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Magic Johnson’s Crazy Story Of Signing LeBron James
In last year’s offseason, the Los Angeles Lakers were fined $500,000 for tampering with Paul George. This was mainly because of Lakers president Magic Johnson, who more or less tried to publicly convince George to join the Lakers. One of these instances happened on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
This year, Magic was more careful with LeBron James, you can even say that he was super cautious. Johnson again was guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live, and told the story of how he showed up at LeBron’s house at eight o’clock (free agency began July 1 at midnight (June 30, 9 pm pacific time) and waited in his car until he was allowed to negotiate with LeBron.
Johnson: I got there at 8, and I sat outside.
Kimmel: You’re an hour early? What’d you do, sit in the car?
Johnson: That’s right. I’m an on-time guy. I was just hoping I didn’t have to go to the bathroom though.
Kimmel: That would be a weird way to start.
Johnson: Exactly! And I would have got fined because I had to go early right?
Kimmel: That would have been an expensive pee. So you get to LeBron’s house…
Johnson: And I’m sitting out there, and I wait for 9 o’clock. So at 9 o’clock, I inch to the the gate, but I don’t ring the buzzer until 9:01.
Kimmel: They really have you paranoid, don’t they?
Johnson: Oh man, they have me so scared because of your half-million dollars. I was thinking about that!
Transcript via FTW
