Kupchak: I have same authority I had under DrBuss

[dockingsched]

Mitch talked to reporters recently and was asked to respond to Magic's criticisms. Mitch set the record straight. There's more details at the link.

http://m.ocregister.com/lakers/kupchak-651864-magic-mitch.html

Nothing has changed under the leadership of Buss from when his father, Dr. Jerry Buss, was alive, Kupchak said.

“I have the same authority that I had with Dr. Buss,” Kupchak said. “Jerry West had the same authority with Dr. Buss and I’ve got that same authority with Jimmy. Jimmy and I work very closely together and he does not make decisions in a vacuum.

“For some reason he gets a lot of the criticism and maybe that just comes along with a transition from an owner like Dr. Buss. But that's not fair."

“Any decision that has or has not happened in the last two or three years that people have a problem with, I was involved or leading the way,” Kupchak said. “If there’s criticism, then it should be directed at me as well.”

Kupchak said that if a situation were to arise in which he and Buss disagreed over a basketball decision, “I think he would defer to me.”

[MAMBAEMD]

I believe Mitch.
I think he has the same authority as Jim Buss with regard to basketball related decisons.

I love Magic but I wish he'd concentrate more on constructive criticism and consult Jim and Mitch more approporiately, rather than spewing out worthless criticism in the media that may potentially hurt the organization when it comes to attracting FAs.
This ish doesn't help.

[EArl]

Magic needs to go away. The guy is being annoying as hell. It doesn't help that he's a horrible analyst.

[Slava]

The issue Magic and the fans have is probably not Mitch having the same authority but Jim replacing Dr. Buss' authority. I'm however glad to hear that Jim always defers to Mitch when there is a conflict, which is how it should always be.

[LApwnd]

don't think Jim defers to anyone on his coaching hires.

[dockingsched]

The issue Magic and the fans have is probably not Mitch having the same authority but Jim replacing Dr. Buss' authority. I'm however glad to hear that Jim always defers to Mitch when there is a conflict, which is how it should always be.

Magic specifically alleged that Jim makes every decision on his own and doesn't consult anyone.

“Jim is trying to do it himself and trying to prove to everybody that this was the right decision that my dad gave me the reigns,” Johnson said. “He's not consulting anybody that can help him achieve his goals and dreams to win an NBA championship

Either Mitch is lying here or Magic doesn't know what he's talking about.

[LApwnd]

The issue Magic and the fans have is probably not Mitch having the same authority but Jim replacing Dr. Buss' authority. I'm however glad to hear that Jim always defers to Mitch when there is a conflict, which is how it should always be.

Magic specifically alleged that Jim makes every decision on his own and doesn't consult anyone. Either Mitch is lying here or Magic doesn't know what he's talking about.

can't there be a middle? Can't honestly say Mitch would've done Phil dirty like that during that negotiation, I can see Jim pulling the trigger on his own with that decision and how Phil was treated.

[dockingsched]

I mean, if Mitch states he's been involved or lead the way on every decision, and then someone says Jim doesn't consult anyone, kinda hard for there to be a middle ground. May be if Magic just said Jim makes every final call there might be a middle ground, but Magic said Jin doesn't even consult anyone meaning Mitch has to be a total puppet liar for Magic's comments to have any truth.

[LApwnd]

I mean, if Mitch states he's been involved or lead the way on every decision, and then someone says Jim doesn't consult anyone, kinda hard for there to be a middle ground.

well I really have no opinions on trades/fa because they did managed to get howard/cp3 but seeing how Brown/MDA got hired, I really don't think Jim defers on those decisions at all. Maybe this time around he relented and process took much longer thus eventually Scott, even then IMO I think it took a lot of urging from Mitch this time around. I don't ever recall seeing Jim take the blame for Brown/MDA fiasco, Mitch had to be in the forefront and had to justify/explain those 2 diasters.

[hermes]

do it mitch!

[ALL HAIL]

I'm pretty sure Magic is wrong about Buss not consulting anyone.

He's trying to offer a psychoanalysis but only gets part of it right while eliminating another part.

