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On the perception that he just all of a sudden took over bball operations
“(If) I would have taken credit for all the moves we won championships for, then I would have a resume; I don’t have a resume,” said Buss, who has been on board for five Lakers titles since he first joined and whose bio in the team's media guide is approximately one quarter the size of Kupchak's. “So my resume is just me all of a sudden taking over, which isn’t true. It’s not true at all. The thing that most people don’t understand is that I’ve been doing this for 20 years. I worked with Jerry West. I’ve done this, and I’ve said these things. But it doesn’t have any teeth, doesn’t have any legs. I was very much part of the final decisions on all of the championships that we’ve won in the last 20 years.
“I was extremely involved on both the basketball and the financial side, but there was no point for me to go out and wave my flag. It didn’t make sense to me. Now I understand that I should have, to a certain degree.”
On the criticism he's received:
“If Jerry West said ‘Jim Buss doesn’t know what the hell he’s doing’ … that would hurt; I don’t know what I would do then,” Buss explains. “If (former Lakers coach and current Miami Heat president) Pat Riley came out and said…‘Jim Buss doesn’t know what he’s doing. He’s leading the Lakers down the wrong path.’ I’d be like, ‘(Expletive), I have to look in the mirror.’ If it’s coming from someone who knows, and someone I respect, then I’ve got to look at myself. But that has never happened. All I do is get fantastic feedback from these guys.”
On criticism from Magic:
Jim doesn’t mention the pointed words that have come from Bryant, but it’s clear that he hasn’t forgotten about the other Laker great who has repeatedly called him out: Magic Johnson. From Johnson's angry tweets about the D’Antoni decision to the television tour eight months ago when he raised serious questions about Buss’ ability as an executive, Johnson has made his feelings known. Buss, who has chosen to avoid discussing the situation with Johnson personally, is clearly bothered by this recurring matter.
“Magic Johnson going nuts on me?” he says witha laugh. “It’s like, ‘Really, dude? My Dad made you a billionaire almost. Really? Where are you coming from?”
Johnson – who sold his share of the Lakers in 2010 and two years later led the ownership group that paid $2 billion for the Los Angeles Dodgers – earned approximately $43 million during his playing days and has been wildly successful in the business sector ever since (a 2011 Forbes report estimated his net worth at $525 million). In the grander sense, though, it's well-chronicled that Jerry Buss' impact on Johnson went well beyond basketball.
"Dr. Buss gave me the platform to be Magic," Johnson told the Los Angeles Times in Feb. 2013 after Jerry's death. "He gave me the knowledge to be Magic."
When asked about Buss’ comment, Johnson issued a statement to USA TODAY Sports in response.
“It’s all about winning, Jim,” Johnson said.
On that, if little else, they can agree.
On self imposed timeline
“I (shared the timeline publicly to the Los Angeles Times in April of 2014) because I basically wanted people to know what timeframe I’m working on,” Buss said. “It became news, but I don’t want to be here if I can’t turn this around. And it’s not turning it around – it’s just your normal progression of teams in the NBA.
“We’re ahead of (the schedule), so I’m fine with it. I think we’ve turned the corner, exactly like we have (planned). Get a free agent next (summer), and then I think we compete.”
On the Russell draft pick
“If you watched (Russell) worked out, if you heard what our scouts said about him and what they said about Okafor and other players, it got to the point where we could not pass on him,” Buss said. “He’s that special in a lot of people’s books.”
On where the team stands
“We’ve gone through this (rebuilding) before. We went through, what 10 years without winning a championship or anything? Sedale Threatt, and those days – Smush Parker and Chris Mihm. You have to do it, until you make the right move. And I think we might have made the right move with D’Angelo Russell. I think he might be something special. And if he is, then that’s what I’m talking about. Somebody special is going to want to play with someone special, and then the dominoes fall. So yeah, I’m extremely confident…You hear what Vegas says, that we’re not supposed to make it (to the playoffs this season). We’ll prove them wrong. If this team plays as a team, with dedication and a purpose, which I think we’ve instilled in them, that there’s a purpose because you guys are a core, you are moving forward together, (playing) together and having each other’s back, I think we’ll surprise a lot of people. I really do.”
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