Last season was rough to say the least for the storied Los Angeles Lakers franchise. Not only did the team fail to live up to expectations with four superstars on the team, but Dr. Jerry Buss passed away early on and sent shockwaves throughout the team.
On Thursday, the legendary owner’s daughter, Jeanie Buss, made an appearance on ESPN L.A. Now with Mark Willard and Mychal Thompson to talk about all things Lakers.
During the interview, the Lakers Executive VP talked about her father’s impact on the team and the fact that a healthy Dr. Buss may have been the difference maker in keeping Dwight Howard in Los Angeles:
“When my dad got sick, we lost the best closer in the business in Dr. Buss.”
With Dr. Buss playing such a huge role in the team’s success since taking over in 1979, the loss of arguably the greatest owner in professional sports was devastating to say the least. Dwight was the first superstar that willingly left Los Angeles in NBA free agency potentially setting a precedent moving forward.
Now that Dr. Buss is no longer running the show and the franchise has been handed over to Jeanie and brother Jim Buss, the future is uncertain to say the least. Kobe Bryant is in the twilight of his career while the team may look completely different next season with the majority of the contracts coming off the books.
As of right now, the franchise appears to be in good hands with Jeanie and Jim calling the shots, but there’s been friction between the siblings in the past. Phil Jackson’s influence on Jeanie has also been a topic of discussion with many believing the legendary head coach should help run the team moving forward.
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