The NBA’s investigation into potential tampering between the Los Angeles Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers forward Ben Simmons is over. The Lakers have been cleared of tampering and will not be punished after the NBA confirmed details that the Sixers initiated the contact between the two teams.
“We have concluded that Magic Johnson’s statements regarding Ben Simmons do not constitute a tampering violation,” the NBA released in a statement Tuesday. “The Philadelphia 76ers initiated the contact with the Los Angeles Lakers by requesting a meeting between Johnson and Simmons. Both organizations ultimately concluded that such a meeting did not make sense at this time but in that context, Johnson’s response to a media inquiry regarding Simmons does not run afoul of league rules.”
Sixers general manager Elton Brand raised questions about the contact between the Lakers and Simmons during a radio interview on Monday, in which he said insinuated it was he who shot the idea down.
The Lakers released a statement on Monday saying that the discussion of a mentorship between Simmons and Magic Johnson ended after Rob Pelinka told the Sixers such a meeting would require pre-written approval.
While Magic Johnson and the Lakers have frequently found themselves in a precarious positions when it comes to tampering, the Ben Simmons situation of 2019 shouldn’t be remembered as one of them.
