A King and an Empire: The Official GOAT franchise Boss Angeles Lakers 2018-19 season

[Morethan1]

LOL he pushes PHX in the morning and then LA in the afternoon

Yeah he's definitely plugged in but he is super inconsistent. I think he's in love with the social media basketball fame

 

[Jesus Is Lord]

Around 21 I believe, DLo and Randle coming home

I wish Randle was.

 

[Flex Luger]

 

[10bandz]

Yeah he's definitely plugged in but he is super inconsistent. I think he's in love with the social media basketball fame

thats the impression i get too. He tweets so much you can tell he like the attention. He be selling shirts with his name on it too

 

[ALonelyDad]

I've never been on that tip of saying how regular people could do the jobs better than the GMs. But some of the shyt with this whole trade is just ridiculous From bidding against themselves to not being mindful of keeping a max slot open. We've all been in here talking for pages before the trade went down about the order things would need to be done in to preserve a max slot to chase a Kawhi or someone like that. If Pelinka didn't have that in his head the whole time and truly had to call back asking for NO to wait he needs to get booted.

He was terrible with the negotiating, he overpaid with no other teams serious about AD. We still got AD so it's cool, but an experienced GM does better.

 

[2Quik4UHoes]

I think the issue is that Rob needed to make this an attractive location not just for max free agents but for any free agents worth a fukk. Of course I’d prefer he did this deal working with the leverage we had. But I’m not going to give him hell for making a move.

Look at ainge right now. He kept holding on to his assets and now he’s looking like a fukkin a$$hole. Yeah, all of us had love for the kids and in a perfect world they’d be the depth on this team with AD and Bron. But are we supposed to just keep sitting by waiting on potential to maybe develop?

I’ve shytted on low budget Rob Lowe with the rest of them. But without any experienced front office guy as a guide, and with all that added pressure, I’m honestly not gon even give this man any shyt. Plus from all of the details we’ve been getting, the cap issue is moreso a media sensationalism piece that they’ve been using to continue selling stories.

Yes we could’ve got a better deal, but damn I’m not gon kill Rob just for doing what needed to be done.

 

[Long Live The Kane]

I've never been on that tip of saying how regular people could do the jobs better than the GMs. But some of the shyt with this whole trade is just ridiculous From bidding against themselves to not being mindful of keeping a max slot open. We've all been in here talking for pages before the trade went down about the order things would need to be done in to preserve a max slot to chase a Kawhi or someone like that. If Pelinka didn't have that in his head the whole time and truly had to call back asking for NO to wait he needs to get booted.

I damn near find it impossible to imagine, a general manager and former high profile agent like Pelinka had it slip his mind what had to be done in order to free up space for a max spot... so yeah I agree he should be fired if that's the case...I just would find that to be highly fukking improbable...the media narrative that the Lakers front office is a bunch of bumbling idiots is a persistent one, but "the GM of the Los Angeles Lakers just up and forgot to try and get max cap space" is just a bridge too far for me...at least with out something more than anonymous sources and TV segments as proof...whatever the machinations of these deals are, I'm betting they're way more complex than these talking head half rate "journalists" make it seem

 

[2Quik4UHoes]

I damn near find it impossible to imagine, a general manager and former high profile agent like Pelinka had it slip his mind what had to be done in order to free up space for a max spot... so yeah I agree he should be fired if that's the case...I just would find that to be highly fukking improbable...the media narrative that the Lakers front office is a bunch of bumbling idiots is a persistent one, but "the GM of the Los Angeles Lakers just up and forgot to try and get max cap space" is just a bridge too far for me... whatever the machinations of these deals are, I'm betting they're way more complex than these talking head half rate "journalists" make it seem

Basically.

I’m not falling for it right here. I think this was the best that could be done in the moment and since there are other ways to free up space Rob pulled the trigger instead of waiting for a perfect deal.

When space is freed up and we sign Kawhi then what? How will they juelz the incompetent front office angle after that?

