Tag: Kurt Rambis

The growing power of Rob Pelinka: A conversation with the Riffs Man

Two scholars of the rise of Rob Pelinka discuss how he has solidified his role in the Lakers’ power apparatus.

Rob Pelinka as a figure is one of the most interesting in the NBA front office world. Through his connection with Kobe Bryant and his patience in working under Magic Johnson, he has constructed a team now two wins away from an NBA Championship. His position in Laker Lore nearly secured for life if he is the architect of the team that brings them back to glory. But how he got here, before he becomes a legend for Lakers fans, is arguably more interesting. That’s why I called in fellow Pelinka Scholar, the Riffs Man, to discuss the powerful accomplishments that have him in position for eternal glory. For context, please check out LeBron Wire’s earlier installments in the field of Pelinka Studies. Riffs Man is a basketball scholar who you should follow, he also has a Patreon where he provides his basketball visions to the world. 

Erik:  How powerful, on the list of myths that all NBA franchises are built on, is Robby saying he would hook up Kobe with Heath Ledger for dinner when Heath was dead?

Riffs: It’s like Auerbach messing with the temperature and ice fog of the old Boston garden. Visionary genius unparalleled in its Moment. Rob Pelinka is now going to be Executive of the Year and a world champion. Is he the new Pat Riley. Are we in the Age of Rob Culture?

Erik: I believe that sometimes we have to take advantage of the bread that has come down from heaven. For the Lakers, it was Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. For us, those who are out here to chronicle the history of This League, there is no doubt that the Age of Rob Culture is here. Bob Meyers was surpassed. Masai Ujiri works in Canada. Rob has also helped usher in the return of the Big Man, intentionally or not. I have no choice but to Stan.

Riffs: Da Vinci. Van Gogh. These are men who saw the world through a different lens that informed all coming thought and expression. That is Rob Pelinka. This is a man who, through waking up at 4 am to watch Richard Branson ted talks on YouTube, has imprinted his signature on the history of human athletic endeavor. What was his best move this offseason and what was his most underrated move?

Erik: The best move was clearly signing Dwight. Dwight is annoying, he farts too much and he’s way to concerned with trying to be liked. But he lives a life inclined to being Jacked. The Underrated Move has nothing to do with his on-court choices. He saw the paths laid before him and decided he needs to be an ally of Kurt Rambis. Now he has not only locked in the Kobe myth, he has aligned with the Shadow Queen Linda Rambis. My man reads the power and uses it for his own gain. A true grifter.

Riffs: To me, Pelinka is like if Machiavelli were into Positivity SoundCloud Rap and motivational self help books. The guy is locked in on Life, not just basketball. And that is ultimately Jimmy Butlers undoing in this series

Erik: I don’t know if I have anything to add about Pelinka given what else we have written. With that said, a championship would surely secure his reign over the Lakers for however long he wants. He was worked with the Buss, Rambis and Klutch Families that only someone truly built for this could do. He has found Grift Synergy. Anything else you’d like to add?

Riffs: That’s pretty good lol

[lawrence-related id=24840,14891]

Jackson’s triangle magic didn’t work in …

Jackson’s triangle magic didn’t work in New York. Rosen can count the reasons and blames Jackson for not finding the right coach. “Hiring Derek Fisher was a mistake for a lot of reasons,’’ Rosen said. “He wasn’t ready. And there was a division in the coaching staff between Derek’s OKC guys [Brian Keefe, Josh Longstaff, Dave Bliss] and Phil’s guys [Kurt Rambis, Jim Cleamons]. Fisher’s guys didn’t want anything to do with them.’’

So McHale did. Down seven late in the …

So McHale did. Down seven late in the game with the Lakers seemingly on their way to a commanding 3-1 series lead, McHale decided to stop a Lakers break by hammering Kurt Rambis with a clothesline. Benches emptied but McHale stayed in the game. The Celtics came back to win the game, and eventually, the series. The foul changed the momentum of the entire series because it lured the Lakers into a chippy final three games and away from their usual flashy style.

When Pelinka, who was Bryant’s longtime …

When Pelinka, who was Bryant’s longtime agent before he joined the Lakers, addressed the room, he told stories about Bryant and “Gigi” sharing a love for basketball. They were flying to her game Sunday morning, and other victims of the crash included two teammates, three parents, and a coach. Among those who also spoke were senior basketball adviser Kurt Rambis; assistant coaches Lionel Hollins, Phil Handy, Miles Simon and Mike Penberthy, who won a championship with Bryant as a backup point guard for the Lakers in 2001; and Dwight Howard.

“It would be impossible for me to …

“It would be impossible for me to describe the look on a face, but you know the look of somebody that has it,” said Kurt Rambis, then an assistant coach for the Lakers. “It’s fear. It’s doubt. It’s hesitation. It’s they’re uncomfortable. They don’t believe in themselves. You can just kind of see that in a person when they’re going to the free-throw line in a difficult situation or they’ve missed the front end of two free throws or sitting on the bench. It’s just very clear to me with that look that they just don’t believe. You never saw that in Kobe. It was almost like indifference. It was like, yeah, f— it. You just knew it wasn’t going to bother him. You just knew that.”