# Jim Buss is destroying the front office....



## King Sancho Fantastic

> Kobe Bryant spoke, and his words carried all the way back to Los Angeles, and beyond.
> 
> He spoke up for his teammate, Pau Gasol, in the hopes that his words would bring some sort of closure to the novella surrounding the Spaniard's future with the Lakers. Bryant likes Gasol, wants him to stay with the Lakers, but enough is enough with the limbo.
> 
> "When Kobe speaks up, it means things are getting bad," said a person with ties to the Lakers superstar. "It means nobody's telling him anything."
> 
> But there were other motives behind Bryant's words, and people familiar with how things have been running within the Lakers organization believe it's about time somebody unleashed those words and the motives behind them. General manager Mitch Kupchak issued a written statement Monday night responding to Bryant's rant, essentially saying the only thing that could be said: Management will explore trades, and to say otherwise would be futile and detrimental to the team.
> 
> But Kupchak was not the intended target of Bryant's profanity-laced screed Sunday night in Phoenix, when he said of trading Gasol, "If they're going to do something, I wish they would just (expletive) do it. If they're not going to do it, come out and say you're not going to do it."
> 
> As a practical matter, this can't be done; the Magic have stated publicly they're not trading Dwight Howard, and that hasn't stopped the maelstrom, hasn't stopped the offers from rolling in. But the real motivation behind Bryant going public was to shed light on the dysfunctional, borderline comical way the Lakers are handling their basketball business and hope it prompts someone to fix it.
> 
> So here it is: The Lakers' front office is an uncommunicative, rudderless fiasco, and the unrest and paranoia that have been festering for years threaten to derail the team's plans to ride Bryant to his sixth NBA title while they still can. And much of it can be traced to the growing influence of executive vice president Jim Buss, the owner's bon vivant son, who has helped transform a great franchise into a steaming pool of nepotism and nincompoops.
> 
> In the months leading up to the lockout, the Lakers got rid of assistant general manager Ronnie Lester and most of his scouts. Rudy Garciduenas, the equipment manager for nearly 30 years, was let go. Alex McKechie, a renowned sports science expert, was told to pack up and was quickly scooped up by the Raptors. International scout Adam Fillippi wound up with the Bobcats.
> 
> The list goes on. Longtime associates of former coach Phil Jackson were let go as the Lakers tried to "wash off anything that had touched" the decorated coach, a person with ties to the front office said. Brian Shaw, Bryant's preference to succeed Jackson, was interviewed for the job but came away with the clear impression that any efforts to associate himself with Jackson would "hurt him, not help him," a coaching industry source said.
> 
> None of these people, who formed what a longtime NBA executive called one of the best front office staffs in the league, was given the courtesy of knowing whether they would be brought back after the lockout ended. Some are still waiting for that phone call.
> 
> Joey Buss, another son of the owner who runs the team's D-League franchise, has moved into Jackson's old office. Jesse Buss, 23, who was arrested for alcohol intoxication in Lexington, Ky., on a "scouting" trip in December, has moved into Lester's former office.
> 
> Not that anyone supposedly doing scouting or other basketball work is seen much around the team's facilities these days. Jim Buss, who supposedly is the team's director of player personnel, is virtually unreachable -- including by me. He didn't respond to my request for comment through the team's media relations department, and his direct number is not listed in the Lakers directory that is distributed to teams. Even people who work in the basketball operations department have "no clue who's on the staff," said a person with direct knowledge of the organization's structure.
> 
> "It would be interesting to find out who's doing the scouting," the person said.
> 
> Kupchak tried to fight to keep his staff, and his efforts were appreciated by some and viewed as not enough by others. The GM is "on an island by himself," said another person familiar with the situation.
> 
> "He doesn't know who to trust anymore," said another.
> 
> The advance pro scout, Clay Moser, was brought on board by coach Mike Brown. Of the three college scouts listed in the Lakers' media guide, Ryan West -- Jerry's son -- is the only one with a résumé and a workload. The others are Jesse Buss, who's currently unable to travel due to an injured leg, and a guy known throughout the organization simply as "Chaz." His name in the media guide is Charles Osborne, and supposedly he's a nice guy.
> 
> "A good guy," said a person who has dealt with the Lakers' front-office dysfunction in various management roles with other teams. "Great bartender."
> 
> That's right, the book on Chaz is that he's a former bartender who also happens to be longtime friends with Jim Buss from their days in the horseracing business. But if you're looking in bars and racetracks, you're much more likely to find a sports writer to chronicle this circus than a viable trade option for Gasol.
> 
> And that brings us to what all this means in the grand scheme of things for the Lakers. Bryant isn't the only one who doesn't know what's going on, who isn't being kept in the loop on the organization's plans. In short, nobody is. And that's a problem.
> 
> Brown, hired in May, learned of the team's decision to trade Lamar Odom to the Mavericks for essentially nothing after the deal already had been completed. Sources with ties to the team say no explanation has been given to Bryant or Brown as to what the Lakers plan to do with the trade exception received in the deal.
> 
> Odom's frustration erupted after he was included in the aborted trade to New Orleans that would've sent Chris Paul to the Lakers. And now the same lack of communication, indecision and inertia are eroding Gasol's fragile psyche and pushing Bryant to the point of disgust.
> 
> "Kobe's exploding, and he should," said another person with ties to the franchise. "Your lead player, you should always have communication with him let him know what's going on. There's no communication, and that's ridiculous."
> 
> The only Buss who's around less than those in the scouting department is the one Buss who should be around more: Jeanie, the Lakers' vice president of business operations and Jackson's longtime girlfriend. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times last week, Jeanie Buss explained her frequent absence from her customary seat across from the Lakers' bench in this way: "This year has been just different for me."
> 
> "Change is hard, nobody likes change," she said. "This has been hard for me. I like the old coach. I was biased. But you can't freeze time, and we have to move on."
> 
> But move on to what? The Lakers are a mess, have been decaying for a few years now. Once one of the finest and classiest organizations in sports, it is no longer a fun place to work, to put it mildly. From the Odom salary dump to nearly the entire scouting staff being thrown overboard, pennies are being pinched at a time when the Lakers have entered a 20-year regional cable deal worth a reported $3 billion.
> 
> "For such a storied franchise, supposedly first class and all that, it's not what you think behind the bars there," said the person who has dealt with the Lakers as a longtime executive with other teams. "It's overrated."
> 
> And in trouble. And if Bryant was trying to wake people up -- "embarrass" them, as he told the New York Post in December when describing the motivation behind his infamous 2007 trade demand -- it was a good try. Kupchak is just trying to hold what's left of the organization together, putting out statements and putting out fires. But no one else is around to listen, and so this one might blaze for a while.
> 
> "The other GMs know what's going on," said one of the people familiar with the Lakers' chaos. "Jim has no relationships with other GMs, and they also know they're going to be able to swoop in there and do things [in trades]. This is a real critical time. The chances of Dwight Howard coming in there are slim and none at this point."
> 
> Before the Lakers even consider such a move, it would seem they need to get their own house in order first.


