Jeanie Buss, the daughter of the great Dr. Jerry Buss and the executive vice-president of business operations for the Los Angeles Lakers, was on ESPN 710 am with Mark Willard and Mychal Thompson and talked about the Lakers and Phil Jackson.
It is no secret that Lakers Nation wanted Jackson back at the helm, but that never materialized, the organization decided to go with Mike D’Antoni.
Luckily for Laker fans, Jackson remains as an adviser and Buss turns to Jackson for basketball related decisions. He might not be the head coach, but his input is still highly respected, and it is an advantage to have him on the Lakers side.
When asked about Jackson’s advice on Dwight Howard, Buss was clear that Jackson wanted Howard to remain a Laker.
“He’s the one that said to me, ‘Jeanie you always want to keep the talent.'”
Although all of Lakers Nation wants to forget about Dwight Howard, there is no doubt that keeping Dwight Howard was the main priority.
The Lakers have a much different roster than last year’s squad, and Buss mentions Phil Jackson believes this year will be an improvement from last season.
“Phil said this team will be better under Mike D’Antoni.”
The Lakers signed some younger legs during the off-season, and players like Jordan Farmar, Wesley Johnson, and Nick Young are going to thrive under D’Antoni’s style of play. Phil Jackson felt better suited with Howard, but believes that this team will flourish under D’Antoni.
Although Buss gave some great insight about her relationship with Jackson and how he influences the organization, the most exciting part was when she was asked if Phil Jackson had coached his last game, and she simply responded:
“No.”
Get ready for some more “We Want Phil” chants at Staples Center.
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