Magic Johnson Doesn’t Want LeBron James’s Role in Los Angeles to Be ‘Cleveland All Over Again’

Magic Johnson doesn't want the Los Angeles Lakers to use LeBron James in the same way the Cleveland Cavaliers did, the Lakers president reiterated Thursday in an interview on SiriusXM NBA Radio. "We are trying to make sure that we watch his minutes but also that we don't run everything through him because now it is Cleveland all over again and we don't want that," Johnson said. Johnson has always hoped to lighten James's load with Los Angeles in comparison to the heavy lifting he did for the Cavaliers, articulating a desire to keep longevity in mind for 33-year-old James as soon as he signed the NBA star to a four-year, $154 million deal this summer.