http://www.cbssports.com/nba/story/17362549/kobes-frustration-a-reflection-on-lakers-deteriorating-front-office/rss

WTF?! Chaz the bartender?!! **** you Jim Buss!!


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## Basel

Funny that in 2007, we all hated Mitch Kupchak and never even thought about Jim Buss. Now we all love Kupchak and absolutely hate Jim Buss, who is indeed doing his very best at making a mockery of this franchise.


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## DaRizzle

Yeah, this is a pretty damaging and telling article. I cant believe the 23yo DUI son is running the Dfenders. I cant believe Chaz the bartender is a scout. Dr. Buss please fire your family besides Jeanie. Make a stipulation in your will that the Lakers must be sold if any of your sons hold a job in management or any job that affects the product on the court.

The botched CP3 trade will hurt the Lakers for 5 years
Jim Buss will hurt the Lakers for 40 years


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## 29380

Don't forget former cheerleader & Hooters girl turned scout & D-fenders assistant GM Bonnie-Jill Laflin


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## GNG

Knicks4life said:


> Don't forget former cheerleader & Hooters girl turned scout & D-fenders assistant GM Bonnie-Jill Laflin


I'd hire her, too.


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## jazzy1

If Jim stays in charge the Lakers will be a laughing stock in the league for the next couple decades. When you erode quality people from the management staff and from scouting there is nothing left but neophytes like Jim to run things. Mitch is sure to bail on this soon. And I predict when Mich bails Kobe is gone as well. 

Kobe won't finish his career as a Laker. Never thought that possible till now. 

Jim is an insecure tool who wants to prove he's as good as daddy. So instead of piggybacking the successful formula he wants to tear down the Mona Lisa and use finger paints to draw stick figures, And everyone is gonna laugh at this franchise. 

