Jeanie Buss Says Lakers Lost The ‘Best Closer’ In Jerry Buss

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.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Lakers Nation Kobe Up Close Giveaway: Enter A Video For Chance To Win!

You May Also Like

Lakers News: Lonzo Ball Gives Credit To Teammates For Collecting 11 Assists In First Double-Double Of Season

What to expect from Lonzo Ball this season was a bit of an unknown as an up-and-down rookie year was followed by knee surgery. The operation and subsequent recovery…

Jeff Van Gundy Interested in Lakers’ Job & The Top NBA News

Top Story ESPN and ABC NBA analyst, Jeff Van Gundy, is interested…

TWITTER: Kobe Bryant Congratulates Warriors For Winning 2014-15 NBA Finals

On Tuesday, the Golden State Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in six…

Live Recap: Lakers Fall To Warriors 109-85

The Los Angeles Lakers look to rebound after a tough loss. Tonight they take on the Golden State Warriors…