Magic Johnson has sold his shares in the Los Angeles Lakers, the team announced on Monday. Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, a Lakers season-ticket holder for 25 years, bought Johnson’s stake in the team for an undisclosed sum.
“I am truly humbled to have been a Lakers player for 13 years and an owner for over 10 years,” Johnson said in a statement. “I thank Dr. [Jerry] Buss from the deepest part of my heart and soul for allowing me such an incredible opportunity. I will continue to work alongside Dr. Buss, Jeanie Buss and [general manager] Mitch Kupchak in their efforts to continually build and maintain the best NBA franchise in the league. This was a bittersweet business decision made on behalf of my family and myself, and I want to assure all the wonderful and loyal Lakers fans that my decision will in no way affect my dedication and support for the Los Angeles Lakers. I am and will always be a Laker for life.”
Johnson bought shares representing about 4.5 percent of the Lakers in June 1994 for a reported $10 million. Johnson said the sale was strictly a “bittersweet business decision,” but the five-time league champion has long been interested in taking a larger ownership role in an NBA franchise.
Soon-Shiong has played a primary role in cutting-edge treatments for a wide variety of cancers. He is chairman of the Chan Soon-Shiong Family Foundation, chairman and CEO of All About Advanced Health and founder of the National Coalition for Health Integration. He is also the executive director of the UCLA Wireless Health Institute and professor of Microbiology, Immunology, Molecular Genetics and Bioengineering at UCLA.
“Earvin Johnson is a shining example of excellence on and off the court, and it is a privilege to have acquired his ownership position,” Soon-Shiong said in a statement.
Johnson, 51, was the first overall pick of the Lakers in 1979 and led the team to five championships in his 13-year career. He revealed in 1991 that he is HIV positive and promptly retired, but Johnson returned for the 1992 All-Star Game. He then retired again after player protests over contracting the disease. In 1996, he came back for 32 games with the Lakers before retiring for good.
Johnson, who finished with career averages of 19.5 points and 11.2 assists per game, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2002.
“The sale of Earvin’s share of the team is a business decision which will not change our relationship,” Buss, the Lakers’ majority owner, said in a statement. “Our friendship goes well beyond business. Patrick is a longtime and passionate Lakers fan and we are delighted to have him as a partner.”

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You can’t hide from Kobe Lebron

ALAMEDA, Calif. — George Blanda, the seemingly ageless Hall of Fame quarterback and kicker whose 26-year career was best remembered for a remarkable run of late-game theatrics with the Oakland Raiders, has died. He was 83.

The Raiders confirmed the death Monday and issued a statement saying “we are deeply saddened by the passing of the great George Blanda. George was a brave Raider and a close personal friend of Raiders owner Al Davis.” (more…)

SAN DIEGO – Aroldis Chapman(notes) was summoned from the bullpen one batter too late to make a difference in the game. No matter. The 22-year-old Cincinnati Reds left-hander made do by making history Friday night, throwing the fastest pitch recorded in a major league game, a 105-mph fastball.

“I didn’t see it until the ball was behind me,” Gwynn said. “I was trying not to look at the radar reading because I’d be intimidated. I saw how hard he was throwing and just tried to be slow and work my hands.”

The 105-mph pitch was inside for a ball and evened the count at 2-2. Gwynn had fouled off the previous two pitches and fouled off the next before striking out. He ought to be pleased with his effort, forcing Chapman to make seven pitches, the slowest of which was 102 mph.

Rajon Rondo and the new Team USA will get a better taste of international competition this weekend.

It’s time to see how Team USA performs in a hostile environment, and time to see whether Kevin Durant can stop being too unselfish.

The Americans will face their first tough test Sunday when they play Spain, the defending world champions (ESPN3, 3 p.m. ET). But first they’ll go up against Lithuania on Saturday (ESPN and ESPN3, 3 p.m. ET) in a game that does not figure to stay close for very long.

Then again, strange things never cease to happen in international basketball, as Nenad Krstic learned Thursday. He spent the night in a Greek jail cell after throwing a chair during a nasty brawl in a Greece-Serbia friendly at the Acropolis Cup in Athens.

“Looked a little like Indiana and Detroit,” coach Mike Krzyzewski said after a brief practice Friday. “If we did it, more of us would have gone to jail. And I want to keep me and everyone else out of jails.”

Team USA is now listed on Internet wagering sites as a 3-4 favorite to win the world championship, while Spain is the second choice at 3-1. But one American staff member, who asked that he not be quoted by name, said in his opinion Spain should be considered the team to beat in Turkey.

So as we head into what should be, at the very least, an interesting weekend for Team USA, it’s time for some questions and answers on the state of the U.S. team:

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