If I'm Pau I want out of this bullshit because if they lose he's gonna get all the ****ing blame. He should just demand a trade at this point. Pau has a shot at the HOF as a player he doesn't wanna **** that up being the guy seen as the loafer who messed up the Lakers. 

Bad bad things are ahead for all of us Lakers fans.


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## e-monk

big daddy needs to come back and clean up this mess - paging Dr Buss? Dr Buss?


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## elcap15

Okay, Im going to play a little devil's advocate here.

This article, which cites no sources and uses a lot of chopped up quotes, sounds like a lot of bullshit to me. If this front office is so inept, how did they make a trade this offseason for the best point guard in the NBA? It wasnt Jim Buss that screwed up the CP3 trade, it was Stern. Everyone is getting up in arms because our new FO hasnt been able to make 2 blockbuster deals before the trade deadline?! Give them a break.

Look, there are definitely some things I find concerning, (lack of communication with coaches/players, firing long term employees before the lockout) but everyone needs to take step back from the cliff. Despite what the unamed source said, people know how to get in contact with the Lakers and will be willing to work with us.


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## Diable

While the Buss boy might be a bumbling idiot for all I know, there really isn't a lot that anyone could do to make the Lakers a lot better this year. Only thing you could really do is try to develop players, let Fisher and World Peach rot on the end of the bench and try to figure out if someone else would help you. The Lakers don't have much leverage to make moves, so even if you had a genius running the front office he'd be walking around with a cap pistol and no caps. The obvious thing to do is rebuild from the ground, but Kobe and the Laker fans are not going to be down with that.


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## e-monk

you could start by not blowing up your entire front office, or maybe knowing that there was going to be a lock out and virtually no preseason or training camp choose a coach who represented continuity over one who planned on installing a system that the team is incapable of executing because they dont have a point guard, maybe dont swap a second round pick and lamar for cash and a late 1st round pick?

notes from last night's players only meeting:

Metta: Hey! What's all this laying around stuff? Why are you all still laying around here for? 
Barnes: What the hell are we supposed to do, ya moron? We're all expelled. There's nothing to fight for anymore. 
Pau: [to Metta] Let it go. War's over, man. Stern dropped the big one. 
Metta: What? Over? Did you say "over"? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no! 
Kobe[to Fish] Germans? 
Fish: Forget it, he's rolling. 
Metta: And it ain't over now. 'Cause when the goin' gets tough... 
[thinks hard of something to say] 
Metta: The tough get goin'! Who's with me? Let's go! 
[Metta runs out, alone; then returns] 
Metta: What the **** happened to the Lakers I used to know? Where's the spirit? Where's the guts, huh? This could be the greatest night of our lives, but you're gonna let it be the worst. "Ooh, we're afraid to go with you Metta, we might get in trouble." Well just kiss my ass from now on! Not me! I'm not gonna take this. Stern, he's a dead man! Jim Buss, dead! Dan Gilbert... 
Kobe: Dead! Metta's right. Psychotic... but absolutely right. We gotta take these bastards. Now we could do it with conventional weapons, but that could take years and cost millions of lives. No, I think we have to go all out. I think that this situation absolutely requires a really futile and stupid gesture be done on somebody's part! 
BMetta: We're just the guys to do it. 
Pau: [stands up] Yeah, I agree. Let's go get 'em. 
Fish: Let's do it!

fin


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## Dre

I was going to post this...this is a crazy article. Maybe the silence is really silence.


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## Floods

Lol this guy just looks like a tool.


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## King Sancho Fantastic




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## e-monk

mullet?


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## Luke

**** Jim Buss.

You know you're probably inept if fans are calling for your freaking sister to take over the team.


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## e-monk

seriously? no love for the transposed animal house reference? was i trying too hard?


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## jazzy1

elcap15 said:


> Okay, Im going to play a little devil's advocate here.
> 
> This article, which cites no sources and uses a lot of chopped up quotes, sounds like a lot of bullshit to me. If this front office is so inept, how did they make a trade this offseason for the best point guard in the NBA? It wasnt Jim Buss that screwed up the CP3 trade, it was Stern. Everyone is getting up in arms because our new FO hasnt been able to make 2 blockbuster deals before the trade deadline?! Give them a break.
> 
> Look, there are definitely some things I find concerning, (lack of communication with coaches/players, firing long term employees before the lockout) but everyone needs to take step back from the cliff. Despite what the unamed source said, people know how to get in contact with the Lakers and will be willing to work with us.


so you don't think giving away Odom for scraps is head scratch worthy.


