Hall of famer Magic Johnson sent shock waves throughout the Lakers organization and the NBA as a whole after announcing Tuesday night that he is stepping down after just two years as the team’s president of basketball operations.

“It’s a difficult decision. I cried before I came here,” Johnson said as he choked back tears while making the announcement before the Lakers’ regular-season finale against the Portland Trail Blazers, a 104-101 loss. “I am about to cry now. It’s hard when you love an organization the way I love this organization. It’s hard when you love a person like I love Jeanie [Buss]. I don’t want to disappoint her.”

But Johnson also made it clear that the decision leaves him in a happier state.

“I want to go back to having fun,” he said. “I want to go back to being who I was before taking on this job.”

Johnson said the decision had nothing to do with Luke Walton’s future as the team’s head coach. He admitted, however, that he wanted to avoid Walton’s job coming between him and Buss, the Lakers’ controlling owner and governor who has been a staunch supporter of the coach.

The Lakers thanked Johnson in a statement, saying in part, “There is no greater Los Angeles Laker than Earvin Johnson. … He will always be not only a Lakers icon, but our family.” Buss echoed those sentiments in a tweet, writing: “Earvin, I loved working side by side with you. You’ve brought us a long way. We will continue the journey. We love you.”

The Lakers finished the season 37-45 and went 35-47 last season. The team has not made the playoffs since 2013.