 

[THE MACHINE]

Everything will be fine, if they get a max slot or not they can get solid pieces to fill out a roster. The big fish is here and he's only 26. The other big fish will be primed for a last hurrah over the next 2 seasons. Rob was in position of leverage but it's sort of better to overbid than to fukk around and get Paul George'd. This was his first big negotiation as "the man" in the Lakers FO so i'm sure that took part in it. The problem was anointing Rob the end-all be-all and not filling out a proper front office for this free agency class. Either way, with some good mid-level signings the Lakers are back for the foreseeable future

 

[threattonature]

Basically.

I’m not falling for it right here. I think this was the best that could be done in the moment and since there are other ways to free up space Rob pulled the trigger instead of waiting for a perfect deal.

When space is freed up and we sign Kawhi then what? How will they juelz the incompetent front office angle after that?

If they pull it off I'll take it all back and happily eat crow and salute that man. I just don't trust him yet.

 

[Sinnerman]

An interesting post from Lakers reddit Part One

There has been an insider on LakersBall.com who has been verified. He broke the AD trade details before Woj. He works closely with AEG who works close with the Lakers. Down below I'll be posting relevant information he's relayed about the NBA and the Lakers.

About the Media: "AEG learned today that Ballmer has likely invested millions to pay off the media this summer to present favorable coverage about the Clippers to increase their chances of getting free agents, and consequently, this has resulted in a lot of anti-Lakers coverage, as I'm sure you've noticed. AEG and the Lakers media department have chosen not to get into this petty game and will not try to reinvest money in this manner, but instead use the funds to double down on our free agency pitches and internal front office operations to ensure that things are running smoothly, even if it is not noted in the public sphere."

About July 6th Date: "It's still unclear, and likely depends what happens with the 4th pick. Pelicans are fine to wait as far as I understand, but if the pick is gone then we will have to negotiate with another team on that front. If it is the latter scenario, they can potentially try to free up some more cap as well, so all hope is not lost for a max FA."

About Kawhi: "I'll update in more detail when I have time, as lots went down with regards to FA today, but I will say that on the Kawhi side, we're waiting to see what type of revenue New Balance generated for Kawhi from this championship. Since we're working with them, we'll get those numbers, and if they're as paltry as I expect, we can compare them to what Kobe, Pau, etc made endorsement wise after their rings to show him what he is missing out on. That will definitely speak to Dennis, but if Kawhi feels an emotional attachment to his Raptors teammates, there's not much anyone can do."

"AEG is working on a partnership with New Balance for a myriad of other things, independent of Kawhi Leonard. Part of it does have to do with helping promote both New Balance and Kawhi if he chooses to come here. That also means a lot of $$ for Kawhi and his camp. They have been in touch with him regarding this, but there's no confirmation that Kawhi has committed to LA. He's definitely interested, though. Lakers have also asked AEG to prepare a business pitch for Kawhi for the summer. This is common practice, and AEG is usually present for big free agent meetings doing something similar. That is being worked on, and it is related to New Balance as well."

"Unfortunately I'm hearing this several hours late thanks to my travel, but I didn't see any leaks of it so I'll note it here. Kawhi's camp (his agent & Dennis) did reach out to the Lakers today amidst the reported instability in the FO after Magic's interview. Nothing is off the table yet, but they are definitely concerned. AEG was looped in to a small degree because they were wondering if these sorts of reports would impact his future endorsement revenue streams (basically the New Balance stuff). They were also concerned that if business people were focusing on basketball stuff (the Tim Harris comments that Magic made), then they wouldn't be fully focusing on the business side - where growth in that aspect of the business will make Kawhi more money. I'm sure AEG quelled any of those concerns pretty fast. There's enough evidence from the Laker's worst years this decade to show that endorsement streams are not tightly correlated with the success of the team. This is just my assumption, though, I don't know what their actual response was, but I can probably find out later. In any case, I'm really hoping this doesn't turn into the disaster that was LaMarcus Aldridge a few years ago, where similar concerns about management made his camp feel the AEG's endorsement revenue would dry up fast. That's all for now. Super busy this week. But stay tuned for more."