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## Laker Freak

jazzy1 said:


> so you don't think giving away Odom for scraps *to the defending world champs who kicked your ass in the playoffs last year* is head scratch worthy.


Fixed


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## PaCeRhOLiC

LOL


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## PaCeRhOLiC

I really dislike the Lakers, but for your guys' sanity I hope that guy is not there much longer.


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## elcap15

jazzy1 said:


> so you don't think giving away Odom for scraps is head scratch worthy.


No, I think it was a bad move. But Odom was out of shape, checked out mentally and asked to be traded. Odom is a touchy kind of guy so I dont think he would have thrived with the Lakers this year. But I agree that we could have gotten a better deal.

But again, I think the blame for this should rest more with the commish than the Lakers front office.


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## jazzy1

elcap15 said:


> No, I think it was a bad move. But Odom was out of shape, checked out mentally and asked to be traded. Odom is a touchy kind of guy so I dont think he would have thrived with the Lakers this year. But I agree that we could have gotten a better deal.
> 
> But again, I think the blame for this should rest more with the commish than the Lakers front office.


Odom deal was a terrible terrible deal. He comes into evert season outta shape aside from last season but he woulda given us some quality depth which we don't have this year. With a more traditional offense we coulda really used him. 

Not gonna give anyone credit for the cp3 deal/fiasco. They tried but ultimately the deal wasn't good enough. Old players and a bunch of salary was a no go. so no credit there. 

we are a team with 3 quality players. Thats it. glaring holes and no fixes for them on the roster.


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## MojoPin

I think this Chaz character may secretly be the infamous Chris Chase.


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## Ron

Shit, this thread could've easily been wed to my "mediocrity" thread...but so be it.

Seriously, I rather have *Chaz The Bartender* running this team than ol' Jimbo.

But hey, that's just my opinion.


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## Ron

.
.
.
Which one is he?

The mystery deepens.

.
.


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## onelakerfan

elcap15 said:


> Okay, Im going to play a little devil's advocate here.
> 
> This article, which cites no sources and uses a lot of chopped up quotes, sounds like a lot of bullshit to me. If this front office is so inept, how did they make a trade this offseason for the best point guard in the NBA? It wasnt Jim Buss that screwed up the CP3 trade, it was Stern. Everyone is getting up in arms because our new FO hasnt been able to make 2 blockbuster deals before the trade deadline?! Give them a break.
> 
> Look, there are definitely some things I find concerning, (lack of communication with coaches/players, firing long term employees before the lockout) but everyone needs to take step back from the cliff. Despite what the unamed source said, people know how to get in contact with the Lakers and will be willing to work with us.


I was about to write the same thing. 
To add to that point Jim has been running the lakers for a while now. Just like 3 years ago and today, Jerry is around to advice his son, I don't think Jerry will just leave and I don't think Jim will stop asking his Dad for an advice. Firing of the scouts is not a bad thing for the lakers (see all lakers draft picks for past 10 years). All people want to have staff that they trust. Give some time and we will have more data/facts to go on with and not just a word from a newspaper writer who may or may not be a nets or maverick fan, and writing this to effect Howard's decision.


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## onelakerfan

Lets evaluate the situation. What kind of players could have Lakers gotten for Odom. just Odom. Not Odom and filler. (Just to be clear I hated that trade as well)


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## Laker Freak

So we have Jesse the 23 year old Lakers Scout
"The Drunk"










Joey Buss the Alternate Governor
"The Idiot"






Jim Buss the Executive Vice President
"The Douche"


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## e-monk

mullet?


