Mar 12, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers injured player Kobe Bryant (middle) in the first half during the game against the New York Knicks at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
Lastly, Buss was asked about his now notorious “three-year plan” in which the Lakers would have to be considered competitive within that time frame or he would quit.
That line is something Laker fans have latched on to and, just in case one would like to keep track, the organization is one year into that deadline. To his credit, Buss has never backed down from that statement.
In fact, he repeated in the interview that, “if we’re not back contending in two years from now, then really I haven’t done my job.”
Buss went on to say that if the team can’t get back to being competitive in the next two years, then he shouldn’t be “a core player” either.
Laker fans have made no bones about how much they dislike Buss, but the man has stuck to his guns even though his sister, part-owner of the Lakers and the team’s president and governor, Jeanie Buss has held him to the timeline so publicly.
It puts an incredible amount of pressure on him, but it seems as though he’s embracing that pressure and trying to live up to it.
It’s hard to imagine a world where Laker fans embrace Buss, but he said all the right things in this interview. It’s encouraging to see the team with a cohesive plan for the present in order to reach the lofty goals they have set for themselves in the future.
Bryant has been the face of the franchise for 20 years and the sole face of the franchise for the last ten. Moving on from “Vino” is going to be a difficult transition, but the Lakers are intent on moving in a new direction with the roster they’re currently building.
Fans might not be excited about Buss right now. Hopefully, they come around and start to get enthusiastic about what he’s helping build for the next five years to come.
Next: Is Robert Upshaw the Lakers' Next Hassan Whiteside?
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