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Stephen A. says Russell Westbrook was very wise not to challenge Magic Johnson | First Take
Stephen A. says Russell Westbrook was very wise not to challenge Magic Johnson | First Take Stephen A. Smith reacts to Magic Johnson’s comments on the Los Angeles Lakers’ effort and Russell Westbrook’s response. #ESPN #NBA #FirstTake ☑️ Subscribe to ESPN+: 📱Get the ESPN App: 🏀 Subscribe to NBA on ESPN on YouTube: ☑️Subscribe to…
Rius Franco
January 17, 2022 at 2:26 pm
Manic Johnson is the reason I continue my music career 🚫🧢
George Taylor
January 17, 2022 at 2:53 pm
Keep up the good work then my musically inclined friend. 👏🏾👏🏾💯🔥
Gino Bling
January 17, 2022 at 3:06 pm
Didn’t Magic quit on the Lakers when he was the GM ?? They say he was barely showing up to the office
Black Dynamite
January 17, 2022 at 3:26 pm
@Gino Bling So what. Magic has earned the cache to do that. As a Lakers fan Magic gets a pass
J Chaney
January 17, 2022 at 3:58 pm
“other comments on this channel” “Klay Thompson is the reason I continue my music career”
😅😅😅😅☠☠☠☠☠☠
Jank Foots
January 17, 2022 at 2:27 pm
Magic is Russ’s favorite player all time
Blackboy Fly
January 17, 2022 at 2:27 pm
He has aids to ?
Christopher Gibson
January 17, 2022 at 4:19 pm
@Blackboy Fly who do you think gave it to him 😂
Rolland Curtis
January 17, 2022 at 2:27 pm
Horrible edit.
Eddz
January 17, 2022 at 2:27 pm
Frank V wasn’t the one that flipped a defensive minded roster overnight for a turnover prone PG
The Last Dragon
January 17, 2022 at 3:30 pm
@Puck Though Caruso would be the wiser choice over Westbrook, it’s still not a championship team. Lakers GM/LbJ we’re going for the homerun with Westbrook. People didn’t think he’d be this bad of a fit. Although many saw the writings on the wall with the signing. I also have to blame AD into all of this. The man is just fragile on the court. Who knows if he’ll ever be dominate again.
Puck
January 17, 2022 at 3:37 pm
@The Last Dragon Caruso did not have to be lost at all. They literally shortchanged him over $5m in luxury tax then went ahead and paid THT. Would Caruso have changed everything? Probably not but it was another blunder nonetheless.
Russ was not just a swing and a miss, the whole train has derailed and they now need to blow it all up. This era of the Lakers is done.
The Last Dragon
January 17, 2022 at 4:04 pm
@Puck That’s true and sad. Would like to see LbJ get another ring. And this is coming from a Lakers fan through and through who didn’t care for him when he wasn’t a Lakers. But the man shows up to every game even at the age of 37. Clearly he wants to win. Everyone else, not so much.
Puck
January 17, 2022 at 4:10 pm
@The Last Dragon I’m less sympathetic than you to LeBron’s plight since it was self inflicted. Westbrook wasn’t on the Lakers radar until both he and LeBron pushed for the move and Pelinka signed off on it.
The Last Dragon
January 17, 2022 at 4:18 pm
@Puck Yup. That’s all on LbJ. He’s the ultimate string puller.
Matt B.
January 17, 2022 at 2:28 pm
The problem with Russ is not the triple doubles, there are multiple problems with Russ
1 AD told us in the beginning of the season that the key was sacrifice but at the same time Bron and Russ keep on saying Russ needs to play his game. These two things cannot be true.
2 Russ does not play hard. All of these NBA analysts keep on saying he gives a 110% percent, yea he does – whenever he has the ball or he wants to chase down a rebound. Does he give 110% effort to play winning basketball? absolutely not. Solz and Sage even mention this. Boxing out, on-ball defense, off-ball defense, taking the time to improve his on-the-catch shooting, moving without the ball, setting screens, literally anything that does not have a box score stat – Russ gives 0 effort for. He does NOT play hard.
3 Bron and AD are the cornerstones for this team, Russ won’t adjust to fit with them, so best to part ways. Lakers should look at Indy as a trade partner, Brogdon, Sabonis, etc. would be good around our core.
