Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) – Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Jim Buss is back everyone! Buss, part-owner and executive vice president of basketball operations, is infamous for interviews in which he puts his foot in his mouth and has become something of a lightning rod for Los Angeles Lakers fans.
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Whether fairly or unfairly, Buss has become a scapegoat in the Lakers front office, and he’s back in an interview with Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times.
In the interview, Buss revealed what he believes to be the definition of success for him and what he thinks about Kobe Bryant‘s contract and future. Once again, Buss didn’t back down from his three-year timeline.
Buss is part of a front office that has taken a lot of heat for the last contract they gave to an aging “Black Mamba.” Bryant’s two-year contract, worth $48 million, made him the highest paid player in the NBA fresh from a left Achilles tear.
Laker fans questioned the move because it limited the team’s options in free agency moving forward. Buss defended the move, “the man has done so much for the Lakers and Lakers nation, he deserves the money.”
This stance furthers the company line that the Lakers are a team that will reward their franchise players with large contracts past their prime.
“ has done so much for the Lakers…he deserves the money.” – Jim Buss
The money given to Bryant was never about his current condition and what he could provide on the floor. It was about what he had given the organization the last 15 years.
The deal was made to impress the players who aren’t in a Lakers uniform that this franchise takes care of their own.
Next: Kobe Won't be Forced Out