Magic Johnson has had success with pro franchises in Los Angeles and in a discussion with USA Today he talked about his desire to help bring a NFL franchise back to the City of Angels:
The NBA icon told USA TODAY Sports on Tuesday that he can envision becoming involved with whatever NFL franchise ultimately lands in Los Angeles, which would bolster local presence as the league ponders a return to the USA’s second-largest market.
“We helped the Dodgers rebound,” Johnson said during a visit to ESPN headquarters. “We’re No. 1 in attendance in baseball; we’ve been that for the last two years. So we know how to take a franchise, elevate it and also sell it to the fans in Los Angeles.
“That’s going to be important to whoever the owner is, to make sure they have someone locally to sell the team to the local market.”
There are no definitive plans for an NFL franchise to land in Los Angeles, but with three teams operating on year-to-year stadium leases – the St. Louis Rams, Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers – it’s conceivable that it could happen for at least one team as early as 2016.
