LeBron James knew his attempt to turn around the Lakers was going to be difficult, but theres no way he knew he would end up Rich Hill Jersey in this kind ofcircus.In one of the most bizarre moments weve seen in recentNBA history, Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson announced Tuesday evening he was stepping down immediately, addre sing the media before the team's regular-season finale against the Trail Blazers.BREAKING: Magic Johnson has stepped down as Lakers' President of Basketball Operations. NBA TV (@NBATV) OFFSEASON PREVIEWS:| | | | Tuesday was supposed to be the merciful end to a disastrous first season with James in Los Angeles, but there wasreason for hope. Johnson promised to landat least one other superstar this summerto help Jamescompete in the loaded Western Conference. He had visions of restoring the Lakers brand and bringing back "Showtime" vibes.Instead, Johnson decided that quitting on his organization was the best option."I had more fun on the other side than on this side,"Johnson said duringhis impromptupre s conference. "Because now, tomorrow, I would have to affect someones livelihood and their lives. Thats not fun for me. Thats not who I am. I want to go back to having fun."What exactly did Johnson think this jobentailed? He accepted the presidenttitle fully knowing the duties and responsibilities. The Lakers Russell Martin Jersey are always in championship-or-bust mode, something he learned as a player. A little over two years in, he didn't just fall short of expectations he failed spectacularly, leavingthe franchisein embarra sing fashion.A brief history of his marquee moves... Johnson decided to trade D'Angelo Ru sell back in 2017 after just two short seasons in LA. At the time, the move didnt lookterrible, as Ru sell had not made significant strides in his early years.But after a season in which Ru sell earned an All-Star nod for the first time and led the Nets to a surprising playoff berth, it's clear Johnson made the wrong call. Hecouldn't even stop himself from bringing up the old maturity criticism he had for Ru sell years ago.Magic Johnson on D'Angelo Ru sell: "He always had the talent to score but he was immature." Chris Montano (@gswchris) In 2017, when Paul George requested a trade from Indiana, he made it abundantly clear that he intended to eventuallyjoin the Lakers. Los Angeles didn't acquireGeorge via trade, but Johnson did receive a fat tampering fine from the league office for openly talking about George.Fast forward to free agency in 2018, and the Lakers werent even granted a meeting. (By the way, George hit the game-winner for Oklahoma City on Tuesday night.)The game winner.Listen and watch OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) The decision to selectLonzo Ball with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft wasn't a shocker, as the UCLA guard was a highly-regarded prospect.However, reports have since surfaced saying Johnson . It also hurts to know Jayson Tatum was the very next pick Ross Stripling Jersey in that draft. Both Fox and Tatum have shown much more potential to this point, but more importantly, they've been able to stay on the court and avoidinjuries, unlike Ball. Then there was a plethora of head-scratching decisions over the past year. Johnson and the Lakers allowed Julius Randle to walk for nothing. They easily could have re-signed Brook Lopez, who has been a key cog in the Bucks' rotation.Despite the LeBron-plus-shooters formula leading tosucce s with James' previous teams, Johnson signed Rajon Rondo, Lance Stephenson, JaVale McGee and Michael Beasley in the offseason. And at the trade deadline, the Lakers inexplicablysent Ivaca Zubac acro s the hall to the Clippers in order to obtain the services of... Mike Muscala. Oh, right. TheAnthony Davis debacle at the deadline. That whole thing left a giantfracture in the locker room, andJohnson's response was to e sentially.MORE: As it turns out, Johnson was neverfit for the job, and he never seemed particularly interested in doingthe work.Since taking over as president of the Lakers, Magic Johnson never fully committed to the job. Often he was traveling and away from Justin Turner Jersey the team. His office hours were limited. He didn't do a lot of scouting. Running an NBA team takes a tremendous commitment of time and energy. Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) Lakers coaching staff fully expected to be fired in hours after the final game of the season. They had believed they were gone for months. Now? Magic quits in public, saying he's too scared to tell Jeanie Bu s face-to-face. What an embarra sing Yasmani Grandal Jersey episode for a historic franchise. Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) He departs the Lakers at the most inopportune time. He couldnt stomach making a difficult decision on the future of coach Luke Walton. He leaves that to general manager Rob Pelinka and owner Jeanie Bu s. With his free-agency promises looking bleaker by the day, he preferred to bail rather than face the prospect of striking out this summer.By proclaiming that the Lakers organization has a bright future ahead, he takes zero responsibility for the me s he's left behind.Johnson will always be remembered as one of the greatest Lakers of all time, perhaps the greatest to ever wear the purple and gold. His time on the floor will never be forgotten.But his time in the front office will be viewedas a complete and utter failure. The only thing Johnson has from his brief tenure is thehope that the past two years willnot tarnish the rest of hisLakers legacy.