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## King Sancho Fantastic

> The other Lakers son trying to rise: Joey Buss
> By KEVIN DING
> 
> The last time there was an NBA lockout, more than a few idle November days were filled by the epic piece Sports Illustrated's Franz Lidz wrote about the Buss family.
> 
> The portrayal? Jerry Buss' children as a Shakespearean tragedy waiting to happen.
> 
> Thirteen years later, Buss the patriarch is still standing in charge – and the Lakers are even more the omnipotent diety of the NBA than they were then. This new lockout, actually, was largely erected by Buss' fellow owners to beef up security against the Lakers continuing to dig up more than their fair share of gold.
> 
> But you need not be a literature student to know that tragedies do not befall empires as a result of severe luxury-tax penalties or tough salary-cap limitations. Greed, pride, envy, entitlement ... and the people who make all those mistakes will bring a house down.
> 
> Buss, two months away from turning 78, remains determined to hand the team down to his children, although the first audible to his original play call has been made. Jeanie and Jim are indeed following their Jerry-ordained paths in charge of the Lakers' business and basketball operations, respectively, but first-born Johnny has dropped out of the picture that his big, unstable personality so dominated in that 1998 family portrait.
> 
> Joey was 14 back then, and his name appeared once and only once among the 5,935 words used in Lidz's article.
> 
> Now 27, Joey is very much in the picture – and he might well have the common sense and the sturdy relationships with Jeanie and Jim to change the story.
> 
> Joey sits next to Jerry and Jim at every Lakers home game, pitching in a little on the big job. But Joey has his own big, little job for now: CEO and president of NBA Development League's D-Fenders, the Lakers' hardly-known minor-league affiliate that Joey is driven to establish into what he describes, rather appropriately, as "the Lakers' little brother."
> 
> "I want to work my way up; I don't want to just be placed in a role for the Lakers," Joey said. "I feel like I can do more for the D-Fenders, offer more – and learn more that way for myself. After that happens, then I can implement things for the Lakers. Youth is on my side. I just want to make the best of the opportunities I have."
> 
> He has been low-key about his opportunities after getting his degree from USC in business administration, which is why you don't know Joey from the entire season he spent shadowing Phil Jackson, home and road, and sitting in on every coaches' meeting.
> 
> Or from his past five years attending the league's board of governors meetings in both spring and fall, entering stride for stride with Jerry and Jeanie to convene with all other NBA owners. Or from him sitting in with Jerry, Jim and Mitch Kupchak last summer as the free-agent names Steve Blake and Matt Barnes were kicked around. Or from him huddling with Jim on draft night in June, studying Synergy Sports Technology scouting video before the Lakers' picks were made.
> 
> "The long term is my dad wants to transfer the shares out to his children," Joey said. "It'll become a process in which all of us will have ownership of the team. I just think there'll be a natural progression, and I should be ready when that happens and not try to push anything earlier than that. Using this as an opportunity to grow is great for me.
> 
> "My dad will bounce things off of me. Business and basketball. I get somebody's ear basically all the time, so there's always influence that way. At the end of the day, the top-level Lakers decisions are not mine to make, but I definitely do have a voice."
> 
> What you might know Joey a little bit from is the one time he had a voice – and it cracked.
> 
> Joey and little brother Jesse – who have a different mother than Jerry's older children Johnny, Jim, Jeanie and Janie – were in Orlando with the Lakers in the 2009 NBA Finals. Jerry had assured Joey that he would join him there if the Lakers got in position to win the series.
> 
> But when Joey called to ask what flight Jerry would be coming on for what would be the Game 5 clincher, Jerry said he'd decided to stay home – and would be keeping Jim and Jeanie with him. "Who's going to do the trophy?" Joey asked.
> 
> He was casually informed by his father: "You're going to do the trophy."
> 
> So that's how Joey came to offer that postgame acceptance speech he admits he "got heat for" publicly. The moment was, however, in keeping with what Joey calls his father's "sink or swim" approach with his children, and when Joey jokingly asked Jerry for a week's notice next time, the son found out just how much the father savored the opportunity to share the victory with the leader of his second set of children.
> 
> "He said, 'Oh, no, you did fine; you did great,' " Joey said. "He was really happy with it. It was kind of a proud moment for him. I don't know if you want to call it ascension or something like that, but the last 30 years of his life have been dedicated to this franchise, and for him, from a legacy standpoint, to see that was a very proud moment for him."
> 
> Many Lakers fans wondered what right this fresh-faced Joey Buss had to take the Lakers' first post-Shaq championship trophy out of David Stern's hands – and then look more nervous than victorious. It was yet another moment to hark back to "King Lear" from 1998 ...
> 
> Mend your speech a little, lest you may mar your fortunes.
> 
> With no life but this one spawned by a famous father, Joey will let the naysayers' familiar voices take over when the topic is broached: "You're set for life! You don't have to do any work!" he shouted with a half-grin.
> 
> "For me, the prejudgments come before anything," he said. "They just judge a book by its cover. Those preconceptions are a motivating factor for me, because I want to prove 'em wrong."
> 
> Joey is fully aware, though, that his heat is a nightlight compared to the fire brother Jim is feeling – and the Lakers' latest golden era isn't even over yet.
> 
> "My dad's still very active," Joey said. "I don't know why Jimmy's really gotten the brunt of everything; I mean, he's really gotten a lot of criticism.
> 
> "He's definitely a target right now. I know he's really, really trying hard to be self-aware and really kind of put himself in a position where people can't criticize everything about him. Some people take it personally and criticize the way he dresses or his shoes."
> 
> If Johnny – whose latest birthday party at the Nevada "Bunny Ranch" brothel can be relived online, if you're interested – were the one still in the Lakers' picture, you might hear even more criticism of Jim. Instead, Johnny has his figurehead title (Lakers executive vice president of strategic development) and Joey has his feet on the ground at the same age Johnny was when he spiraled into depression over his failures with his minor-league job running the family's indoor soccer team.
> 
> In his defense of Jim, Joey blends logic and loyalty, saying: "It's kind of ironic if people think my dad makes all the right decisions: If that's the case, then it's his decision to put Jim in charge, right?
> 
> "My dad's very passionate about this, and he's very much involved still. And when people look at Jim, they should really see him as a guy who for basketball purposes my dad has put trust in. That has some merit to it, just as it does with Jeanie and business."
> 
> Certain players wind up being the glue to championship teams, and you can already see how that could be Joey Buss' role.
> 
> Then again, perhaps it will be much more.
> 
> If you don't have a tragic flaw, can you be the tragic hero?
> 
> For the time being, Joey lives his relatively normal life – disinterested in the Hollywood club scene and entering his 10th year with and fourth year married to the only other "Dr. Buss" now that his college sweetheart Nicole has earned her Ph.D. in pediatric occupational therapy.
> 
> He has hatched unique plans for D-Fenders games to be played at the Lakers' practice facility – with Laker Girls delivering food to fans and the chance to buy Lakers tickets before they go on sale to the public. He has landed legit NBA talent in head coach Eric Musselman and No. 1 draft pick Jamaal Tinsley for the D-Fenders, whom he promises are going to be a true "feed system" for the Lakers.
> 
> Similarly on the way up is Joey Buss, refreshingly aware how pursuit of a D-League championship is "critical for my development in the future" yet deeply aware that NBA championships with the Lakers are how he and all his siblings will ultimately be judged.
> 
> "I'm the luckiest guy in the world," he said. "I've got my wife; I've got my health; I've got my family. And I've got just enormous opportunities to take advantage of."


