If you are an NBA fan, you are familiar with Allen Iverson’s famous rant on practice. In response to a report that Iverson had missed a session (and his coach’s criticism that came with it), he vented to the press and delivered the now famous quotes. While that clip will never cease to make me smile, we must not forget that for all intents and purposes, Iverson was wrong in the big picture. His coach at the time, Larry Brown, came from the Dean Smith tree of coaching that emphasized “playing the right way” and establishing good habits in, yes, practice. Iverson, acknowledged those things, but still turned the moment into a half joke-half serious retort to the idea in principle, going so far as to rhetorically ask how he can make his teammates better by practicing.
I take this trip down memory lane not to beat up The Answer or to try and tarnish the rep of a guy who I used to love to watch compete. No, I bring it up because I was thinking about A.I.’s one time rival, Mr. Kobe Bean Bryant and one of the ways he can most help this year’s Lakers.
In a recent sit down with Dave McMenamin, Nick Young waxed on many topics, including growing up in Los Angeles, his “legend” status as a competitor in the famous Drew League, and returning to the Lakers to try and build on his strong individual campaign last year. He also talked about Kobe and offered these very nice words on his teammate:
“He’s been great, really. He’s been like my mentor, really, right now. He’s been calling, texting me, talking to me, motivating me. I think that’s big. Growing up, who would have thought Kobe would be the one doing all that? I didn’t ever think I’d be working out with Kobe or talking to him.”
Kobe “the mentor” is an idea that comes up periodically from both current and former teammates. Often times it’s framed in the exact manner that Young did, almost in a “who’d have thunk it?” way or as a means of contrasting what is the more general view of Kobe as a teammate. More often than not, we think of Kobe as a guy who will get in teammates faces and tell them the things they don’t want to hear, rather than the nurturing type who builds guys up. He has gone on record as someone who leads through confrontation, after all, so it’s not a surprise that conventional thinking exists.
No leader is any one way all the time, however, so this isn’t a matter of style or tactics or, even, effectiveness (which I’d argue Kobe very much is). It’s a matter of presence. Last year, Kobe was not around. While he was with the team during his comeback from his achilles injury, his presence faded after fracturing a bone in his knee that kept him out after his brief six game return. The longer his absence from the court went, the less and less Kobe was around the guys, either on the bench at the games or at the practices to serve as an example and voice of leadership.
In a way, his absence from the practice court reminded me of the 2011 season. That year, the Lakers were coming off back to back championships and three straight runs to the Finals. Kobe had suffered through knee issues most of the year before and had to have his knee drained on more than one occasion during the playoffs that saw the Lakers dispatch the Celtics in seven games to claim the championship. In 2011, then, Peter Vescey, at that time of the New York Post, broke the news that Kobe Bryant had not been practicing due to recurring issues with his knee. In typical Kobe fashion, he was defiant about his injury, but still acknowledged that his lack of practicing had an impact.
Following the disappointing end to that season, Kobe spoke about this during his exit interview, which Brian Kamenetzky (then with ESPN) captured and discussed:
That Kobe was unable to practice with any consistency is no secret. Asked about how it impacted the team, Bryant said he was disappointed in how the team reacted, believing the players didn’t quite have the same intensity as they otherwise might have, since “big brother” wasn’t on the floor to keep them in line. They could take “days off.” There’s probably some truth to that, but the larger issue is how hard it is for a team to gain continuity on both sides of the ball when the main cog is rarely on the floor to practice. Particularly offensively, where the Lakers struggled to create good looks deeper into games. It wasn’t something that could be avoided — Kobe wasn’t sitting on the sidelines to protect a pedicure, but a bum knee — but was a factor for sure.
This upcoming season, Kobe faces multiple individual challenges. He is coming off major injuries and is staring at his basketball mortality while battling father time. Embedded in the fabric of these challenges, however, is the fact that he must still lead his team. And, in order to do so, he must be a part of the group and, yes, be in practices as the driving force behind creating the culture that Byron Scott is so fond of discussing.
There are complications, however. Even if disregarding the recent injury history, there is the fact that Kobe is…old. He recently called himself “70 in basketball years” and, while it’s a hyperbolic line that inspired a few chuckles, it’s also rooted in truth. After over 50K minutes combined regular season and playoff minutes, Kobe will need the proper rest to play at a high level. This rest needs to be given not only in games, but in practices as well.
Further, Byron Scott is not known for his lax practices. In fact, it’s the opposite. In a recent sit down with Mike Trudell of Lakers.com, the question about how Scott liked to practice was barely completed before “Hard” was coming out the head coach’s mouth. He followed that up with a comment about needing to find a balance, understanding his players, and how he’d handle back to backs, but the implication was clear. Scott will work his players hard in practice in the hopes of drilling them on how things need to be done in game situations. As a Pat Riley disciple, we should not expect less.
For Kobe, then, how this plays out will be something to watch this year. If the team is going to achieve at the levels they hope to internally, Kobe will need to be front and center and providing an example, not just in the games, but in the practices. History has proven as much.
Anonymous says
I can’t stand you Darius. I just wanted you to know that.
ninjagorn says
Well…this are the most profound and analytical responses i ever read…
Darius Soriano says
Well, thanks for taking the time to visit my site and comment anyway, Mr. Anonymous. I’ll also be sure to tweet out more pictures of what I ate for dinner and the new Kobe 9 releases since I know you also enjoy those so much!
KenOak says
Nice read Darius!
sipy26 says
Well in contrast to “Anonymous,” I still very much enjoy the writing on this site. Hate to compare and sadly to say, I feel like Kurt’s writing over at NBC has been on a steady decline. Even beside the glaring typos that I’ve somehow gotten used to, it sunk to an all time low for me when he made a puerile “fat” joke regarding a certain player. Ugh. Anyways, I feel like the content and writing you provide Darius has been balanced, well thought out, and interesting.
Keep up the great work!
Rusty Shackleford says
Cyber bullying filling the slow offseason. That’s unfortunate.
From a fan’s perspective I definitively would have liked to see Kobe ride last season out on the sidelines as an overpaid assistant coach. Maybe he was aware of the amount of expiring contracts on last year’s roster and didn’t feel the need to try to mentor anyone who might end up in Detroit. Or, like me, the coach lost him after responding to being asked about being outrebounded by 20 in Indiana and starting Wesley Johnson against David West by saying “It means nothing to me.”
I’ll see your Cowboys this Sunday Mr. Soriano. 49ers need this win. So many terrible player discretions/injuries before a snap was played.
Chris J says
Nick Young’s comments about Kobe didn’t surprise me. While the Simmons-esque crowd carries on and on about how awful a teammate Kobe was/is, I believe much of that is lingering over from his early years in the league, when Kobe was aloof and unwilling to play the lil’ sidekick to Shaq and other older guys.
Contrast that to what’s often come from within the locker room. In the past decade, I can recall hearing many comments from players such as Turiaf, Vujacic, Ariza and even Odom that spoke of Kobe’s efforts to make them better players — and to earn more money from the contracts that followed their improved play. The fact that he’s now doing the same with Young is an expected, yet welcome, piece of information.
the other Stephen says
I don’t disdain you, Darius, I DAIN you.
Kenny T says
Pretty simple issue here. Kobe shouldn’t try to practice as hard as the younger guys on the team. Byron has plenty of younger guys to put through the wringer in practice. Limiting KB’s minutes in games to keep him fresh all season should carry an addendum of limiting the intensity of his practice time as well.
Renato Afonso says
Well, shaking of a “bad rep” (as in Kobe being a bad teammate) is quite hard to do, even if the player has changed his ways for several years now. Since none of us attend Lakers’ practices during an entire season, we can only rely on what Kobe’s teammates say to the press. Regardless of that, and since they’re all professional players, what matters is the product on the floor. Scott will probably control Kobe’s practices without allowing him to be absent. I believe Kobe will always be present even if he doesn’t take part on all the drills, allowing him to rest his body without losing the so important “muscle memory”.
On the Darius’s hate by mr. Anonymous… it was just hilarious!
sipy26,
Indeed. Kurt’s writing is declining at a steady pace and I find no reason for it. And since we’re comparing, it’s no secret that I really enjoyed the way Kurt ran this ship. He wasn’t as tight as Darius is and he certainly was more easygoing when replying to someone who didn’t share his point of view. I’m not saying that Kurt’s way was better than Darius’. I’m saying that they were/are different and while I was more fond of Kurt’s way that doesn’t mean everyone must agree with me. However, Darius write up on any basketball related topic trumps Kurt’s. Everyone’s different and Darius has done a great job so far so it’s about time that you, Darius, come clean and answer the question everyone’s asking: did you steal Mr. Anonymous lunch money when you were both kids or not?
that guy says
failed to mention wes johnson in there.. havent they been practicing together for awhile now? or touched on darius morris’ recent quote about kobe.. kobe probably does more coaching then practicing… hes like the asst coach.. scotts confidant.. same with nash … the real focus is eliminating young guys mistakes & makin sure they play hard every night.. they have multiple ppl who can create their own shot.. its just MDA lacked structure/discipline …
BigCitySid says
Very nice piece as usual Darius. Like most Laker fans I’m looking forward to Kobe’s return. I feel pretty confident Kobe will be able to average somewhere around 20 points per game…I just wonder if he’ll be ok with that if it’s what’s best for the team and him. Kobe has been quoted in the past basically stating he’d rather retire than just average 20 ppg.
I also wonder just how much he’ll trust his teammates. His current team is far from the most talented he has ever played with. Consider the 2011-2012 season, playing along side of Gasol & Bynum, guys he won titles with, Kobe averaged almost 32% of the fga per 100 possessions. Both Gasol & Bynum had PER’s of 20+, and efg% over 50% that season. Each averaged just 20% of the fga per 100 possessions (http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/LAL/2012.html). Note: this was the lockout shorten season of 66 games. Gasol played 65 games, Bynum, 60 & Kobe 58.
Many will see this as me knocking Kobe, but I’m actually not. I’m simply sharing the types of things I will be looking at this upcoming season. I know many want to see the “I eat 1st” Kobe of old, particularly with this collection of talent. Some believe Kobe will be completely realistic and will do whatever it takes to help this team reach it’s full potential. Others have no clue what to expect, just hope Kobe will have a healthy year and not look like a shadow of himself.
Less than 30 days to training camp. Can’t wait.
Ed says
Kobe is great working with young talent,so I want to see what he can give to Randle and Clarkson.He breaks down the game to see the small details as well as the big picture.What he hates are players who don`t work and don`t listen.
david h says
hey darius: we see what you’re doing here. multitasking by changing gears and stirring the pot at the same time makes for interesting discussion especially when you mix the thought of your not so favorite coach (byron scott) with our revered and not so young (kobe bryant).
since it is said that history repeats itself, somewhere, somehow this happened before but for the life of me, I have no idea where a similar circumstance (incoming coach with hardened experience, technique and former player) has had to wrestle with the idea of how best to deal with an aging superstar that has been essentially his team since the departure of previous superstar shaquille O’Neal. probably the best approach is simply to ask kobe bryant what he wants to do and go with the flow……
I see a movie script being written here just with the thought in mind of what’s going on here in lakerland today. with laker practices and preseason games just around the corner, can hardly wait to see the laker basketball rolling once again. seems like it’s been an eternity. old dog, new tricks? it would take a blending of the both of them.
thanks for keeping it real and peaking our appetites for everything lakers.
Go lakers
Alan says
I was reading the Land o’ Lakers blog and one of the comments had a link to an article about Jim Buss. Here’s the link:
http://thedailysportsherald.blogspot.com/2014/03/jim-buss-timeline-and-decline-of-lakers.html
Clearly the author has a point he wants to make. So those who support Jim should read it with a grain of salt. However, those of us who simply want the Lakers to stop shooting themselves in the foot and move forward will be greatly disturbed.
Brian says
Alan: Clearly the author has a point he wants to make. So those who support Jim should read it with a grain of salt. However, those of us who simply want the Lakers to stop shooting themselves in the foot and move forward will be greatly disturbed.
