Before the Los Angeles Lakers went head-to-head with the Dallas Mavericks earlier this week at the American Airlines Center, outspoken owner Mark Cuban was asked about the new Lakers regime led by Magic Johnson, Rob Pelinka, and Jeanie Buss. In typical fashion, Cuban comically held nothing back regarding his feelings about the front office shakeup in Los Angeles.
According to Mark Medina of the L.A. Daily News, Cuban hopes the new-look Lakers fail in their attempt to right the ship after years of disappointment:
“I hope they fail miserably. I hope they fail horrifically,” Cuban said. “I hope Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka go down as the worst GM/President combination in the history of GM/President combinations. But I hope they live wonderful lives.”
Cuban continues to be the most quotable owner in professional sports. Although Cuban hopes the new-look Lakers fail in their attempt to bounce back with the new regime in place, the longtime Mavericks owner also has a tough task ahead in trying to rebuild his team.
Dallas, much like Los Angeles, is on the verge of an end of an era. Dirk Nowitzki, who passed the 30,000-point mark against the Lakers on Tuesday, is nearing the end of his career with the Mavericks and Cuban will have to eventually find his next star to build around.
As for the Lakers, Johnson and Pelinka will be hard at work this summer trying to put together a roster that can take the next step forward after four consecutive losing seasons without a playoff appearance.
Despite receiving some positive feedback from fans in the wake of the end of the Jim Buss era, it will be no easy task to turn around this franchise. The new front office duo will face a tough challenge as they decide what direction to go in during the offseason.
