LeBron James isn’t getting any younger, and Magic Johnson thinks time is running out for him to win a second title with the Los Angeles Lakers.
In an appearance on ESPN Radio’s “Keyshawn, JWill and Zubin,” Johnson said he believes James has two more years to succeed with the Lakers before his window closes:
“I think to me he has two hard years. I’m talking about, ‘Listen, we gotta get it done in these two years that I can still just be a man out here dominating, playing great.’ The Lakers, we got to get some pieces around here for these two years. In another year, (Kevin Durant), it’s going to be his turn.”
Johnson added that he believes James should be moved off the ball to make his role less demanding and add at least another shooter to take some pressure off the Lakers star.
James raised some eyebrows late in the season with some comments he made about his long-term health, but he later suggested the reaction to that was overblown. Overblown or not, James turns 37 in December and dealt with some legitimate injury issues this past season.
The core of James and Anthony Davis will be intact as long as James sticks around. Johnson is certainly right that the Lakers need some extra pieces around them who can threaten from the perimeter. That was what the team hoped Dennis Schroder could do, but it’s safe to say Magic doesn’t think that move worked out.
More must-reads: