But those memories of his Lakers past just aren’t the same anymore because of his Lakers present, one where the dynamic between the two old friends, so to speak, has devolved so publicly and painfully in recent years. His frustration, unmistakable even in this loud and crowded room, surfaces in full force approximately 10 minutes into this conversation that lasted nearly 40 minutes. “They’re in complete denial,” he said of the Lakers. “It’s insulting to me that I’m not …” He stops briefly. “I’m not seeking any apologies from no one — no one — ever,” he said. “I just said to myself, ‘How petty can this be?’”
Tag: Jeanie Buss
For West, though, the final straw came …
For West, though, the final straw came when the Lakers repealed the lifetime season tickets he said the late Dr. Buss had promised him so many years ago. Without any warning or explanation, his wife, Karen, received a text message from the Lakers last season informing her that the family’s seats for their games would no longer be granted. “It was a cold phone text to my wife,” West recalled. “No one had the nerve to call me, but that’s how petty they are, OK? And I love the Lakers, OK? I love to see them do well. It’s great for basketball. I’m proud of everything that happened when I was there. I’m proud of everything that happened when I wasn’t there — the positives.
“But sometimes you feel like you’re …
“But sometimes you feel like you’re discarded, like a piece of trash. And there’s a couple of people over there — not Jeanie — but there’s a couple of people over there that, uh … I don’t get it. I don’t. … I always had a great relationship with Jeanie — at least I thought I did. I don’t know where it is now.” Just as the retelling of it all starts to rile West up, he stops just short of naming names. Still, as he’s well aware, the Lakers’ circle that surrounds Buss is a small one. A message has been sent. When asked if there was any hope for reconciliation, West shook his head. “No, it’s too late; it’s too late,” he said. “I don’t need to do that, OK? I really don’t need (it). It’s just (bothersome) how people change so much. And I don’t understand it, but it’s fine. It’s fine.”
Lakers expected to make changes this season
So much more was expected from this group, but that’s the forecasters’ fault, not Vogel’s. Change is certainly coming, as one league source insists, because “the Lakers are not a stay-the-course kind of team” when things are going bad. I just can’t see a decision from team owner Jeanie Buss, Pelinka and top advisers Kurt and Linda Rambis to oust Vogel, or any sort of forthcoming trade, raising the Lakers’ ceiling significantly.
The Lakers recently went 1-5 under …
The Lakers recently went 1-5 under acting coach David Fizdale while Vogel was stranded last month in the league’s health and safety protocols, then won four in a row after Vogel returned to the bench. A loss at Sacramento and the Denver debacle soon followed, but recent results don’t exactly support the notion making the rounds in league coaching circles that Vogel has lost all sway over a roster filled with outsize personalities.
Magic Johnson blasts Lakers for lack of effort, says Jeanie Buss deserves better
Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson is not a fan of how L.A. is playing on the court.
The Los Angeles Lakers have lost three games in a row and are below .500, 21-22.
The latest loss came at the hands of the Denver Nuggets, who defeated Los Angeles in a massive blowout Saturday. Denver shot nearly 60% from deep on 40 attempts in a 133-96 win, and L.A. didn’t have an answer all night.
Players often got caught ball-watching on defense with minimal effort given to contesting and rotating while the offensive performance lacked poise and consistent playmaking.
For a team with title aspirations, it’s been a disappointing way to lose games, even though Anthony Davis hasn’t played since Dec. 19.
The loss to Denver led to Lakers legend Magic Johnson blasting the team’s hustle on Twitter and saying controlling owner Jeanie Buss deserves better:
After being blown out by the Nuggets 133-96, we as @Lakers fans can accept being outplayed but we deserve more than a lack of effort and no sense of urgency. Owner @JeanieBuss, you deserve better.
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) January 16, 2022
The lack of effort and urgency has been a prevalent theme for the Lakers all season, and it’s still ongoing past the halfway point of the 82-game campaign. If the Lakers can’t right the ship soon, the whole year will be described like this.
[mm-video type=video id=01fr42bnf91jddhs67cx playlist_id=01f09kz5ecxq9bp57b player_id=01eqbvq570kgj8vfs7 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fr42bnf91jddhs67cx/01fr42bnf91jddhs67cx-2f0fa1fd9e95e30af6fd533d1766b309.jpg]
[listicle id=56646]
Nonetheless, Vogel added he does not …
Nonetheless, Vogel added he does not harbor any concerns about his job security and that he feels the front office supports him. Buss also noted that Vogel attended a Lakers’ season-ticket holder event on Monday night that also included Buss, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in attendance. “We’re as connected as any organization can be,” Buss said. “I really don’t know what you’re looking for me to say. I would say until we’re 100 percent healthy, I won’t make any judgments about anything.”
“We’re focused on the job,” Vogel said. …
“We’re focused on the job,” Vogel said. “We stay in the moment, focus on the task at hand and try to win the next game and try to get some momentum around our season.” Therefore, Vogel downplayed whether he feels the criticism is unfair or justified. “It’s not up to me,” Vogel said. “I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about it. Really just focused on the job.”
Lakers governor Jeanie Buss responds to criticism facing Frank Vogel
Los Angeles Lakers governor Jeanie Buss revealed her thoughts on head coach Frank Vogel with criticism surrounding his job.
Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel has made headlines lately because of the team’s poor record.
The Lakers are 13-12 through 25 games, which has the squad sitting at No. 6 in the Western Conference. The L.A. Clippers have the same record but currently possess the tiebreaker.
Los Angeles has championship aspirations, so it’s not surprising Vogel has received criticism as of late about his job security. Both Vogel and LeBron James recently addressed the matter.
James said the players also have to do their part, and Vogel said criticism comes with the territory of being a head coach.
But health has also played a factor. LeBron James, Trevor Ariza, Kendrick Nunn, Austin Reaves, Wayne Ellington and more have all missed a good chunk of time due to respective injuries.
Lakers governor Jeanie Buss acknowledges that and said she needs to see the team fully healthy before assessing the situation, via Mark Medina of NBA.com:
“Until we’re 100% healthy, I don’t think you can really make any judgment,” Buss told NBA.com at halftime of the Lakers-Celtics game on Tuesday at Staples Center. “We’re as connected as any organization can be,” Buss said. “I really don’t know what you’re looking for me to say. I would say until we’re 100 percent healthy, I won’t make any judgments about anything.”
Vogel mentioned he has the backing of the organization, and that manifests with Buss’ comments here. But it looks like Buss will be ready to judge Vogel and the team when all the key pieces are playing.
[vertical-gallery id=54332]
[mm-video type=video id=01fj0bqrjx21bxv9fbsn playlist_id=01f09kz5ecxq9bp57b player_id=01eqbvq570kgj8vfs7 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fj0bqrjx21bxv9fbsn/01fj0bqrjx21bxv9fbsn-15f580b4a21e2f250eb03612c1747779.jpg]
With the Los Angeles Lakers hovering …
With the Los Angeles Lakers hovering above or below .500 for the first quarter of the season amid overlapping injuries and learning curves with a new roster, Lakers governor Jeanie Buss was asked how the organization would evaluate coach Frank Vogel in his third season. “Until we’re 100 percent healthy, I don’t think you can really make any judgment,” Buss told NBA.com at halftime of the Lakers-Celtics game on Tuesday at Staples Center.