Magic Johnson continues critique of Clippers at soccer stadium presser
Magic Johnson used social media to criticize the Clippers on Sunday, and he continued his rant via a news conference about a new soccer stadium on Monday.
Johnson, the former Laker, went on a Twitter rant ripping the Clippers after they squandered a 3-1 series lead to the Houston Rockets and lost in Game 7.
He continued at a news conference for the MLS' L.A. Football Club, of which he is part owner, announcing plans for a new state-of-the-art facility on Monday.
Doc Rivers, who spoke during the Clippers exit interviews at the team's training facility earlier in the day, said he hadn't heard about what Johnson tweeted. When he was told Johnson tweeted, "the Clippers are still the Clippers," Rivers didn't become upset.
"Well, we can't argue with Magic, he's right," Rivers said. "Like I always say, to the victors go the spoils. When you lose, you've just got to listen. You don't have to pay much attention to it. I respect Magic Johnson, but at the end of the day, until we do something, I guess we are the Clippers. I didn't know being the Clippers was bad, though, that's the only thing I'll say. I like being a Clipper, personally, so I'm good with that."
After the Clippers beat the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, Johnson praised the Clippers.
After the Clippers frittered away a 19-point lead late in the third quarter of Game 6 at Staples Center, Johnson -- who has never been afraid to speak or tweet his mind -- went back to ripping the Clippers.
On Monday, he talked about the championship Lakers and jokingly told people in attendance at the news conference not to blame him for the Clippers loss.
"Well, I was disappointed because Chris Paul is my good friend, Doc Rivers is a good friend and I want them to win and get the monkey off their backs," Johnson said. "I thought they missed the opportunity in Game 6. You got to close out at home. You can't allow it to go to a Game 7.
"If you think about all the Lakers heydays, when we had closeout games and we had them in the Forum or Staples Center with Kobe (Bryant) and Shaq (O'Neal) or with my 'Showtime' Lakers, we closed out. So when you have your opportunity, you got to close out."
Johnson -- who is also part owner of the Dodgers -- has ripped the Lakers as well. But the last two days, he's had harsh words for the Clippers franchise and whether they'll be able to get past the heartbreaking way they lost the Western Conference semifinals.
"I remember when we didn't (close out), in terms of we had the Celtics in seven games and we lost there, that will haunt us forever, and this loss will haunt the Clippers forever because they had their opportunity up (19) in the third quarter," Johnson said. "You got to win that game in the Staples Center. So we'll see what happens. I wish them well because I want so bad for Chris Paul to have his opportunity to play in the championship.
"I want that for him. He's meant a lot to the league, but also to the fans here in Los Angeles because this is a Lakers town. But we like Chris Paul. We do. We love the way he plays, his leadership. Blake (Griffin) has really grown. You saw him grow up this season and really do some wonderful things. But at the same time, it's going to be tough for them to swallow this."
Johnson tweeted much more about the Clippers the last two days than he did the L.A. Football Club's new home. He tweeted one picture with a rendering of the soccer stadium. And he had a handful of tweets about the Clippers, among them: "The Clippers organization will always remember not closing out the Rockets in Game 6 at home. That game will always haunt them."
