Much of the uncertainty surrounding the current team is due to the front office. Fair or not, there is an enormous shadow of doubt hovering over the upstairs executives, as fans continue to wonder whether or not the Lakers are still in good hands.
In the past it was simple. Since 1979 the answer was always yes. With Jerry Buss at the helm things were always controlled. Calculated. And even though Jim (his son) and Jeanie (his daughter) haven’t done anything that would indicate the team is in serious trouble, that hasn’t stopped speculation from all sides as to just how big of an issue Dr. Buss’ departure will be for this team.
When Dr. Buss passed away last February, he had a system in place to help keep the Lakers in control. Like any great businessman, and he was one of the best, he was fully prepared. He didn’t want any side to have too much power in the struggle for Laker supremacy, so the checks and balances he created would act as a constricting set of guidelines to keep the team from being monopolized – either by Jim or Jeanie.
Now, I’m not hinting that either of Dr. Buss’ two children (he actually has six but for the sake of the story just go with me here) would try and muscle out the other. Even a friendly sibling rivalry, which is what this seems to be, has spats and disagreements. And, even if two people are related, when one believes they are right and the other is convinced that they’re not, well that can cause some problems. Another large factor can be the personalities of each, as often times the dominant personality, the more outgoing and brash, will be able to overtake the quieter, more meek individual. Conflict avoidance can be sensed from miles away, and like sharks seeking blood, the mentally aggressive immediately sense their advantage.
—–Check out the Lakers Nation store to get your LN gear and show off your Lakers pride!——
Back to the point – when Dr. Buss passed away he split the Lakers up, giving control of the business side of the franchise to Jeanie, while basketball operations went to Jim. One of the reasons for this decision, allegedly, was to prevent Jeanie (and partner Phil Jackson) from gaining too much control on the basketball end. And it worked. When the team needed a head coach at the beginning of this last season, it was Jim (with help from Jerry) that selected Mike D’Antoni over Jeanie’s beau, Jackson. This decision was met with venom from most fans, who demand a highly successful resume from anybody that expects to take over their beloved Lakers, but it was clearly not Jeanie’s choice either.
“I was not happy with how things happened,” Jeanie admitted at a Time Warner Media event Wednesday night in Los Angeles. “I was disappointed, but I’m biased. I don’t think anybody would judge me to say [Phil] is the best coach in the entire world. That’s my prerogative to feel that way. They had their reasons for doing what they did, but I kind of have that what-if feeling. What if he had coached?”
While Jeanie is certainly entitled to her opinion, it could be the beginning of something far more severe for the Lakers. While to this point she’s remained professional and hasn’t publicly stepped on Jim’s toes or dismissed the job he’s done with the team, if they can’t get on the same page the team could be in heaps of trouble. Even though both are in charge of different aspects of the organization, a disconnect between them spells only trouble for the Lakers, even if it’s not this season or next, but years down the line. The main reason for the Lakers success during their time in Los Angeles has been a consistent, steady front office that trusted itself and the people hired to make it work. While I’m not suggesting that this is no longer the case, the obvious disconnect between the two is a tad alarming.
Next Page: How Phil Jackson Can Help/Hurt This Relationship
“Quite frankly, even though he doesn’t have an official role with us, he’s a consultant of sorts,” Kupchak said. “Jeanie, I’m sure, talks to him at night about basketball, I bump into him from time to time, so even though it may not be official, there is an existing relationship.”
This existing relationship in itself is troublesome. D’Antoni, who already has to be feeling insecure about his role with the team, is likely seeing Phil’s smirk in his sleep at this point. Wherever he turns, whoever he talks to, he can’t avoid Jackson. And the fact that Phil’s engaged to one of the Laker big wigs doesn’t help matters much. So how does this impact the team? If D’Antoni’s fragile psyche continues to wither after being bashed in repeatedly with Jackson questions, is he fully able to commit himself to the Lakers and succeed? Does the added pressure of knowing your employer has an “existing relationship” with the man that everybody thinks should have gotten your job push you over the edge? It’s not only possible, it’s likely. D’Antoni’s only human, after all.
—–Check out the Lakers Nation store to get your LN gear and show off your Lakers pride!——
D’Antoni isn’t the only one on the receiving end of this uncomfortable awkwardness, either. Jim Buss, the obvious outcast in the eyes of the fans, is quickly becoming a social pariah in Los Angeles. Matters are made worse by Jackson, too, who has had numerous instances where he’s said somewhat tongue-in-cheek comments about Buss. And he did so again on Wednesday.
“He traveled with the team in 01 or 02. Sometimes I’d leave him behind if he didn’t make the plane on time.”
Even though Jackson followed that up by clarifying that anybody who was late to the plane would get left behind, the mystic gaze and coy grin on his face suggests that there’s more there than a simple joke. That Jackson, who spends his nights next to Jeanie, might not be too fond of his future brother-in-law and the decisions he has made. And for someone with the popularity of Jackson, that immediately casts Jim Buss as the villain with no hope of reconciliation with his fanatic constituents.
And this is where things can be troublesome for the Lakers. Because if Jim and Jeanie can’t get on the same page now, how will they ever hope to do so in the future? While they don’t have to agree on every decision that’s made, and often times they won’t, when it’s made public it forces fans to take sides. And it forces players currently on the roster to do so as well (even though they won’t admit it), and potential free agents or prospects who might be thinking about joining the organization will have to consider it as well.
In the end, I don’t expect this to blow up into a scenario where we see the Lakers crumble and fall because a brother and sister don’t get along. But in the early stages of Jim and Jeanie’s reign as Laker leadership, there’s a Phil Jackson-shaped fissure that threatens to have serious long-term implications. So, like nearly everything else with the Lakers lately, all we can do is wait and see what happens. And, for now, hope for the best.
—————————————————————————————————————–
VIDEO: Jeanie Buss Discusses What-Ifs Regarding Phil Jackson And Talks Relationship With Jim Buss
Don’t forget to click here to subscribe to our YouTube Channel!