__
What a downer of a read – not a great way to start the weekend. We can only hope that Jim remains true to the self imposed 3 year challenge to turn the franchise around. I think the only way he steps down is if he fires himself.
Todd says
Just read the article myself. Its six months old and I had never seen it before.
Well, if its true that Jim is in over his head, it would explain why the Lakers’ fortunes have turned so badly. I don’t think you can run an NBA franchise successfully by winging it.
The question we don’t have an answer to is who else sits at the table with Jim? I have always thought that Mitch was not only a good person but he has considerable basketball smarts. So is Jim ignoring Mitch’s advice or is Mitch pressured into rubber stamping Jim’s decisions.
It also sounds like Jeannie and Jim’s roles are completely separate – Jim doesn’t get involved with her job and she in turn leaves the basketball operations to him.
Would be nice if the picture Jeannie painted in recent interviews (that Jim reported to her and that the buck does indeed stop with her) were true. Maybe that was a recent decision in light of the heat the franchise is under. Or, was it just the best thing to say since she has considerable more empathy from the fans?
Craig W. says
Other than being engaged to Phil Jackson, what exactly makes Jeannie such an NBA whiz? She has never been in on personnel moves. She is an outstanding ‘front’ for the organization and she would seem to have very good ‘business chops’, but simply liking a person doesn’t make them qualified to make player decisions.
Jim has taken the lion’s share of the blame for all the mistakes over the last several years, but gets no credit for decisions that looked good at the time, but didn’t work out. I don’t say he ‘walks on water’, but this media ‘blitz’ intimating he is simply a ‘boob’ really smells like piling on just to boost supposed ratings. The fan-base has simply followed these loonies over the cliff on this one.
Robert says
While I have read many others like it, I too had not previously seen the Buss article linked by Alan above. It s a masterpiece and is completely accurate and factual depiction of the Jim Buss era. And yes – the author does have a point he ants to make. believe that point is that he Lakers need new leadership. For those who do not want to read the whole thing, this paragraph sums it up well.
In addition to a penchant for making poor decisions regarding coaching and personnel, Jim Buss also appears to minimize the role others have played in the success of the Lakers (such as scouts, Jerry West, or Phil Jackson); is capable of letting petty jealousies impact how he runs the team (treatment of Phil Jackson, Jeanie Buss, and others); and is too shy and insecure to be the face of the franchise.
Like I said – the article is a masterpiece.
Fern says
I supported most of the decisions of the last 3 years, i am not going to lie, and i have faith the Lakers will be fine eventually, but i confess i never read all the misteps in a single article like that, the evidence is there, Some moves that the article critizes i supported and i wont change my mind about those, the rest put in a chronological order like that felt like a punch in the gut. If it’s true that Jim leaked false reports about Jackson’s demands, thats the lowest of the low. Really hard to root for a guy that petty. BTW i absolutely loved the Star Wars references. Excellent article, thanks Allan.
bryan S. says
Greg Monroe signed the minimum qualifying offer with Detroit. He will be a UFA next summer. Not a max guy though he will probably get that given the dearth of young bigs available through
free agency. Good scorer, passer. Not a rim protector. Big body, good hands. Young enough to still improve.
rr says
Other than being engaged to Phil Jackson, what exactly makes Jeannie such an NBA whiz? She has never been in on personnel moves.
—
Again, the argument is that she would stay out of the way, and let basketball people run the team, while also providing a positive public face for the organization–not that she is a guru on personnel.
As to Jim, he said it himself after Phil went to New York: if the team is not a contender in three-four years–and Jim specified contender as being of Conference Finals quality–then he will step down. So, you can defend him, and criticize others, every day if you want to, but the bottom line on the situation has come directly from Jim Buss himself. End of story.
rr says
As to the article, it is slanted in some ways to make Jim look as bad as possible, but at the same time, it does detail many facts. Until Jim Buss makes some big decisions that are both easily explainable and demonstrably successful, the criticism will be there. And given Jim’s back story and personality, and the Lakers’ history, that criticism will be harsh.
KO says
Just read the the Allen post. So——/
How many times have a brought up the ills of nepotism the past 2 years? Many!
