Lakers co-owner Jeanie Buss made an appearance on The Herd to talk all things Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers co-owner and team president Jeanie Buss made an appearance on radio personality Colin Cowherd’s show, talking about the free agency, Byron Scott, her role in the team, and more.
To start, Jeanie provided public support for her brother, Jim, who has been the target of much criticism for the team’s woes since the death of legendary owner Dr. Jerry Buss.
Though the Lakers are not in an especially marketable situation heading into free agency, Jeanie communicated her confidence in the team’s ability to improve this summer.
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In addition to free agent acquisitions, Buss stated that in-season trades were also a possibility as a means of improving the team and returning to contender status, however difficult that may be.
Indeed, Jeanie’s confidence in her brother’s ability to construct a contending team by next season extended to her continued insistence on the infamous “3 year timeline.”
When asked about the timeline, Jeanie affirmed her stance that Jim will step down if the team isn’t competing in the playoffs by next season.
This may seem like a ridiculous notion, especially when considering that the Lakers only won 17 games this season. To go from winning less than 20 games to competing for a championship within a span of a year may seem outrageous, but not for Jeanie. This goes to show her confidence (or overconfidence, depending on your perspective) in the team’s ability to rebuild quickly.
In spite of the temptation to help in the process of winning games, however, Buss maintained that she is not involved in front office decisions. Jeanie even claimed that she was unaware of Byron Scott’s firing until she had checked her phone during the night of the firing.
Jeanie Buss says she didn't know Byron Scott was going to be let go. Didn't anticipate a change like that was coming.
— Kristine Leahy (@KristineLeahy) April 26, 2016
Jeanie also touched on Kobe Bryant’s farewell tour, making sure to pay her respects to the 20 year veteran and claim that his farewell did not stunt the development of the Lakers’ young core.
Overall, Buss’ public comments confirm a notion that is perhaps already blatant, for better or for worse: she is just as much of an outsider to the team as fans. Though she claims that the functional discord between her and Jim is intentional, it’s certainly important to note her disengagement in all basketball operations.
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If this is the case, however, Jeanie’s detachment from the front office brings up the question: why is she the one being summoned for public interviews?