Are you OK with the Buss ownership?

mastermixer · Post #1 » by **mastermixer** » Thu Apr 14, 2022 7:58 pm

Does it bother you that we are owned by a Family business where the Lakers are the primary source of the Buss income?

We see a lot of teams being sold to these billionaire hedge fund/tech types with basically unlimited recourses, do you want the Lakers to be sold to an owner like that?

Personally I think it's pretty cool that we're still owned by a family. For all the faults of the Buss Family since Jerry died, I truly believe that Jeanie loves the Lakers and this is more than just a business to her. I like that we tend to look after former players with roles in the team after they play.

I would like to see Jeanie bring out the best in the organization, I think she can get there.

TylersLakers · Post #2 » by **TylersLakers** » Thu Apr 14, 2022 10:16 pm

No, I’m not okay with it. The luxury tax should almost never be a thought in anything we do.

And more importantly, Jeanie doesn’t seem to have any sense of how badly this team needs change. We needed change badly 3 years ago and just got lucky that LeBron chose us and AD stayed healthy.

Elevate Jesse and Joey, and allow them to hire the basketball mind(s) they choose. Jeanie and Linda can stick to business operations and Kurt can go hang with Phil Jackson in Montana.

RamonSessions7 · Post #3 » by **RamonSessions7** » Thu Apr 14, 2022 10:21 pm

Post #4 » by **Kilroy** » Thu Apr 14, 2022 10:24 pm

I'm not crazy about where we are right now, but in the 30+ years I've been a fan of the Lakers, the last 2 years were the only 2 I thought were completely mismanaged... And maybe pointed to a problem with ownership... So the Buss family gets a pass from me..
Honestly, I don't want to see the Buss era end... I always thought part of our strength as a franchise was that we were a huge market team that was run a bit like a small market team at the top. If the Buss family sells the Lakers a bit of what makes the Lakers, the Lakers, to me will die... And frankly, there ain't a whole lot left of that to loose.

It's interesting to me that every team LeBron is involved with eventually looks like it's poorly managed... Even Miami... So maybe the Buss family isn't the problem.

xinxin · Post #5 » by **xinxin** » Thu Apr 14, 2022 10:42 pm

Kilroy wrote:I'm not crazy about where we are right now, but in the 30+ years I've been a fan of the Lakers, the last 2 years were the only 2 I thought were completely mismanaged... And maybe pointed to a problem with ownership... So the Buss family gets a pass from me..
Honestly, I don't want to see the Buss era end... I always thought part of our strength as a franchise was that we were a huge market team that was run a bit like a small market team at the top. If the Buss family sells the Lakers a bit of what makes the Lakers, the Lakers, to me will die... And frankly, there ain't a whole lot left of that to loose.

It's interesting to me that every team LeBron is involved with eventually looks like it's poorly managed... Even Miami... So maybe the Buss family isn't the problem.

I’ll be sentimental here which is why I wish the family success.

The year Jerry Buss bought the team was also my first year as a Lakers fan.. & 17 NBA Finals and 11 rings later, I have no reason but to have faith in the fam.

But I do think they need a big corporate partner at some point. Ballmer is just too big of a neighbor owner to be ignored. He’s got a well run team and seemingly bottomless pit of funds to throw money at players. It’s a real challenge. But the lakers have enough prestige and cachet to counter that if run properly.

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mastermixer · Post #6 » by **mastermixer** » Thu Apr 14, 2022 11:44 pm

Kilroy wrote:I'm not crazy about where we are right now, but in the 30+ years I've been a fan of the Lakers, the last 2 years were the only 2 I thought were completely mismanaged... And maybe pointed to a problem with ownership... So the Buss family gets a pass from me..
Honestly, I don't want to see the Buss era end... I always thought part of our strength as a franchise was that we were a huge market team that was run a bit like a small market team at the top. If the Buss family sells the Lakers a bit of what makes the Lakers, the Lakers, to me will die... And frankly, there ain't a whole lot left of that to loose.

It's interesting to me that every team LeBron is involved with eventually looks like it's poorly managed... Even Miami... So maybe the Buss family isn't the problem.

I'm more with you on this. I think we need to see how our ownership looks without LeBron. We obviously sold our soul to the devil when we took in LeBron so to speak. You know the baggage he comes with in order to get his talent. I wasn't thrilled about that. Can't wait until he's gone.

Landsberger · Post #7 » by **Landsberger** » Fri Apr 15, 2022 1:13 am

I can remember when Buss bought the lakers.... everyone was horrified that the town playboy bought the team. So I've seen it go from a joke to heart attack serious and now unfortunately it's come full circle. The Jerry's were the strength of the run. This group.... not so much. The biggest issue I have is the family involvement in personnel. Go get a real front office and just sit in the box like the other owners (sans Cuban) and watch.