So where is the surprise? As Robert, rr myself and others have been preaching,
Jim is a vendictive, unqualified, incompetent man who had NEVER had any success in any business on his own.
How many blasts about firing Lester or anyone who supported Phil like Lamar, Metta, Fish, Shaw and on and on.
Several times I pointed out what I was told about the Paul deal. Zero due diligence from a spoiled guy who never dealt with real life business decisions in his life. One phone call or checking the rules would have saved 2 years of in embarisment . Jimmy is the type that if he ran into your car he would blame you for being on the road. No way he takes responsibility for that mess up or anything.
Sad part is his sister is smarter, actually went to college and honest. But is not strong enough or had the backbone to stand up and fight Jim.
Even worse is Mitch, a student of West, appears to have become a yes man. More concerned with his pay check then doing the right thing and stopping Jimmy’s bad hires and dumb moves.
I once asked Mitch at a pre-season game 2 years ago if Mike D was the right coach for a older Kobe and a post up Dwight. He shrugged his shoulders and walked away. Exactly what he has been doing the last 2 years under King Jimmy.
Bottem line, as long as Jimmy is involved with this team it will fail. Living in denial, never succeeding in his life and refusing to allow real basketball people to run this team will continue to distroy this once proud franchise.
Only hope is the TW ratings fall so much that a buy out clause allows them to void the deal unless Jimmy is replaced. Save your money Magic!
Oh but for the curse of nepotism!
McCort and Jim Buss two egomaniacal owners that should never be given any professional team to run. Both would screw up women’s championship hopscotch league.
Thanks
BigCitySid says
This Jim Buss article unfortunately reinforces what many realistic Laker fans believe…our current front office is a mess :-(. This leads me to believe the Lakers best chance of turning things around will be based on luck. I’m not a fan of that method.
Darius, what’s your take on the piece?
gene says
Kobe leaving the team before the season ended…. Not good!!!
mud says
we’ve become a TMZ fanbase….
rr says
we’ve become a TMZ fanbase….
—
Nah. This is simply what it’s like when you are rooting for a bad team that has a questionable direction. The only other teams in the conference that are in somewhat similar limbo-like states are Denver and Sacramento, and both of those teams probably have more talent than the Lakers do. The other non-playoff teams:
Phoenix
Utah
Minnesota
New Orleans
All have very specific reasons, and specific players, on which to pin future hopes. Some people at FBG are pinning such hopes on Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson, and I hope they are right. But that is not the prevailing perception of the future value of those players.The Lakers are generally seen as being a bad team with a less-than-bright foreseeable future, and there are very specific reasons to believe that is the case.
I like and respect both Robert and KO, so I don’t mind being grouped with them, but my take on Jim Buss is not quite as harsh as theirs is. I don’t really know if Jim is petty, vindictive, and incompetent. He may be. But I do know that most of his big moves have not worked out very well, his quals for his present job are extremely questionable, and that this organization is arguably in as bad a position in terms of roster and future assets as any in the game.
J C says
Ko
don’t be so shy – why not tell us how you really feel?
J C says
Kobe’s reputation as a teammate precedes him.
However, it was pretty cool to hear what Nick Young had to say recently.
Is Kobe finally wising up?
Will he have the patience to let his teammates make a few mistakes without losing faith in them and without breaking their spirit?
I hope so.
Many may perceive that I’m a Kobe detractor.
At times I may be, but at the same time I fully recognize his immense and unique god-given talent, and unparalleled work ethic and I’m proud of him and what he has achieved.
I truly hope his final chapter resonates well.
Miles says
If Jim is truly incompetent and is responsible for the Lakers current state of disarray then Jeannie and her other siblings have the duty to remove him. Why is this such a difficult decision? Jeannie told everyone that she is in charge – she needs to act like it.
Ted says
I don’t think Jeannie or the family will act until it is clear that the money train is derailed. So we’ll need lower attendance, poor ratings and a drop in advertising dollars. Unfortunately, this may take a number of years to play out.
If the right decisions aren’t made with cap space, trades and the draft Jim will face intense pressure from his own promise to step down in 3 or 4 years. That may be the best we can hope for.
