Michigan native Magic Johnson, continuing to look for roles that give him a larger presence in a franchise than the current minority ownership in the Lakers, expressed interest Friday in being part of a group that buys the Pistons or at least in joining his hometown team in a front-office capacity. Johnson stressed he has not had any formal talks about either possibility, with other potential suitors or the Davidson family that put the team on the market, and that he would not be a majority owner because it would mean relocating from Los Angeles, the very reason some close to him note the Pistons are not a realistic match. But Johnson told NBA.com at the press conference leading up to Hall of Fame ceremonies tonight that "some people had called me and wanted me to [know] if I'm interested in being a part of a group to own the Pistons." The Lansing, Mich., native who attended Michigan State was involved with a group that in recent months made a serious bid to buy the Warriors, before Joe Lacob and Peter Gruber completed the purchase for an announced $450 million, a record for an NBA team. Johnson would have sold what is believed to be a five-percent stake in the Lakers for a larger, but unknown portion, in Golden State, while still living in L.A. and making the easy jet commute to the Bay Area. Read more: http://www.nba.com/2010/news/08/13/johnson.pistons/index.html?ls=iref:nbahpt2
