold the team in 1998. A teary-eyed McCourt thanked the Dodgers' employees at a morning meeting, according to several people in attendance.

Earvin “Magic” Johnson's purchase of part ownership of the Los Angeles Dodgers is the latest step in one of the most successful post-game careers of any professional athlete. The former Los Angeles Lakers guard has carved out a role as a liaison between big-money investors and the residents of urban neighborhoods who might become their customers in a variety of businesses including theaters, restaurants, stores and apartments. “He is an extraordinary businessman who has done a great job of executing his strategies,” said Ken Lombard, former president of the Johnson Development Corp.

Have questions about the sale of the Dodgers to Magic Johnson? Take part in a live chat at 11 a.m. with Times Baseball Editor and Deputy Sports Editor Mike Hiserman. He will answer all your questions about the deal and what it means for the team and the city.   Dodgers Now Live: Deputy Sports Editor Mike Hiserman on Dodgers sale

Among the highlights of my conversation with NBA senior photographer Andrew Bernstein: How one of his photos is featured in the playbill of the "Magic/Bird" Broadway show. Why he most cherishes shooting the 1985 NBA Finals. How he managed to arrange photo shoots with Johnson and Bird even moments before a game. Bernstein's take on the relationship between Johnson and Bird. The difficulties in shooting game pictures featuring Johnson and Bird. RELATED: Phil Jackson discusses 'Journey to the Ring' NBA photographer Andrew Bernstein on 'Journey to the Ring' Lakers center Andrew Bynum to have innovative knee procedure in Germany     Andy Bernstein's Magic Johnson, Larry Bird photos featured in play

NEW YORK - As baseball celebrates the 65th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier for the Dodgers, the new stewards of his old team are working to embrace his family in the incoming ownership group. Sharon Robinson, the daughter of the late Hall of Fame infielder, confirmed Sunday the Dodgers' incoming owners have invited the Robinson family and its foundation to play a significant role with the team. "We hope that we will be involved," Sharon Robinson said.