Magic Johnson believes the Los Angeles Lakers will continue to have issues in rebuilding their team while Jim Buss takes such an active role in player personnel decisions.

Johnson believes the Lakers need someone like Jerry West to be in control of the front office.

“You’ve got to have someone helping Jim. He’s got to quit trying to prove a point to everybody that he can do it on his own, get his ego out of it, and just say, ‘Let me get someone beside me to help achieve the goals I want.' "

The Lakers have a 14-24 record and have lost 11 of 12 games.

“Look what Pat Riley did in Miami,” said Johnson. “If Pat Riley’s not there, you don’t get LeBron to buy in.”



Johnson said that Mitch Kupchak is doing a good job as general manager of the Lakers.

“Mitch is great,” he said, “but he doesn’t have the power.”



Johnson also added, “Everybody’s telling me free agents don’t want to sign [with the Lakers]…. They’re looking at the Lakers now as a team that’s dysfunctional; who’s their leader, who’s the guy?”