I think the biggest issue is that the Lakers are the core of the family's wealth. Not sure any of them know hot to do anything else so my guess is we will have to hit bottom a lot harder than this to see them decide to sell.

danfantastk32 · Post #8 » by **danfantastk32** » Fri Apr 15, 2022 1:46 am

I don't think it matters. Jeanie won't sell the Lakers. It's her heart and soul.

And 11 titles later, I'm more than happy with the Buss family. 4th in spending this season, so they aren't cheap. Never have been. The fact that this is their primary source of income shouldn't really matter A) with a salary cap and B) with their TV deal.

Things aren't all perfect.....but where is? Ballz? Last I checked, he bought his team with all his $$$, and we won the title.

Ckay · Post #9 » by **Ckay** » Fri Apr 15, 2022 5:07 am

I'm more worry about the Rambii.

Post #10 » by **Slava** » Fri Apr 15, 2022 10:42 am

The alternative is the Dodgers ownership with Todd Boehly as the figurehead and he is already on the Lakers board of directors. I'd much rather have a more professionally run set up like that than this clown show of washed up playboy bunnies and other associated hanger-ons running affairs.

Post #11 » by **dockingsched** » Fri Apr 15, 2022 1:36 pm

Never been a fan of how Jeanie runs things. Appears that she puts too much emphasis on who her friends are and who she’s familiar with when putting together a front office. I don’t enjoy how it appears that too much emotion is included in the decision making.

This is a mom and pop shop when it should be a Fortune 500 company. I’m not ok with it.

chefy · Post #12 » by **chefy** » Fri Apr 15, 2022 3:01 pm

Before Lebron, Buss/FO did what a rebuilding team should do, collect a bunch of good young players, good draft picks, and make sure to have enough cap space to use when the right superstar becomes available. I only wished the FO/Buss didn't let Randle and Russell walk without getting something but FO/Buss did aight if not good.

I don't want to sound like a broken record, but where we really f up is when weren't able to get our "3rd star" in the 2019 free agency after exhausting all our assets and trading all our core for Davis. It was either a "3rd all star" or two or three good role players, AD even declined his bonus in order to help accomplish this but the only "good" role player that we were able to fish was Danny Green :banghead:

.

tamaraw08 · Post #13 » by **tamaraw08** » Fri Apr 15, 2022 4:48 pm

TylersLakers wrote:No, I’m not okay with it. The luxury tax should almost never be a thought in anything we do.

And more importantly, Jeanie doesn’t seem to have any sense of how badly this team needs change. We needed change badly 3 years ago and just got lucky that LeBron chose us and AD stayed healthy.

Elevate Jesse and Joey, and allow them to hire the basketball mind(s) they choose. Jeanie and Linda can stick to business operations and Kurt can go hang with Phil Jackson in Montana.

I really think this is the main problem. I don't think Jeannie makes any decisions with personnel or any basketball operations but I strongly believe that she was adamant about setting a LIMIT on how much Rob can spend!
Per spotrac, Lakers are just 6th in highest total cap. Smaller market teams like the Bucks, Nets, Clippers and even the TWolves have a higher total cap than them.
https://www.spotrac.com/nba/cap/
I am NOT saying spend recklessly like the Knicks etc but not re-signing Caruso because they didn't want to pay the extra $ in luxury tax is just shocking and disappointing. :nonono:

Coaches salary don't count in salary cap and yet, they chose to go the cheap route but just promoting their shooting coach Penberthy to replace the VETERAN Lionel Hollins at the bench. :banghead:

Then refusing to absorb Christian Wood's contract who just making 13 Mil at 18 pts/10 rebs AND 39% from 3 was mind-boggling. The 6-10 guy who can shoot, rebound would have been a great fit with Lebron and a great insurance incase Davis gets injured.
but no... They just have to stick to the budget. :nonono:

wco81 · Post #14 » by **wco81** » Sat Apr 16, 2022 12:14 pm

There used to be a lot of complaints when Jeannie’s brother ran the club too, not just the last two years.

Lakers could fetch at least $4 billion if they owned their own arena and had means to generate a lot of non basketball revenues, which wouldn’t be shared with the league.

But as long as they can field a good team which can sell tickets and get ratings, they’re probably fine on the business side.

Yes they gave too much control to LBJ and Klutch but they got AD and the Bubble ring.

Most Lakers fans seem to say it was totally worth it.

Even if they may have difficulty reloading the roster after LBJ leaves/retires?

Or maybe they sign another max free agent in a couple of years because it is one of the glamor FA destinations.

danfantastk32 · Post #15 » by **danfantastk32** » Sat Apr 16, 2022 8:21 pm

wco81 wrote:There used to be a lot of complaints when Jeannie’s brother ran the club too, not just the last two years.

