His father, Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss, was known as a shrewd poker player but he loved to be seen as the center of attention. Jim Buss is the opposite as the baseball cap wearing figure who barely gets noticed.
He’s barely around the Lakers office as much as his father and has his actions do the talking. But what has he said so far? Let’s look at what the younger Buss has done, starting with hiring former Coach of the Year Mike Brown.
There’s no shame in bringing in Brown, a defensive-minded coach who’s known as a likable figure. But the shame comes from not consulting his most important player on his team, Kobe Bryant.
You don’t have to cater to one particular player in making basketball decisions. But if anybody’s opinion was worth listening to, it’s Bryant who probably deserved to have a say in who will coach his last years.
Brown isn’t a bad hire so to speak but the lack of respect for Bryant or perhaps Derek Fisher’s opinion is not a good sign. There was also a lack of respect for assistant coach Brian Shaw, who many assumed would take over.
Shaw didn’t find out he was passed over as head coach until he saw the news on ESPN. After 12 years of helping the team win five rings as a player and assistant coach, that’s far from the classy rejection he deserved.
He went on to become an assistant with the Indiana Pacers, but he can be considered one of the lucky ex-Lakers employees who landed on their feet.
This summer, 20 employees—most of whom were tied to Phil Jackson—were fired or saw their contracts run out without a guarantee. Former ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
