Ever since taking up the NBA Commissioner’s office, Adam Silver sought ways to evolve the league and taken strong stances on a number of issues. He wrote an essay for the New York Times last November in support for legalized sports gambling. Silver previously called the notion inevitable and explained his and the league’s stance on the issue.
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NBA owners appear to be behind Silver as Los Angeles Lakers president Jeanie Buss and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban have expressed their approval. In a recent interview on Bleacher Report Radio’s NBA Sunday Tip, Buss explained her stance by linking sports gambling with fan interaction, according the show’s co-host Howard Beck:
. @JeanieBuss on legalized sports betting: "I look at it as fan engagement. … This gives them another way to connect with their…team."
— Howard Beck (@HowardBeck) April 26, 2015
Although Jeanie owns the Lakers with the rest of her family, she is commonly seen among as the face of the team. While her brother and president of basketball operations, Jim, keeps a relative low profile, Jeanie can be seen at Lakers games and has been more open to making media appearances.
As a result, Jim is often seen as a scapegoat for the team’s recent struggles. He remains committed in turning things around and gave himself a timetable to turn the Lakers into contenders once again. This upcoming off-season is an important one for the team. The Lakers find out where their protected top-five draft pick lands May 19 and will have plenty of cap space to bring in free agents in July.
Jeanie supports the decisions Jim makes and leaves the roster building decisions to him. She’s focused on the business aspect of the Lakers and recently talked the team’s plans in celebrating what could be Kobe Bryant’s final season. The team will hope it can put an end to its losing ways with Bryant back.
[divide]Mitch Kupchak Discusses Future Of The Lakers