Jim was a dope. Mozgov and Deng we're all they could sign. There was no plan, no big picture....nothing. At no point were they "rebuilding". All our draft picks were due to his incompetence....not some sort of plan. It's not lost on most that it took Magic and Pelinka like 12 months to sign the best player in the league, and get this team turned around....with a title in the following 2 years.

Landsberger · Post #16 » by **Landsberger** » Thu May 26, 2022 3:30 am

Wow.... Jim didn't sign LeBron.... you know why? He wasn't a free agent.... that's why. Magic and Pelinka or Bozo and the Joker... Bron was coming to LA for reasons not entirely to do with the Lakers.

LAL1947 · Post #17 » by **LAL1947** » Fri Jun 3, 2022 6:19 pm

mastermixer wrote:Personally I think it's pretty cool that we're still owned by a family. For all the faults of the Buss Family since Jerry died, I truly believe that Jeanie loves the Lakers and this is more than just a business to her. I like that we tend to look after former players with roles in the team after they play.

I would like to see Jeanie bring out the best in the organization, I think she can get there.

I'm with you on this. The Buss family has built the Lakers into what it is... so I think it's kinda lame that some want to see them sell or fail.

danfantastk32 · Post #18 » by **danfantastk32** » Sat Jun 4, 2022 5:49 pm

Landsberger wrote:Wow.... Jim didn't sign LeBron.... you know why? He wasn't a free agent.... that's why. Magic and Pelinka or Bozo and the Joker... Bron was coming to LA for reasons not entirely to do with the Lakers.

Actually didn't he goto Miami during Jim's tenure? I know he definitely returned to Clev durning Jim's time. But I will agree that Lebron going back to Cleveland was unfinished business, and that was all completely on Lebron. It wasn't like Riley was a bad GM for losing him. And it certainly wasn't "good work" on Clev to resign him. Although Jim did free up our roster salary in the hopes of signing Lebron....so while I won't hold it against him too much, it was a whiff.

BUT....well we got the Aldridge fiasco, the failure to land Melo (feel like there was another star that same year we missed). Letting Dwight walk, watching Gasol take a pay-cut to leave, for F's sakes. And there was Durant famously not even granting a meeting with him during his FA (Maybe that was the Melo year?)

Anyhow, Jim's time spoke for itself. And maybe Lebron wanted to come to the Lakers, but you don't think ditching Jim, and that craziness....and then bringing in Magic had something to do with it? No? That couldn't maybe be possible? And then AD forcing his way here......it was all just coincidence, and bad timing for Jim? Another 2 years at the helm, and he woulda been vindicated?

I'm not so sure.

danfantastk32 · Post #19 » by **danfantastk32** » Sat Jun 4, 2022 5:59 pm

LAL1947 wrote:
mastermixer wrote:Personally I think it's pretty cool that we're still owned by a family. For all the faults of the Buss Family since Jerry died, I truly believe that Jeanie loves the Lakers and this is more than just a business to her. I like that we tend to look after former players with roles in the team after they play.

I would like to see Jeanie bring out the best in the organization, I think she can get there.

I'm with you on this. The Buss family has built the Lakers into what it is... so I think it's kinda lame that some want to see them sell or fail.

Yeah, as hard as I am on Jim...he did take over during a massive shift in the NBA, and alot of things were specifically designed to cut teams like the Lakers at the knees. Bring them "back down to earth" so to speak. Funny how it would actually be almost opposite, if teams were allowed to spend into the stratosphere still. THEN....the Buss family would be in trouble. And listen....Jeanie is not devoid of blame for that time either. It has been a rough 12 years. Kobe falling apart, the CP3 debacle (I think things would have been much different had that of all worked out....maybe thats just me) The Jim years, and the infighting. Even with Lebron, and AD..it's been a roller coaster.

But at the end of it all, the Lakers have hoisted a title with Jeanie, and have spent just fine. And have certainly been swinging for the fences. I don't see our pockets as an issue at all....and I don't see anything even slightly resembling commitment issues. And you can't say she wont/cant bring us titles....cause she already has. I'm totally fine with them. But we'll see...maybe that will change. She's had a few years to figure this out. Hopefully a mistake like Westbrook doesn't happen again for many years.

Pointgod · Post #20 » by **Pointgod** » Sat Jun 4, 2022 10:19 pm

danfantastk32 wrote:
wco81 wrote:There used to be a lot of complaints when Jeannie’s brother ran the club too, not just the last two years.

Jim was a dope. Mozgov and Deng we're all they could sign. There was no plan, no big picture....nothing. At no point were they "rebuilding". All our draft picks were due to his incompetence....not some sort of plan. It's not lost on most that it took Magic and Pelinka like 12 months to sign the best player in the league, and get this team turned around....with a title in the following 2 years.

I’ll literally never forgive Jim for signing Mozgov and Deng to those horrendous contracts. That move set the team back years. And we were still paying for Deng last season. We had to give up Russell just to get off Mozgov. Sure we got Kuzma back but still……