http://m.ocregister.com/articles/joey-328409-lakers-jim.html


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## onelakerfan

Nice article, the kid is a USC grad, stable, family, respect toword his dad and family, 27 yo and running a basketball team, he does not sound like an idiot to me Laker Freak


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## onelakerfan

i think one reason we are like this (harsh and critical towards them is because we don't know who they are. We like Jeanie and Jerry because we know them.


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## DaRizzle

Joey Buss for President...Seriously, Im sold


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## Wilt_The_Stilt

onelakerfan said:


> Nice article, the kid is a USC grad, stable, family, respect toword his dad and family, 27 yo and running a basketball team, he does not sound like an idiot to me Laker Freak


He runs a basketball team which has a former cheerleader/Hooters Girl/Baywatch actress as an assistant GM.

The Buss children and their cronies might turn out to be just as successful as their father, but it's a little scary that Doc Buss is turning over the organization to people without a lot of experience.


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## King Sancho Fantastic

At least Joey is trying to learn how to run a basketball team. As far as I know, the Defenders are one of the better run D League teams. Not that it's saying much but it's a start.


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## onelakerfan

hey look at mark cuban, and probably many other owners who have no experiance they just have $$$$$


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## Dre

elcap15 said:


> Okay, Im going to play a little devil's advocate here.
> 
> This article, which cites no sources and uses a lot of chopped up quotes, sounds like a lot of bullshit to me. If this front office is so inept, how did they make a trade this offseason for the best point guard in the NBA? It wasnt Jim Buss that screwed up the CP3 trade, it was Stern. Everyone is getting up in arms because our new FO hasnt been able to make 2 blockbuster deals before the trade deadline?! Give them a break.


How hard is it to call Chris Paul's team and say yes, we'll give up 2 of our best 4 players for him in a 3 way. Noone's saying he's a retard, but all these people can't be wrong. It's not just this article criticizing him.

