Although it's not in the smoke-filled rooms of yesteryear, it's also not out in the open. A lot of what happens in the NBA happens because of relationships and private chats. Buss wants the Lakers to be more transparent (or at least appear to be), which is part of what inspired the "Legacy" documentary on Hulu as well as a recent string of interviews she conducted, like the one with Sam Amick at The Athletic, where openness was a topic of conversation. Buss stated, "I feel like we have been an open book.
Sam Mitchell and Amin Elhassan had another one of those discussions about tanking on SiriusXM NBA Radio.
You guys know it's tough to win in the NBA; nobody knows the right formula. But I know you cannot win a title if you do not make the playoffs. You can provide sufficient resources to guarantee that your squad is competitive every year. Some people might argue over the merits of tanking for years. In 32 years, my dad has never done it.
It's not how he imagined the Lakers' reputation always ranking last. He always believed that since the fans had put their time and money into your team, you had better provide for them; else, they'll move on and find another team to support. They should receive a high-quality item. Nobody can guarantee a championship every year, but you won't have a chance to win until you participate in the playoffs. Therefore, I like that the squad is in a position to contend for championships every year.
Additionally, the NBA has changed since her father owned the Lakers. The Lakers essentially tanked for years in the previous decade; they just covered it up with Kobe Bryant's final seasons of legendary play (which continued to sell out Staples). However, their picks allowed them to sign players like Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, Josh Hart, and others, who they later traded for Anthony Davis and the 2020 championship.
You can sell hope in Los Angeles; it doesn't have to be just winning. Lakers fans might understand a swift step backward if they witnessed wise selection and player development that led to a genuine turnaround. The issue with that plan of action right now is that the Lakers won't have custody of any of their picks until 2027, and they may trade away that pick and 2029 to be good (but not great) right now. The Knicks' strategy has been (or has been) to say, "we can't rebuild in this market" and trade away first-round selections, but the Lakers don't want to go down that road. Superstars will always be drawn to Los Angeles and the Lakers, but there needs to be a base for them to come to. Intelligent player development and drafting form the basis of that.
Although Jeanie Buss is a great spokesperson for the Lakers organization, one other statement she made to The Athletic caught her attention:
Westbrook, in my opinion, was our greatest player last year.
The writer, Amick, was persuaded by it, and he followed up with Buss later in a text to make sure she meant what she had said.
The phrase she ought to have used was "consistent," she texted. "He participated in 78 games last year."
Westbrook was active and in good health. He was also reliable. He was better than some Lakers supporters like to believe; he averaged 18.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game. But the Lakers should have anticipated that he wouldn't be as effective as they required, that he wouldn't play in line with their style of play, that he wouldn't play defense, and that he wouldn't be able to carry the team without LeBron James or Anthony Davis. Westbrook was exactly who he had been for the previous few seasons, which was predictable, but the Lakers believed he might be something else. Despite Westbrook's claim that he might be, the Lakers are currently in a difficult situation.
Finding a route back to contention is difficult, even though Buss and the Lakers can be transparent about anything.
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