“The death of God left the angels in a strange position.” – Donald Barthelme
The idea of uncertainty is one that frightens many people. As humans, we get comfortable with our surroundings and are afraid to step beyond our own grounds and put ourselves in a place we do not know. This is why such a large percentage of the world’s population die within 15 miles of where they were born. We get used to something, and we do whatever we can to hold onto it. Yet that doesn’t stop the change from coming. No matter how much we long for things to remain the same, especially when things are going well, we can’t avoid (or ignore) the change when it does happen.
And that period of transformation, of extreme change, is where the Lakers find themselves right now. A state of flux. An orbital device suddenly detached from the same revolution it had been in for decades. And with this change comes a remarkable sense of worry. How will things ever be the same? How will this team, that has built a foundation of stone in the heart of Los Angeles and done nothing but increase in altitude for over 30 years, how will it continue growing without the architect that put the initial blueprints together.
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When team owner Dr. Jerry Buss passed away last February, these questions began to arise. After losing Dwight Howard to the Houston Rockets last week, more people began to question the direction of the franchise. Have they lost their lure? Have we finally reached a place in time where the Lakers are no longer the Lakers? Has the rest of the league caught up? You see in the past the Lakers were Mecca. The shining example of what a basketball franchise should be. The rest of the Association’s inhabitants were mere pilgrims, on a roundball Hajj attempting to spend one summer in the glorious sunlight.
But now?
The Lakers have lost a transcendent free agent for the first time in team history, and is suddenly looking at a multi-year rebuilding process that is anything but certain. So where does this leave them?
I had the privilege of speaking to Roland Lazenby, a distinguished author and a man fairly close with the happenings in the Laker organization. He’s written numerous books about the Lakers, including an intriguing look into the life of the original Los Angeles superstar, Jerry West. While speaking with Lazenby, I learned that it’s not just fans that are uncertain of where this Laker team is heading. That the nepotism and seemingly increasing incompetence in the team’s front office is a growing concern for those in the professional circuit as well.
“This is a painful time,” Lazenby said. “It’s always painful when you throw away success to embrace conflict.”
So what’s the conflict? What’s the reason behind the loss of Howard and the growing uncertainty behind the scenes?
“I do believe Dwight and Kobe would have been fine, because Shaq and Kobe were fine enough to win three. They just needed Phil and Tex. (Now) Phil’s worn down and Tex is incapacitated. Phil could have pulled those two tighter, but Phil alienated the Busses, first the old man, then the son. And the Busses aren’t the kind of guys to articulate their alienation. Jeanie tries to put a good spin on it, but it really is an ugly thing. And we’ve witnessed an ugly moment.”
An ugly moment could seemingly be fixed, though. Because if it’s indeed just a moment, it’s expected to be followed by another and another, in which there is time for both parties to fix the issue and get the proverbial ship back on the right course. But, whatever the reasons may be, that doesn’t seem to be a realistic possibility between the two sides of this particular spat.
“The feelings are apparently so hard, they can’t be successful together. I’m from the mountains, and we have a phrase around here. “They’d rather fight than —-.” It’s crude, but it aptly describes the enmity between Jim Buss and Phil.”
Perhaps, in reality, this shouldn’t be as surprising as it would seem. Phil Jackson is notorious for being difficult to work with. He’s a man absolutely set in his ways, with the idea that he knows best, and that his strategies and plans will be the best possible way to achieve success. And for good reason. You don’t become the greatest coach in league history by sitting on your hands idly, waiting for others to give you direction.
Next Page: Jim Buss, Phil Jackson Disconnect Could Be Sign of Evolving Problem
This also isn’t the first time that Jackson has had trouble with an acting member of the Lakers front office. Years ago, when Jerry West was still running the squad as general manager, Jackson once asked the legendary Laker to leave the team locker room. A man that was the face of the franchise since its Los Angeles inception was cast aside by Jackson, shoved out the door like an aging veteran that couldn’t hack it anymore. So then should we really be that surprised that Jackson and Jim Buss aren’t able to get on the same page? Perhaps not. But even with Jackson’s notorious stubbornness, that didn’t prevent him from trying to help Buss and the organization by doing his part to recruit Howard, before the big man made his decision.
