Shortly after Magic Johnson was hired by the Los Angeles Lakers last week, he received a call from Jim Buss.

Johnson had long been publicly critical of Buss' moves within the Lakers' front office and stood by those comments, but also said he was there to help and hoped they could move forward without that baggage. Johnson's tone disarmed Buss.

Buss agreed and asked to schedule a meeting after the All-Star break where he and general manager Mitch Kupchak could explain their decision-making over the past few seasons.

"I'm taking Magic at face value, that he's here to help," Jim Buss told ESPN. "He's one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Who wouldn't value his opinion? I'm excited to work with Magic for years to come."