Magic Johnson is a Los Angeles Lakers icon but even he can’t help but admire the way the Boston Celtics are playing this season. During an appearance on Speak, Johnson spoke about his love for the brand of basketball that the Celtics play.
“That team listen, I love the way they play because five guys touch the ball,” Johnson said. “It might be the only team in basketball right now that the ball moves around. (Al) Horford touches it, and they’re screening and moving. And when they got Jrue Holiday, that was it.”
Johnson also compared Holiday’s mindset to that of his former Lakers teammate James Worthy.
“A star playing with superstars,” Johnson stated “Cuz he’s almost like James Worthy in the sense of he didn’t really care about the publicity. James just put up the numbers. I’m not saying their game is the same, their attitude was the same. He just cared about winning.
“James rather just go home and you didn’t have to write about him,” Johnson added. “Jrue Holiday’s the same way. That’s a guy who ‘I’m gonna show up, do my job, and I’mma go home.”
The Celtics appear to have a lot of players with that kind of mindset. Jayson Tatum doesn’t talk a lot by superstar standards while the likes of Derrick White and Kristaps Porzingis let their play do the talking for them as well. It might not be the biggest reason why they’re so successful but it does play a part.
The Celtics are a well-oiled machine and they’re rolling along this season too. They have a 22-6 record in 2024-25 which is good enough for second-best in the Eastern Conference. They are the favorites to win it all in the eyes of many and for good reason.
Recent history is not on the Celtics’ side, though, as no team has won back-to-back titles since the Golden State Warriors did in 2017 and 2018. Will they break that streak? Time will tell. For now, though, the Celtics’ attention will be on their next game against the Orlando Magic at Kia Center on Monday at 7 PM ET.
Magic Johnson Feels The Lakers Do Not Have An Identity
While Johnson was full of praise for the Celtics, he hasn’t been a fan of what he has been seeing from his former team. In an interview on Sirius XM NBA Radio, Magic pointed out all of the issues that he sees with the Lakers.
For starters, Johnson feels the Lakers rely on LeBron James and Anthony Davis too much. He then bluntly called out the role players for being inconsistent and followed that up by criticizing the whole team for the lack of consistency on the defensive end.
Johnson also believes the Lakers do not have an identity and that they lack talent. He thinks it’s likely they’ll end up around about at the same spot in the standings as last year and isn’t too optimistic about their prospects.
The Lakers currently have a 16-12 record and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they are in the Play-In Tournament yet again this season. They are a good but not great team and the only way that changes is if they make some moves. The Lakers have been linked with a host of players and it will be interesting to see if they bring in anyone before the deadline.
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