Magic Johnson predicts Lakers three-peat

Magic Johnson still thinks the Lakers are the NBA team to beat next season, but he likes the new-look Miami Heat’s chances of winning a title or two down the road with LeBron James. Johnson had plenty of help from teammates like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy during his playing career, and commended James’ decision to join the Heat with the goal of winning a championship alongside Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. “You got to give him credit,” Johnson said Monday. “He wants to win a championship. When you put LeBron James with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, you put yourself in a position to do that.” However, Johnson isn’t crowning the Heat the 2010-11 NBA champion, as many others did after James said he would play for Miami. Johnson, who owns about 5% of the Lakers, believes the defending champions will win a third straight title, especially after they strengthened their bench by signing guard Steve Blake, forward Matt Barnes and center Theo Ratliff this month. “The Lakers still have the most talent,” he said. “They’re the best team in the NBA.” — LA Times