RealGM

Yahoo! report on Jeanie interview (originally given to LA Times):

https://www.yahoo.com/news/exclusive-jeanie-buss-says-she-110046500.html

Thoughts?

Worrisome IMO... very much. She basically confirms all the stories and reports about her inner circle and decision making process, all while doubling down on it.

Sure she sounds, as always, very transparent and comes out like a nice person, who genuinely does and wants the best for the franchise.

But she seems too emotional and insecure for this. The Lakers is family to her, and that's why she surrounds herself by people she considers family. She has deep connection to literally all people who are in charge or advise basketball decisions. I'm not sure there's any other franchise where this is the case...

It almost feels like she has a bit of a crush on Rob Pelinka, to be honest... she's so emotional about everything.

Look, her insecurity is perfectly understandable. She leads the most famous and storied franchise in basketball, dealing with the most pressure to win, in a world of men, a multibillion dollar business, carrying the heritage of her father, all while spending her whole life involved with it.

But it's just too much of a burden to carry. In order to succeed she would need great, if not exceptional leading traits - specially when you mix business and family like this.

Also, she emphasized how tough it was for her to go into the luxury tax... it also didn't look good from the financial side of things.

Honestly, it would just be better for the Lakers if the franchise was sold to rich owners with some connection to the city, but most importantly, who are willing to spend and actually treat it like a basketball business. The Jerry Buss era is long gone.

But, as Jeanie said, that's not happening for now. Actually it looks like it's a long, long way from happening...

Future is not looking great in Lakerland - even with all the innerent advantages they have over 25 or so other franchises...

Great interview, Jeanie really cares about winning and it shows.

On to next year, hopefully healthy.

The Lakers have had their down moments several times during the last 25 years. Even worse than now. It was never all peachy. People just remember the winning. These 'lows' within the franchise are normal.

I've seen it happen so many times that "the future is not looking great" is something that I don't apply to the team. Its the Lakers. The future is always bright. It doesn't mean there won't be any down years. Of course there will. But those won't last long.

Great interview but not her best.....just a hair below her 1995 magazine interview...

Yea lakers are screwed. I mean I love having a woman as a controlling owner of a major franchise , but she clearly is making the wrong move to continue to
Run the lakers as a mom and pop shop

I wanna read it. But I saw the name Plascheke. Screw that.

We'll see in 5 years if she's any good. Til then I'd rather have her than some other owners.

Worst owner in the league. She’s cheap. She chooses to have her friends in her circle instead of competent front office people. Rob Pelinka, the Rambii, Magic Johnson, Phil Jackson. None of them have front office success but they’re her “brain trust” because they’re in the “Laker family.” She shunned Jerry West, who actually has FO success. Lakers would be much better off if she sold to the Dodgers group.

She sounds like she's stuck in the 80s/90s. The way they did things then worked then, they don't necessarily work now but that seems to be the road she wants to travel.

No disrespect to Jeanie, but I prefer Gayle Benson

I thought the Lakers didn't care about the cap bill, as they are supposed to be eternally shock full of money, no?

Too many cooks in the kitchen and thats her fault. Phil-Rambis-Pelinka-Magic-Klutch

Im waiting for a new owner who puts the hammer down and vanquishes all these remnants of past. Wtf is Phil going around making decisions regarding the team? Worked wonders for the Knicks.

Lawyershawn wrote:Great interview, Jeanie really cares about winning and it shows.

On to next year, hopefully healthy.

cares about winning =/= knows how to win

thebigbird wrote:Worst owner in the league. She’s cheap. She chooses to have her friends in her circle instead of competent front office people. Rob Pelinka, the Rambii, Magic Johnson, Phil Jackson. None of them have front office success but they’re her “brain trust” because they’re in the “Laker family.” She shunned Jerry West, who actually has FO success. Lakers would be much better off if she sold to the Dodgers group.

She may not be the best owner but she's absolutely far from the worst....like come on dude. My real team is the team I grew up watching because it was my home team (Pistons) but because they've sucked for almost half my life, I'm a Lakers fan too. Reading an article like this and having an owner that really actually cares about the fan base is important.

Pelinka is a fine hire and when allowed to do his job, he's probably a solid GM too....who knows at this point. If your two superstars are saying go get Russ Westbrook, you go get Russ Westbrook...it is what it is. Magic & Phil aren't making decisions, they simply just have a voice....nothing entirely wrong with that.

The ONLY issue I truly have with their front office is Rambis situation and him being allowed to be so micromanaging of head coaches. Her line about getting a head coach first and allowing that coach to come up with the direction that the team will play and all that is absolute b/s....Klutch will continue to have a huge voice in personnel moves and LeBron and AD will still control how the team plays and who on the team plays. Its the price of having superstars in todays game.....at least the dudes they're listening to have championships.

flranger wrote:Great interview but not her best.....just a hair below her 1995 magazine interview...

You said “hair below”

If I was Jeannie I’d just show off my championship ring and tell the press to suck my ****. This scrutiny over the Laker’s front office is completely manufactured. Maybe if the Bucks win b2b that can talk trash, but every other franchise should stay quiet.

makubesu wrote:If I was Jeannie I’d just show off my championship ring and tell the press to suck my ****. This scrutiny over the Laker’s front office is completely manufactured. Maybe if the Bucks win b2b that can talk trash, but every other franchise should stay quiet.

Ownership is fine, front office is trash and will be trash as long as Rambis is apart of it.

thebigbird wrote:Worst owner in the league. She’s cheap. She chooses to have her friends in her circle instead of competent front office people. Rob Pelinka, the Rambii, Magic Johnson, Phil Jackson. None of them have front office success but they’re her “brain trust” because they’re in the “Laker family.” She shunned Jerry West, who actually has FO success. Lakers would be much better off if she sold to the Dodgers group.

not everyone can spend 300mil like the warriors. im actually worried she will be forced to compete with la teams despite being closer to a rebuid team. i wouldnt spend a dime on washed up lebron. he can have a kobe tour or gtfo.

thebigbird wrote:Worst owner in the league. She’s cheap. She chooses to have her friends in her circle instead of competent front office people. Rob Pelinka, the Rambii, Magic Johnson, Phil Jackson. None of them have front office success but they’re her “brain trust” because they’re in the “Laker family.” She shunned Jerry West, who actually has FO success. Lakers would be much better off if she sold to the Dodgers group.

Other than worst owner in the league, the rest is spot on.

Trivia I didn't know: Her boyfriend's first big acting role was as Jerry Maguire's evil rival.

why are (some) Laker fans so entitled? have you forgotten your team has been in the GUTTER since 2010?

Jeanie Buss saved the franchise from her stupid brother and won a championship just two seasons ago

as long as the sun shines in LA, the Lakers will be fine. this is a massive over reaction and reminder that (some) Laker fans don't deserve what you have