After receiving a lot of grief from fans about not making any moves after the failed Chris Paul trade, Lakers Executive VP Jim Buss was public enemy number one in the City of Angels for not trying to improve this team in order to be a legitimate NBA title contender this season and beyond. Despite all the criticism he has received from Lakers fans and NBA analysts, Buss has worked with GM Mitch Kupchak to make some deals before the NBA trade deadline.
The result of Buss and Kupchak working day and night on how to improve this team, the Lakers acquired up-and-coming point guard Ramon Sessions for the highly overpaid contract of Luke Walton and bench warmer Jason Kapono. Los Angeles still dealt Derek Fisher in a surprising move to the Houston Rockets, but the team saved money, kept Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum while improving the squad with brilliant moves.
Lakers VP Jim Buss made a radio appearance on Mason & Ireland at 710 EPSN – the official radio station of the Los Angeles Lakers – on Friday to talk about the Lakers and how much Kobe Bryant has left in the tank:
“Kobe isn’t done,” Lakers VP Jim Buss told Mason & Ireland on Friday. “No,” in response to whether or not the Lakers would trade Kobe Bryant. “Don’t know why that question would ever come up and I’d like to squish that one.”
“A sixth [ring], I’m not sure I would stop there for Kobe. I would go to seven or eight if we can.”
Jim Buss also talked about almost drafting Jeremy Lin:
“We were about to draft him and we decided that he wasn’t going to be drafted and that we would get him in training camp” said Buss.”We tried to tag him on the waiver wires. And we were hoping he’d get through waiver wires, but Houston took him the first time and New York took him the second time.”
With support from Kobe Bryant and a willingness to clear the air with Lakers fans, Jim Buss may very well have a promising future taking over for his father Jerry Buss. Though his moves may be questionable and unliked by some Lakers fans, Buss is getting the job done and taking all the criticism that goes along with it. There is no doubt that Jim has big shoes to fill, but he seems to be up to the task and ready to continue the tradition of winning in Los Angeles.