Kam Fisher
January 17, 2022 at 2:29 pm
Cowboys got robbed last night. But they winning it all next year 💪🍻
Poop
January 17, 2022 at 2:36 pm
If your a lakers player there are two guys who if they criticize you you just sit down and take it, magic Johnson, and Kobe if he was still alive
Jani Rosario
January 17, 2022 at 2:38 pm
Vogel is not at fault. The players he has are not defensive minded.
caladan rude
January 17, 2022 at 2:51 pm
Pacers fan. Vogel as good a coach as you are going to get. The roster is trash. They traded all his defenders or let them walk. No defenders, athleticism or 3point shooting. Russ leading the league in turnovers. One of the worst shooters in NBA history is having a typical year. Ad is already old for some reason, if he’s available to play, which he isn’t. Carmelo and Westbrook, and even LeBron to a lesser extent out there trying to act tough, while young bucks tell them to just play ball.
James Laing
January 17, 2022 at 3:14 pm
@caladan rude and that kills ad for him to pick up for these low life perimeter guards we have that gets beat every time on defense especially Melo and westbrick
Liu Zuang
January 17, 2022 at 10:47 pm
Actually coaches are meant to push their players on D. A player’s failure is also a coach’s failure.
pushpak X
January 17, 2022 at 2:51 pm
lakers wouldn’t have been in the playoffs/finals/ won a ring in the last few years if Vogel was at fault…..
Black Uru Strikes!
January 17, 2022 at 2:53 pm
You cannot turn a bunch of OLD basketball players into defenders. Especially if they were never good defenders even in the prime of their careers.
Rob Smith
January 17, 2022 at 9:55 pm
Bruh LeBron in his prime a great defender. Dwight Howard one of the greatest defensive big. Trevor is known for 3 & D player, DeAndre Jordan is a 2x all nba defensive player, only player that was never known for defense was Melo. TF u talking about “they were never good defensive players”
Mister Dude
January 17, 2022 at 10:41 pm
@Rob Smith lebron is in his prime
Pat1980
January 17, 2022 at 2:59 pm
LeBron tweeted that apologetic response so he and AD won’t get traded. But the Lakers did trade Shaq after 3 rings and attempted to trade Pau Gasol after 2 rings. Traded Odom and Fisher. 🤣
biraj chetry
January 17, 2022 at 3:14 pm
That was before player empowerment lebron won’t get traded and can’t won’t happen. Who wants him at his age even tho he’s productive teams want young fresh talent.
Benjamin N
January 17, 2022 at 3:27 pm
Tell them!
tyalaman
January 17, 2022 at 5:35 pm
Lol as a Celtics fan I’d take the man in a heartbeat. The irony would be hilarious. Plus when was the last time we had a top 5 player? But we’d have to trade away one of the Jay’s which would break my heart.
biraj chetry
January 17, 2022 at 5:40 pm
@tyalaman yeah stop smoking lebron and enes freedom on the same team? Wouldn’t happen even in China! Lmao
Pat1980
January 17, 2022 at 3:01 pm
When will LeBron finally realize his brand isn’t bigger than the Lakers? Lakers don’t need LeBron to be popular. They always were for 40+ years.
biraj chetry
January 17, 2022 at 3:15 pm
He joined to make himself more popular and help get us another ring. I don’t want a popular team that sucks this bad and see the suns win it all this year that will make me sick 😷 trades are coming next month
Joe Rents
January 17, 2022 at 3:07 pm
You know stat padding Lebron and the Lakers are going to get absolutely cooked by Mitchell and the Jazz. Lakers are sad asf.
samthishan24
January 17, 2022 at 3:36 pm
Frank Vogel literally just won a title with them 2 years ago, he’s not the problem its the players.
Tae Alpine
January 17, 2022 at 4:12 pm
Fucc magic Johnson and SAS
Cameron Gore
January 17, 2022 at 4:19 pm
People expect teams like the Lakers to always be good but eventually they’re going to have to go through a decade plus of mediocrity or more to go back on top (look at the Yankees) you would never have such expectations for the trailblazers or the jazz to win.
Even the chiefs couldn’t win when they got Joe Montana so having LeBron isn’t some guarantee of a ring let’s come back to reality a little bit.
Admiral Xizor
January 17, 2022 at 4:33 pm
The Lakers have a problem on defense because they are an old team made up of guys who never valued defensive effort over “touches” and other things.
These guys are NOT going to expend their limited energy on stopping anyone!
That is all.
Auburn Fan since 2010
January 17, 2022 at 4:38 pm
Russell Westbrook would destroy Magic Johnson in a fist fight
victor zsaz
January 17, 2022 at 6:48 pm
Stephen a not calling for frank vogels job the same way he wasn’t calling for max’s job