The NBA world is clamoring for Kobe Bryant to take over as Lakers president after Magic Johnson's shocking departure

Ton iL. Sandys/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Magic Johnson announced his retirement as president of the Lakers on Tuesday night, and many think that Kobe Bryant should be next to take the job.

• Magic Johnson stepped down as president of the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday in a shocking move.
• Almost immediately, NBA fans on Twitter called for Kobe Bryant to become the next person to take the position.
• Bryant becoming president of the Lakers seems unlikely due to his commitment to other projects, but the idea was apparently too enticing for many fans to pass up.

Magic Johnson announced he was stepping down as Lakers president on Tuesday in a shocking turn of events, and almost immediately, fans clamored for Kobe Bryant to be the person to take his place.

The unexpected news stemmed from an impromptu press conference Johnson held on Tuesday night, announcing his decision to retire from the position.

"Somebody's going to have to tell my boss because I knew I couldn't be face-to-face and tell her ... I couldn't stand to tell her," Johnson said, according to The Athletic's Bill Oram.

Read more: Magic Johnson steps down as Lakers president without telling team owner Jeannie Buss in bizarre and shocking move

While the news came as a shock, Lakers fans and basketball fans, in general, didn't hesitate to name Kobe Bryant as their choice as successor to the position.

Whether out of irony, curiosity, or actual excitement, on Twitter, many in the NBA world said that they were ready to see what Bryant would do as president of the franchise.

On TNT, Lakers legend Shaquille O'Neal gave another potential option for the Lakers, saying that he hoped Jerry West would be considered for the position.

A return from Bryant to the Lakers feels unlikely, as he seems rather committed to a post-basketball life in Hollywood, working to develop short films and young adult novels since his retirement from the NBA.

Still, it seems the thought of him helping run a team led by LeBron James was too enticing for some fans to not at least fantasize about.

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