Former Laker and NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson has informed ESPN that he will no longer contribute to the ESPN pregame and halftime NBA coverage this season due to the nature of his schedule.
Magic Johnson
Johnson, who also owns a small piece of the Los Angeles Dodgers, joined ESPN as a studio analyst in 2008. In a statement released by ESPN, Johnson said, “I love ESPN. Unfortunately, due to the nature of my schedule and other commitments, I don’t feel confident that I can continue to devote the time needed to thrive in my role.”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, ESPN executive vice president John Wildhack stated that the network hasn’t set its commentator lineup for the season yet.
In the statement, Wildhack said, “Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson informed us [Thursday] that he’ll no longer be part of our NBA coverage due to his other commitments. We appreciate Magic’s contributions and wish him well in his future endeavors. We are in the process of determining our NBA commentator roles for the upcoming season.”