He moved to the Los Angeles Lakers in 1981, and the future looked bright. However, he suffered a severe knee injury after 26 games, and was not able to play again until 1983. His return during the ‘83 season helped the Lakers a great deal, and they went on to win the championship in 1985. He retired the following year, and began focusing on a career in management, including completing his MBA at UCLA. He has managed the Lakers since 2000, and though many of his decisions have been controversial, the team won the NBA Championships in 2009 and 2010.