Lakers News: Magic Johnson Shreds LA For Weak Game 2 In Memphis

The five-time LA champ is not happy.

Hall of Fame former Los Angeles Lakers point guard Magic Johnson had some choice words for the 2022-23 vintage of the franchise recently, following a disappointing 103-93 road loss in their ongoing first round playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies.

When LA won a convincing 128-112 Game 1 in Memphis last weekend and the Grizzlies, down two critical frontcourt pieces, lost their best player Ja Morant to a re-aggravated hand injury late in the proceedings, everything was set up nicely for Los Angeles to steal a second straight road game Wednesday.

Johnson took to Twitter, where he succinctly weighed in with why the Lakers fell instead, even with a massive health edge:

The Laker players were soft, soft, and SOFT in Game 2! That cannot be the case in Game 3!

— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) April 20, 2023

Anthony Davis and Jarred Vanderbilt aside, he wasn't wrong. Beyond LA's starting bigs, the team struggled to contain Memphis defensively, especially in transition.

Magic Johnson knows something about toughness. The 12-time All-Star and three-time league MVP led your Lakers to 10 NBA Finals appearances and five championships during a storied 13-year career. Though he was not necessarily a defensive stopper, he was the offensive anchor of LA's flashy "Showtime" era, and battle through a much more defensively brutal NBA (especially the Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls) to earn his many titles.

Are you following us on Twitter, Facebook, or YouTube yet? Join the conversation as we discuss the latest Lakers news and rumors with fans like you!