I'd bet my right arm that Buss consults Kupchak on everything basketball related. However, Magic is probably right about Buss having an insecurity complex. Magic is most likely quite right about Buss feeling like he must uphold the decision his father made to run the personnel.

Now the part that Magic is most likely leaving out is his own insecurity. Magic, I'm sure, would love for the "usual player" to be running this team--Jerry West. He wants the Lakers to reach out and consult with Jerry West (the same way Golden State is), and also, probably to a much lesser extent, he wants to be consulted as well.

Magic is only exaggerating here. Of course Buss doesn't make decisions in a vacuum; but he is (more than likely) quite insecure and worries about his position with this team. Magic is only intimating that in Buss' insecurity, he feels the deep desire to prove himself without the direct help of soliciting outsiders like Phil Jackson, Jerry West, or even the minimal consultations of one Earvin Johnson.

[Kilroy]

He says this every year... Shame he has to.

[Michael Lucky]

It was always a stupid accusation anyways. If there had been any truth to it, Mitch would have resigned a long time ago and taken his services somewhere else.

[Michael Lucky]

The issue Magic and the fans have is probably not Mitch having the same authority but Jim replacing Dr. Buss' authority. I'm however glad to hear that Jim always defers to Mitch when there is a conflict, which is how it should always be.

Magic specifically alleged that Jim makes every decision on his own and doesn't consult anyone. Either Mitch is lying here or Magic doesn't know what he's talking about.

can't there be a middle? Can't honestly say Mitch would've done Phil dirty like that during that negotiation, I can see Jim pulling the trigger on his own with that decision and how Phil was treated.

There is no middle. Magic himself states that he has absolutely zero contact with the front office. This means he has absolutely no idea of the inner workings of the FO and is just mouthing off like he always does. I really don't understand why anyone would still take Magic's words seriously. This is the same person that has a history of just constantly criticizing the front office for years now. The same guy who wanted to buy the Clippers. The same guy that would provide analysis on the team and flip flop his position after every game.

[kblo247]

If its true, then he needs to be fired next year as well of they strike out in free agency this summer and miss the playoffs. Mitch helped win titles, but he's also by admitting this laying claim to the two worst record in laker history. Out with him as well as Jim then if they have a mother bad year, just like how they ousted Phil's staff, Lester, and the strength department. Cut throat

[Mamba Venom]

The issue Magic and the fans have is probably not Mitch having the same authority but Jim replacing Dr. Buss' authority. I'm however glad to hear that Jim always defers to Mitch when there is a conflict, which is how it should always be.

Magic specifically alleged that Jim makes every decision on his own and doesn't consult anyone. Either Mitch is lying here or Magic doesn't know what he's talking about.

can't there be a middle? Can't honestly say Mitch would've done Phil dirty like that during that negotiation, I can see Jim pulling the trigger on his own with that decision and how Phil was treated.

Jeanie had made it very clear that she believes her brother is either lying or her father was not aware when he allegedly said he didn't Phil. She said it on national tv in there joint interview.

Mitch did not have the power to chose Phil. Jim made that call IMHO. Mitch should never have traded away fisher. That was messed up. Fisher would have come off the bench. He was declining but it was Mitch's fault to put fisher in a role where could no longer be successful. Add fish to 2012 Nash Dwight team and they figure it out and chose Phil.

I am ready to dump Mitch. And if it's not Jim he needs to go

[LLcoleJ]

The issue Magic and the fans have is probably not Mitch having the same authority but Jim replacing Dr. Buss' authority. I'm however glad to hear that Jim always defers to Mitch when there is a conflict, which is how it should always be.

Magic specifically alleged that Jim makes every decision on his own and doesn't consult anyone.

“Jim is trying to do it himself and trying to prove to everybody that this was the right decision that my dad gave me the reigns,” Johnson said. “He's not consulting anybody that can help him achieve his goals and dreams to win an NBA championship

Either Mitch is lying here or Magic doesn't know what he's talking about.

^^ Translation. He is not consulting Magic.