On Thursday, Magic Johnson announced that he will be giving up his part in ESPN's NBA coverage due to other commitments.
Some of these other commitments include his partial ownership of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who will be playing the Cardinals in the NLCS on Friday. He also has other business endeavors. According to ESPN Johnson has also invested in movie theaters, restaurants, and a production company. Along with his business success he also plays a big role in the fight against HIV after he was diagnosed himself in 1991.
“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,” Johnson said in a statement released by ESPN. “I will always feel a strong connection to the ESPN family and I enjoyed working with them very much. I’d like to thank John Skipper, John Wildhack, Mark Gross, Kim Belton, Amina Hussein, Mark Summer, Adam Hertzog, Bob Rauscher, Stuart Scott, Mike Wilbon, Jon Barry, Jalen Rose, Bill Simmons, Chris Broussard and the many others at ESPN for the wonderful opportunity to talk about the game I love. They are the best in the business.”
The Washington Post reports that with Johnson's departure from "NBA Countown," the show is looking for new panel members. Apparently the show will include "in some combination,” Dorris Burke, Doug Collins, Jalen Rose, and Bill Simmons. Also some other possibilities are Avery Johnson and P.J. Carlesimo, who replaced Avery Johnson as head coach of the Brooklyn Nets when Johnson was fired.
"We appreciate Magic's contributions and wish him well in his future endeavors," John Wildhack, ESPN's executive vice president, production, said. "We are in the process of determining our NBA commentator roles for the upcoming season."