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Magic Johnson Blasts Lakers Owner Jim Buss

Hall of Famer says Kobe Bryant needs to give LA's front office an ultimatum.

No matter where his business endeavors lead him, Magic Johnson’s heart will always bleed Los Angeles Lakers’ purple and gold.

So it’s easy to understand why the Hall of Famer and five-time NBA champion with the Lakers is so upset and critical of the franchise’s current downward spiral. In fact, Johnson has a theory on why it’s happening and it revolves around Lakers owner Jim Buss.

"Jim is trying to do it himself and trying to prove to everybody that this was the right decision that my dad (Jerry Buss) gave me the reins," Johnson said about Buss on ESPN's First Take on Tuesday. "He's not consulting anybody that can help him achieve his goals and dreams to win an NBA championship. If he doesn't have a big summer with a free agent…it looks like they'll have a good draft pick. Put that together with a good free agent, you can be right back into the mix. If this summer, that doesn't happen where they can sign a great player, it's over for us."

Johnson went so far as to state that Kobe Bryant should give an ultimatum to Buss and the Lakers’ front office.

"And I really believe this: [Kobe] should ... say to Jim and them, 'Look, if you don't sign one of these free agents [this offseason], man, I'm just not going to play next year,'" Johnson said. The 2015-16 season marks the final year on Bryant’s contract.

The Lakers finished a dismal 27-55 last season and are 13-39 this season. 

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(Photos from left: Angela Weiss/Getty Images, Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

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