It may not be Lakers turf but Magic Johnson can’t skip All-Star festivities in LA County. He was not only there but it turned into a mini Showtime reunion. And it came when we thought the two pillars of the Los Angeles Lakers legacy were at odds with each other. But Cap and Buck chose a more subtle route to make headlines.

Johnson was among the many legends at the event with his wife, Cookie. In typical Magic style, he had to flex his All-Star fun with a photodump and this caption. “What an incredible All Star Weekend! Cookie and I had so much fun & loved seeing so many familiar faces here in LA.”

Between pictures with Jalen Brunson, Barack Obama, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Reggie Miller, was one snap that couldn’t be missed. At the Legends of Basketball event, Magic was arm-in-arm with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Candace Parker.

The sight of the two icons smiling alongside WNBA legend Candace Parker has effectively silenced weeks of growing speculation regarding a potential “betrayal” and frostiness between the former teammates. Fans loved seeing Magic and Kareem together a little more than usual. Like they’d never thought they’d see this.

Now, why would the reunion of one of the greatest duos in Purple & Gold history whose friendship built the Showtime dynasty and continued for decades, cause such a reaction? Because Ivica Zubac convinced us this friendship was fractured.

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Magic Johnson’s greatest ‘regret’ claims rift with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

The reunion comes at a critical time for the duo’s public image. While they have long been viewed as the gold standard for NBA chemistry, recent revelations regarding Magic’s tenure as Lakers’ President of Basketball Operations (2017–2019) indicated a complicated dynamic.

It’s well documented that one of the biggest regrets as a Lakers exec was costing the franchise its next great center after Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Shaquille O’Neal. It was Ivica Zubac that Magic couldn’t keep on this side of LA. Years since that infamous trade, Zubac revealed how it caused a rift with Kareem.

According to Zubac, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was so impressed by the young Croatian’s potential that the Hall-of-Famer personally sought a mentorship role within the Lakers organization. He met with Magic Johnson to finalize a coaching position specifically to develop the team’s big men. “He had a meeting with Magic, and I don’t know what happened there, but he never got a job with the Lakers,” Zubac revealed on the X’s and O’s Chat. “He wanted some kind of role with the team just to work with me… unfortunately, that never happened.”

But Magic had a ‘small-ball’ vision that time. So he sent Zubac and Michael Beasley to the Clippers for Mike Muscala. The fact that Magic reportedly blocked one of the greatest centers in history from teaching the signature skyhook to a willing pupil left fans wondering if Kareem felt disrespected by his former point guard’s refusal to bring him into the fold.

Despite these haunting personnel decisions from 2019, the 2026 All-Star appearance ended all speculation. By appearing together at the Intuit Dome festivities, Magic and Kareem signaled that their brotherhood remains intact, irrespective of past front-office friction.