IN THE WEEKS after the Los Angeles Lakers' 2016-17 season ended in mid-April, with the franchise failing to reach the postseason for the fourth consecutive year, more than 30 Lakers staffers -- largely from basketball operations -- gathered at the team's practice facility in El Segundo, California.
Before them were Rob Pelinka and Earvin "Magic" Johnson, who had been formally introduced in March 2017 as the Lakers' new front-office leaders -- with Johnson, an iconic player from the team's 1980s "Showtime" era, serving as its president of basketball operations, and Pelinka, who had famously served as Kobe Bryant's agent, as the general manager.