With all that has gone on with the Los Angeles Lakers over the past month, many have begun to ask who is really in charge of the organization. Of course, owner Jeanie Buss has the final say in everything, but the likes of special projects executive director Linda Rambis, senior basketball advisor Kurt Rambis, and general manager Rob Pelinka have all come up as those who have a lot of influence as well.
Pelinka has been in the media the last couple of years and is well known while Rambis is a former player who returned during the 2018-19 NBA season.
However, Rambis’ wife is more of the unknown commodity among the three, but she may be the most important at least when it comes to having Buss’ ear.
According to Dave McMenamin and Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN, the team’s special projects executive director is Buss’ most trusted advisor and some around the league have even given her a special title:
Don’t let the title fool you: Rambis is Buss’ longtime best friend and most trusted adviser. League sources have described her as a “shadow owner.”
Supposedly, these ‘shadow’ titles are a thing for the Rambis family after the team’s recent coaching moves, but it is clear the Rambis family is playing a big role in the organization right now.
Buss has been known to turn to the likes of Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, and Phil Jackson for advice on certain things, but it is Rambis’ opinion whom she values the most:
Jeanie Buss respects advice from senior basketball adviser Kurt Rambis — Linda’s husband and a former Laker — as well as Johnson, Bryant and Phil Jackson. But it’s Linda Rambis’ opinion Buss has long valued the most, according to league and team sources. Many believe Buss has leaned on Rambis even more after Johnson blindsided the organization with his resignation.
Though some may not be happy with the hire or the way in which the Lakers went about bringing in head coach Frank Vogel, the team finally has former head coach Luke Walton’s replacement ahead of what will be an extremely important summer. With the 2019 NBA Draft Lottery just ahead followed by the 2019 NBA Draft itself and free agency, the biggest thing for the Lakers was to have everything in place moving forward.
This has been a rocky start to the offseason for the Lakers, but that won’t change who Buss trusts most and who has her ear. Rambis has long been her closest confidant and that will likely be the case for a long time.