Darius Soriano says
Sid,
My take on that article is that it’s a hit piece. As someone who writes and edits other’s writing I know when someone is taking a harsh approach to a subject matter and not truly representing a balanced take. That article was very much not balanced, but it is what it is. Folks who would champion that article do so because it lines up with their own harsh view of Jim. Again, it is what it is.
Mud, the Lakers have long been a team that is covered in a manner that tries to seize upon drama and highlight it. The difference is, in the past, the team was mostly good enough to make it so those stories faded over the course of a season or had an in-his-prime Kobe as a focal point that could turn people’s focus back to positives (i.e. he was just that good). This team is not perceived to be good and that only amplifies the drama. Fans, especially those spoiled by past success, will seize upon that to vent even more than they already did because, you know, some fans will never be happy anyway.
The way I watch games is that I enjoy winning, hate losing, but, mostly, just love basketball. So I can watch a team that will never challenge for a title and enjoy the product if they are playing hard and maximizing their potential. Not everyone is like that and it is fine. To each their own. But, the beauty of running my own site is that I write what I want and it will always be based off my perspective. If people don’t like that, they don’t have to read it. But I’m still going to write it. Ha.
rr says
If the right decisions aren’t made with cap space, trades and the draft Jim will face intense pressure from his own promise to step down in 3 or 4 years. That may be the best we can hope for
—
Pretty much. I think in 3-4 years either the Lakers will be good again, in which case Jim’s critics will be much quieter, or they won’t, in which case his defenders will be much quieter. And I do think that if the team has a string of seasons like 2013-14, he will step down.
Where it will get dicey is if the team is decent (say 45-37 or so) but not good. In that scenario, I think there will be a lot of division about him, both in the org and in the fanbase.
A couple of points:
1. The Paul/Nash/Howard sequence was disastrous enough that the Lakers will probably need 1-3 moves to work out as well as those moves worked out badly to get back into contention any time soon.
2. Giving out Kobe’s deal, drafting Randle, and hiring Scott are the three biggest decisions the Lakers have made since Jerry Buss passed. Jim needs them to work.
3. The Lakers need to land a major talent or two in either or both of the next two-off-seasons or via trade, if Jim is going to keep his timetable.
mud says
Darius, i pretty much agree with your take on the Buss article and watching games.
what if your home team was the Cleveland Browns?
Gunslinger says
LOVED the Star Wars article. It 100% aligns with my perspective. As a huge fan of Jerry Buss, Frank Mariani ( played poker with him), and Phil Jackson i am disturbed by the direction of my favorite team.
Particularly thinks like the Lester dismissal speak of poor management.
I hope things turn around.
KO says
Fair and balanced response Darius. The older I get the more important it is to have a competitive team to watch.
Does it make sense? No but after 40 years it’s the perfect reason they called it Fan atic. At no time did I ever feel I could do a better job then Jerry/Jerry. At no time do I feel the same sbout Jim. Oh well.
Vasheed says
When I read the Laker news I’m given the impression the F.O. is always swinging for a home run. Problem is they are more then 1 move away from setting things straight. Signing Anthony might have made them better but would have left question marks up and down the roster with little way of filling them. They lack picks, desirable contracts, a core group to build around, etc. I understand the Lakers desire for a marketable face for the franchise but I believe it has gotten in the way of decision making.
Well at least it does look like this year going into training camp the Lakers will have everyone healthy to get off to a start implementing the plans of a new coach. Its a big positive over the last couple of years and I’ll take it.
Jerke says
obviously Kobe has had some growing/maturation issues as a leader and could be considered to be aloof/standoffish at times – but concerns/views about him being a “bad” teammate or leader seem to be terribly overblown. If you contrast him with Jordan, MJ was always about insuring that he was the alpha dog and that teammates had to play to his expected level – otherwise he’d punk you daily in practice or go to blows w anyone that stood up to him (ala steve kerr of all people). On MJ’s teams Phil was the leader – doing the cajoling, building guys up, convincing jordan to be patient etc… PJ held those teams together – MJ was never the leader, never the guy to pick someone up. Sure MJ is goat as a player, but people never went to war with him because of his leadership qualities.
