Philadelphia 76ers general manager Elton Brand called Magic Johnson on Monday afternoon to apologize for insinuating in a radio interview that the Lakers had called — unprompted, to ask permission for Johnson to speak with Sixers forward Ben Simmons, league sources told ESPN.
In the interview with 97.5 The Fanatic on Monday morning, Brand said, “[Lakers GM] Rob Pelinka called me and said that Ben wanted to talk to Hall of Famers after the season; Magic was on the list. He asked for authorization … I said no.”
Via ESPN:
“To clarify, last November the 76ers sent an email to the Lakers asking if Ben Simmons would be able to speak with Magic Johnson about his Hall of Fame playing career. After receiving the email request from the 76ers, Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka contacted 76ers General Manager Elton Brand and informed him that Magic could only do so if the 76ers gave him pre-written approval. That was the end of the matter.”
NBA spokesman Mike Bass told ESPN on Monday, “The league office is looking into whether any contact took place between Ben Simmons and the Los Angeles Lakers that violated NBA rules.”
To further fill in. Ben Simmons’ brother brought the idea of talking to Magic up with a lower level Sixers employee—who then emailed the Lakers, per league sources. It’s unclear if that lower level employee told Elton Brand he was reaching out to LA. https://t.co/HSXYeeWI3Z
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) February 12, 2019
Brand told ESPN earlier Monday that Simmons simply wanted the Sixers to help him facilitate “chatting with some of the game’s all-time greats.”
“No issue,” Brand told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. “I have a great relationship with Ben and [his agent] Rich [Paul] and we expect him to be a Sixer for a long time. He has taken interest in chatting with some of the game’s all-time greats and we’re supportive.
“I had brief dialogue with Rob Pelinka, who I’ve known for a long time, but nothing is planned. Our collective focus is on making a postseason push. Again, we’re not sweating this — end of story.”
Elton Brand called Magic Johnson Monday afternoon to apologize for insinuating that the Lakers had called —unprompted— to ask permission for Johnson to speak with Sixers forward Ben Simmons in a radio interview Monday morning, league sources told ESPN.
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) February 12, 2019
Later in the day, Brand spoke directly to Johnson to further clear the air, sources said.
Who really knows what goes on behind the scenes with Magic.
He’s going to do whatever it takes to bring the Lakers back to the promised land.
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