And Mark Cuban defers to Donnie Nelson


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## elcap15

Dre said:


> How hard is it to call Chris Paul's team and say yes, we'll give up 2 of our best 4 players for him in a 3 way. Noone's saying he's a retard, but all these people can't be wrong. It's not just this article criticizing him.
> 
> And Mark Cuban defers to Donnie Nelson


Who are "all of these people?" The article I read didnt name anyone. Just a bunch of quotes, most of which were not complete statements.

Are you implying that it is easy get Chris Paul in a trade?

And most people in this thread _were_ calling him a retard. Im not trying to turn into a Jim Buss enthusiast here, but people need to realise that we are about 18 months removed from back to back titles that Jimmy had his hand in. We have a winning record 30 games into a season under a new coach that didnt have a training camp. People need to take a step back from the ledge.


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## King Sancho Fantastic

> @ESPNChrisPalmer: Clippers have 19 wins and are talking title. Lakers have 19 and hold a players only meeting.”


So true.


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## Dre

I'm implying it's not hard to inquire about a franchise player who everyone in the world knows is not returning to his team. And it's not hard to deal two relatively expendable all-stars for him. He didn't pull a Pau Gasol.

But I just find it funny I've heard nothing but bad things about this guy...not even mixed...nothing good. I think your success can be attributed to the players Kupchak was the primary decision maker on. None of the moves of the past 2 years have really improved you...so why give him credit for grandfathered impact players while you're trending downward. It just sounds like you're playing devil's advocate for no reason.


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## Wilt_The_Stilt

onelakerfan said:


> hey look at mark cuban, and probably many other owners who have no experiance they just have $$$$$


There is a difference between the business and basketball sides of the organization. Buss made/makes the final decisions but Mitch has said that Buss gives him wide latitude to do his job. But now we have the owners family starting to take over for Mitch. Mitch knows basketball. Jim Buss knows horses.


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## jazzy1

Wilt_The_Stilt said:


> There is a difference between the business and basketball sides of the organization. Buss made/makes the final decisions but Mitch has said that Buss gives him wide latitude to do his job. But now we have the owners family running the basketball side. Mitch knows basketball. Jim Buss knows horses.


thats it in a nutshell. Dr.Buss knew enough to let the basketball people do their jobs he knew to hire good people.


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## onelakerfan

Dre said:


> I'm implying it's not hard to inquire about a franchise player who everyone in the world knows is not returning to his team. And it's not hard to deal two relatively expendable all-stars for him. He didn't pull a Pau Gasol.
> 
> But I just find it funny I've heard nothing but bad things about this guy...not even mixed...nothing good. I think your success can be attributed to the players Kupchak was the primary decision maker on. None of the moves of the past 2 years have really improved you...so why give him credit for grandfathered impact players while you're trending downward. It just sounds like you're playing devil's advocate for no reason.


i don't think anyone is giving credit to him,we just want him to have a chance, i am sure Mitch and Jim did talk about Pau's trade before it happened. i don't think jim has been doing this for 2 years, he has been aound and been part of this for a while.

you are right it is not hard to inquire, but the fact is out of 30 teams, lakers were the one team that got him, it was a deal with 2 teams, than the shit happened. that vetoed trade effected lakers more than any rumor we can think of. 

also if those things were not hard all the teams will do it. out of all the teams out there ps only one that had impressed me and that is Miami


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## onelakerfan

Wilt_The_Stilt said:


> There is a difference between the business and basketball sides of the organization. Buss made/makes the final decisions but Mitch has said that Buss gives him wide latitude to do his job. But now we have the owners family starting to take over for Mitch. Mitch knows basketball. Jim Buss knows horses.


how do we know Jim does not do the same for Mitch. from reports and unknow sources, who prpbaly got fired by Jim. we are going by reports that pop out from reporters that probably should work for enquire or TMZ. it like watching FoX News and waiting for them to say something nice about obama


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## Dre

onelakerfan said:


> i don't think anyone is giving credit to him,we just want him to have a chance, i am sure Mitch and Jim did talk about Pau's trade before it happened. i don't think jim has been doing this for 2 years, he has been aound and been part of this for a while.
> 
> you are right it is not hard to inquire, but the fact is out of 30 teams, lakers were the one team that got him, it was a deal with 2 teams, than the shit happened. that vetoed trade effected lakers more than any rumor we can think of.
> 
> also if those things were not hard all the teams will do it. out of all the teams out there ps only one that had impressed me and that is Miami



A. Jim has been around but Jerry was still active and he deferred to Kupchak and his team. Not anymore, so any deals from that era don't really have Jim's fingerprints on it. Other GMs don't even know him, so no he isn't out there talking shop like that. 