“I do think Phil humbled himself by publicly asking Dwight to stay. Phil risked looking foolish. I like that. I think that’s good for Phil. There have been some times in his life when he was too cool for school. But I see Phil as having dealt with some things in his life. I think he’s grown quite a bit.”
So then if Jackson is able to put aside personal issues from the past, why can’t Buss? What’s holding Jim back from swallowing his pride and accepting that Jackson does give his franchise the best opportunity to be successful? Is he so set in his ways that he would rather lose without Phil than bear winning with him?
“It falls on Jim and Phil. They can’t co-exist. I’m no psychologist, but apparently Phil’s brand of arrogance can’t be digested by Jim. I think the need to develop Dwight Howard was the best opportunity for the Lakers to include Phil. It was ideal, but Jim Buss couldn’t bear to accept that. The only way Phil returns is if Jim has a change of heart or if Jim steps down.”
Both of those options, it seems, are unlikely to come to fruition anytime soon. At least not before the Lakers have fallen flat on that nose they used to stick so highly into the air.
Still, if Jackson was willing to publicly humble himself by asking Dwight Howard to return, why won’t Jim Buss meet him halfway? Where Jackson has shown maturity and an ability to evolve emotionally, Jim is left behind, slowly sinking. Attempting to tread water in a vat of oil.
“The thing about being successful in sports and media and music and film, it requires finding a way to work with sometimes arrogant and impossible people. If you’re going to sit around and hold grudges against talented people you’re not going to get very far in a competitive world. It will be interesting to see how far Jim takes this thing down. Does he have it in him to step up and lead? Or is he just a rich snot who’s happened to been given something by his daddy, something that’s dear to many people. Right now, it doesn’t look good.”
But even with Jim’s history of what seems to be poor decisions, Mr. Lazenby doesn’t think it’s all crashing down in El Segundo. Or at least he believes there’s still a way to stop the sky from falling.
“I hope Jim Buss has all kinds of things figured out that I can’t fathom. I really mean that. I’ll give him the benefit of some more doubt. I have no choice. I hope he and Mitch can find a way forward.”
So then that’s where we are. A once-great organization seemingly reduced to rubble in a matter of years. The once glowing lighthouse of Western Conference supremacy seems to be dwindling, and not even the beacons of Amon Din will summon help fast enough to save her.
Remember earlier when I compared the Lakers to Mecca? The metaphor seems true enough, as for decades we’ve watched other Western Conference organizations do whatever they could to scratch and crawl their way to the top, only to be thwarted once again by the Lakers. Well Lazenby had another comparison. Another city on the hill to compare the Lakers franchise to. And it seems equally fitting.
“Dr. Buss built the organization, with his ability to relate to talent. He was good at letting talented people do their thing. He created a Camelot by doing that. In my opinion, Camelot seems to be on the way out. I hope not, but it sure seems that way.”
Call it what you’d like – Camelot, Mecca or simply Los Angeles – the uncertain times ahead will likely be rocky. There will be moments of pain, but hopefully there will be glimpses of hope through the carnage. When looked at through an optimistic ocular, you’ll remember that this is a team that has faced adversity many times before. They’ve seen more eras come and go than nearly any other franchise, each one followed by a period of uncertainty and fear. Fear of the unknown. But following each of these momentary segments of panic, the team has pulled itself back up and marched forward. And that’s where we are again.
Things are uncomfortable now in Los Angeles. The fans, players and front office big wigs are out in the cold. The nice, cozy warmth of the championship fire has dwindled in the last two seasons. But it’s time for them to find a new normal. To re-establish a comfort zone and find success within it.
And if anybody can do that, it’s the Lakers.
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