Though both have publicly denied it, Magic Johnson left ESPN on Oct. 10, just 19 days before the tipoff of the 2013-14 NBA season, because of Bill Simmons.

Deadspin reported that Magic, a basketball icon and an analyst on ESPN’s “NBA Countdown,” lost a power struggle to Simmons, the most popular sports writer in the industry and a rookie on “Countdown” last season.

An unnamed source told Deadspin that Magic left because journalist Michael Wilbon, his longtime friend, was bumped from the show. The source said Simmons was responsible for the decision and that Magic deplores the control that “The Sports Guy” now has over the show.

In trying to convince people otherwise, Johnson and Simmons corroborated the story with weak reasoning and superficial denial.

The ex-Laker said he left ESPN because of commitments with his investment empire Magic Johnson Enterprises. But, Magic has had these commitments throughout his broadcasting career.

In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Simmons gave a starry-eyed description of how “fantastic it was to work with Magic for nine months.”

It’s obvious there was some sort of power struggle because credible media outlets do not just create stories out of thin air. So instead of arguing its merits, it’s more important to focus on the story’s outcome and meaning.

Simmons’s victory is a victory for modern ESPN-type celebrity journalists against their competitor: ex-athletes who have turned journalism into a retirement gig. The network has chosen Simmons, the celebrity journalist, over Magic, the legendary player.

This is absolutely the right decision.

For years, “Countdown” has been inferior to its prime competitor, TNT’s “Inside the NBA.” This is because Magic is not nearly as entertaining and enlightening as TNT’s Charles Barkley.

Magic’s colleagues have also always been afraid to challenge him, while Barkley’s have never held back.

This chemistry is the reason Barkley has been with former NBA player Kenny “The Jet” Smith and straight man host Ernie Johnson for more than 10 years. Magic’s supporting cast, on the other hand, has changed yearly since his arrival at ESPN in 2008.

Besides the host, ESPN replaced ex-NBA players with other ex-players. In doing so, the network was failing to utilize what makes it unique. Unlike TNT and other sports networks, it has celebrity journalists with enough cache to spike ratings.

Networks are rightfully criticized for depending on ex-athletes to analyze and put things in perspective, something journalists have done their whole careers. Many ex-athletes become very good at it, like Barkley. But, most do not. Networks dilute the quality of their coverage with big name ex-athletes only to draw higher ratings.

By adding its pre-eminent celebrity journalist Simmons to a non-host position, ESPN may have finally gotten it right.

In 2012-13, Simmons called Magic on his subpar analysis, what everyone else had always been afraid to do given his stature. While “Countdown” was still outclassed by “Inside the NBA,” it was much improved. Simmons’s enlightening opinions were a refreshing alternative to the Magic show.

Simmons’s “Countdown” stature could establish a new unified paradigm: Ex-athletes still have a place as analysts, but not at the overwhelming expense of journalists.

By giving writers the platform to become celebrities, ESPN is rightfully giving them the power to compete against great athletes. They may be talking about Magic’s game, but they are playing Simmons’.

Jarrad Saffren is a senior political science major. His column appears weekly. He can be reached at jdsaffre@syr.edu.

Published on October 23, 2013 at 2:31 am