Kobe on the other hand is just plain and simple about business – which comes off as aloof and holier than thou occassionally but as long as you put the work/time/practice in, in my mind he’s always tried to make an effort to be there for his guys. Does he have high standards – yep – but as long as guys work for it ala fish, or young, or anyone else- then you have his respect and at least he won’t dog you constantly. It seems like its a big deal when every once in a while a story comes out from some guy about how kobe has been working w a young player etc… but over the years I keep thinking there’s been more than a few of those stories. For all his faults, Kobe has tried to do the right thing by younger players willing to learn. At some point, its niot surprising anymore – the fact is Kobe is a halfway decent leader/mentor. Does it work w all players – nope (see Howard, D), but guys who have some thick skin and can get down to business never seem to do poorly around Kobe.
Personally I might think Young is a bit of a wacky/annoying personality at times, but never have heard his energy/willingness to work be questioned yet – which is good for him because he might need to do as much as he can during practice learning from Kobe because if Mamba is resonably healthy, youngs court time this year is gonna shrink a bunch
bryan S. says
KO: Enjoy the journey. We are in the same age range, and I feel just the opposite. Like Darius, I love basketball. As I said before, I’ve seen a lot of winning as a Laker fan. Now we have a lot of losing .Don’t enjoy the losing, but I still love the game, still love the Lakers. I try to not get too high or too low. The game is the thing . . . .
Darius: spot on critique of the piece
anon007 says
funny, when I talked to Mitch about D’Antoni, he had only positive things to say, then when I spoke with Jeannie she admitted she had no clue about the player personnel part of the family business, and when I channeled the late great Dr. Buss he said Phil Jackson was a leach. Go figure.
Fern says
That article after a second reading is a exercise on hindsight, for example the Fisher trade, i know a large section of the fanbase wanted a change in the pg position for all the reasons we know, as much as i admire and apreciate what Fish did, he needed to go, when the first rumors of the Session trade surfaced months before it actually happened i was all for it, that trade was a good trade and even if Ramon didn’t worked out we got Jordan Hill out of it and he has produced quite a bit. That the aurhor mention his problems with MDA is ridiculous because MDA wasn’t even in the picture then, hindsight writing, im convinced that if we kept Sessions and he got to play a full season with the team he might had been able to contribute more and adapt to being in LA he is a better player than Blake and it took Steve Blake a couple of seasons to find his stride with the Lakers, but we let him go and got Nash which everybody believed was an upgrade, didnt work out, thats just an example of the author more than a writer, being a fan and critisizing from the perspective of looking back. Thats easy to do. Some parts are agree but most of i dont after a second reading. Its a interesting article but needs a lot more balance.
Tra says
Looks as if some owners are taking heed after the Sterling/Clippers circus –
http://m.espn.go.com/nba/story?storyId=11481937
Baylor Fan says
Yes it is a hit piece on Jim Buss, however it highlights his biggest obstacle in running the Lakers. He needs to learn to share the glory. Even in his threat to leave, it is all about Jim. For the Lakers to succeed, he needs to trust his GM and coach and work together to rebuild the team and not worry about individual glory.
KO says
Daniel agreed. After this long there is no panic. Just often a slightly possessed articulation of my feelings.
It’s a Italian thing mixed with being a sore loser.
rr says
ESPNSteinLine Marc Stein
Hearing new Lakers coach Byron Scott is closing on the addition of Igor Kokoskov, one of Europe’s finest coaching exports, to his LA staff
Tyson says
The Buss article is incredible. You read that quality piece and then read some of the weaker writing out there like with the Kamenetzky jokers and it’s like comparing Shakespeare to a first grader.
Darius, I disagree. That “fair and balanced” verbiage sounds like some Fox news propaganda. Here is a better way to view the article: Is it factually correct and truthful?
Yes it is. And therefore it’s a superior piece.
Found another interesting write-up blasting the ESPN lies in their Bad Boys Documentary by the same author: http://thedailysportsherald.blogspot.com/2014/06/top-dozen-lies-of-revisionist-bad-boys.html