B. Like I said it wasn't hard for the Lakers to put up a good offer for Paul when they were trading two all-stars. 

Every team doesn't have that (and still have two left), so it's not as simple as saying "anyone can do what they did".


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## onelakerfan

Dre said:


> A. Jim has been around but Jerry was still active and he deferred to Kupchak and his team. Not anymore, so any deals from that era don't really have Jim's fingerprints on it. Other GMs don't even know him, so no he isn't out there talking shop like that.
> 
> B. Like I said it wasn't hard for the Lakers to put up a good offer for Paul when they were trading two all-stars.
> 
> Every team doesn't have that (and still have two left), so it's not as simple as saying "anyone can do what they did".


DRE how do you know that other GMs don't know him. Strike that, he is an owner not a GM, which means that he and Mitch talk about a deal and Mitch does the deal. do you think jerry ever called a GM and said i want to do this deal. if i was an owner i would never do that, i am above that.

let really be realistic here Dre, we do not know anything about jim, that is why we are concerned


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## Wilt_The_Stilt

onelakerfan said:


> how do we know Jim does not do the same for Mitch. from reports and unknow sources, who prpbaly got fired by Jim. we are going by reports that pop out from reporters that probably should work for enquire or TMZ. it like watching FoX News and waiting for them to say something nice about obama


"It's not Mitch's situation anymore. Mitch isn't running the team. Jim Buss is running the team," Johnson said. "Mitch has to follow the direction of Jim Buss and what he wants. I wouldn't say Mitch is the problem. He's going to do his job."

-Magic Johnson

http://lakersblog.latimes.com/lakersblog/2012/02/magic-johnson-on-lakers-.html


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## onelakerfan

Wilt_The_Stilt said:


> "It's not Mitch's situation anymore. Mitch isn't running the team. Jim Buss is running the team," Johnson said. "Mitch has to follow the direction of Jim Buss and what he wants. I wouldn't say Mitch is the problem. He's going to do his job."
> 
> -Magic Johnson
> 
> http://lakersblog.latimes.com/lakersblog/2012/02/magic-johnson-on-lakers-.html


wow, that is a statement from a person that i respect. 
i do still want to give jim a chance. HE IS A LAKER AND HE DOES WANT TO WIN, so we will see. maybe he will do great stuff or fail and learn from his mistakes but i don
t think he is all about money. remember all the rules have changes, owners pay more LT


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## Dre

onelakerfan said:


> DRE how do you know that other GMs don't know him. Strike that, he is an owner not a GM, which means that he and Mitch talk about a deal and Mitch does the deal. do you think jerry ever called a GM and said i want to do this deal. if i was an owner i would never do that, i am above that.
> 
> let really be realistic here Dre, we do not know anything about jim, that is why we are concerned


I think you're being cautious because it's an anonymous article, but articles like this aren't going to be carried on ESPN with people attributing themselves to the quotes. Obviously the people interviewed still have potential to do business with the Lakers as a member of the organization or another. 

And all these front office people commiserate with each other, noone's going to say Buss does not if he does. I don't know what you think an anonymous source gets out of slamming Buss and making up lies. This isn't politics or entertainment where there's an image to damage or something, that's why you guys that automatically dismiss anonymous sources don't find out anything until it's already happeend.

Just last year James Dolan stepped on Donnie Walsh's toes and was talking to Denver about Carmelo on his own, that's why you suddenly saw Raymond Felton mentioned when in the previous month of the fiasco he wasn't. So so much for being above anything. Owners and front office types talk all the time.

Now suddenly Odom is traded for an exception, half the Lakers staff is fired without notice, people are talking about a lack of communication, Kobe doesn't know what's going on, Pau doesn't, other GMs think Kupchak got his balls cut off, but we're still speculating and saying "wait a minute, let's just see what'll happen here longterm"...it's already happening. 

I don't understand why you're still trying to be ambiguous about what's going on here.


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## onelakerfan

just couple of words on this. need to go to sleep its midnight in poland

everything is politics (sorry it is)EVERYTHING, whatever you do in lif the f&^&in politics is involved ( i hate it)
and businesses change all the time, we have no idea why they got let go those individuls, maybe jim saw something he did not like, but until Lakers fail to get to playoffs and have a chance to win it all for 2 years in a row i will give him a chance


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## onelakerfan

"I don't understand why you're still trying to be ambiguous about what's going on here." Dre
cuz fruit does not fall far from a tree


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