Tag: Jeanie Buss

Perhaps, but even though it’s too late …

Perhaps, but even though it’s too late for the Lakers to make trades, the franchise still has time to improve its roster before the playoffs. The most obvious move was adding Darren Collison, a point guard who would have provided LeBron James with another ball-handler, playmaker and scorer. Collison retired suddenly over the summer, flirted with a return and was seen courtside with Lakers owner Jeanie Buss at Staples Center last week before declining. “That’s a blow,” a former general manager said. “I’m not sure the Lakers can find a better fit than Collison.”

There also were people in Collison’s …

There also were people in Collison’s camp that had been in recent contact with Linda Rambis, the executive director of special projects and a confidant of Lakers co-owner Jeanie Buss, according to those with knowledge of the situation. That eventually led to the free agent heading to Staples Center on Thursday and visiting the Lakers’ locker room before sitting in seats next to Buss.

A phone conversation we shared on Oct. …

A phone conversation we shared on Oct. 1, 2018 — snippets of which appeared in my “Landing LeBron” story but were not as detailed as what I’m about to share below — brought me to this view. There are some people within the league who disagree, and that’s fine, but Kobe’s influence on both Lakers owner Jeanie Buss and general manager/Kobe confidante Rob Pelinka was absolutely essential to the creation of this current team.

Bryant still has informal conversations …

Bryant still has informal conversations with Lakers’ controlling owner Jeanie Buss, general manager Rob Pelinka, LeBron James and young player Kyle Kuzma. He attended two Lakers games this season and attracted attention from NBA stars and fans alike. Yet, Bryant maintained he has “zero” involvement with his former team and has higher aspirations than chasing nostalgia.

“I’m extremely pleased with the work …

“I’m extremely pleased with the work Rob has done in order to put this franchise in a position for success, “said Lakers Governor Jeanie Buss. “His strong leadership skills, as well as his commitment to building a winning culture, both on and off the court, have brought us one step closer to being a championship-caliber team and I look forward to our continued work together.”