"I don't think Kawhi wants to rep Microsoft. He feels he is a top player in the NBA and should have similar brand value to guys like Stephen and LeBron. Obviously his personality plays a role in why that is not the case, but nobody close to him will tell him that. In either case, the market you are in also plays a role. Even if Kawhi doesn't actively seek out the spotlight in LA, the spotlight will find him. Now a lot of benefits come with just living and playing for an LA team. However the AEG specific ones are unique to the Lakers. The Clippers can't offer the degree of endorsement value and marketability that the Lakers can. What he can offer is a cleaner slate, a better front office, and arguably a better team to build around for the long term - I would disagree there but it's not my call to make. What Kawhi values in the end, we will see."

"You're on the money there. But most do know Kawhi has his eyes on LA due to the marketing/branding opportunities. Dennis has convinced Kawhi that being a top NBA player, he should be making more money from endorsements like guys such as Kevin and LeBron, obviously leaving out the fact that Kawhi's reserved personality is not as conducive to these opportunities. Nonetheless, in LA, he'll have those options. AEG comes into play because they're the primary differentiating factor on the business side between the Clippers and Lakers, as both are in LA. I have no idea what Kawhi himself is thinking, but he's interested in this information, which is why he's having Dennis and his agent communicate with AEG on the New Balance front. They're also talking to other teams, without a doubt. And Ballmer is definitel planning something too. What I do know, though, is that if organizational and basketball factors are important, he would not be considering the Lakers and Clippers, over teams like the Spurs and Raptors. Both of which have more organizational structure, a top-notch culture, and better basketball players. This is confirmed by the sentiments conveyed by Dennis. What LeBron has to say is important, undoubtedly, but it is not as important as the future business revenue for Kawhi when we're talking about the Lakers specifically. If Kawhi ultimately decides to stay in Toronto, it will be because basketball was a higher priority item for him than that. But right now, the signals I'm getting are indicating otherwise. Caveat: However, these signals are not coming from Kawhi himself, but from his camp. We won't hear from Kawhi himself until the playoffs are done. Things may change."

"Not a strong existing relationship but a budding one. Jeanie has asked AEG to use this to pitch Kawhi this summer, and they are working on it. They've been talking to Kawhi's uncle and New Balance about a deal structure in the 8 figure range should he end up a Laker. Kawhi though is not forthcoming in his intentions and this does not mean anything as far as him actually signing here. AEG would also rather have Durant as he's worth more, but the Lakers guys prefer Kawhi. LeBron has been talking to both also. He's coming in for a different (not basketball) reason, but I'll see if I can learn more about this."

"I don't think Knicks are a serious consideration, so we won't draw up a comparison. For the Clippers, he'll lose out on a lot of brand value. I haven't seen those numbers yet, but it won't be anywhere in the same ballpark. He won't get the same type of exposure on a Clippers team with little star power compared to the Lakers with Lebron and Anthony.
Clippers, based on my knowledge, will likely sell on Kawhi's ability to be the undisputed primary option on a team with a better front office/coaching situation and a cleaner slate overall. Jerry West in particular is an excellent communicator in this regard, from what I've heard. If Kawhi really isn't interested in teaming up with other stars, then that may be the nail in the coffin for the Lakers. I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case, given that his latest championship was accomplished without another superstar caliber player and instead with a lot of excellent supporting players. But, the dollar amounts will speak very well to a salty Uncle Dennis. On the basketball front, I think the situations are pretty clear and not much needs to be said by either side. It'll just depend on what Kawhi wants basketball wise, and how important the business side is when it factors into it. The Lakers feel confident about their ability to pitch, but are in the dark as much as pretty much everyone else at this point."

About the FO “Kurt has a lot more power than most of you likely are comfortable with. If I had to make a comparison, while it isn't exact, he's essentially slid into Magic's role as far as authority goes, just without the title (for optics reasons). Based on what I've seen, he's not great at creating a welcoming corporate culture, unfortunately.
That being said, if you are a fan of the AD trade, he could have killed it but gave the final "okay" - so there's that."

" When it comes to bball ops though Jeanie has the final say she generally puts those decisions in the hands of "trusted advisors. Originally that was supposed to be entirely Magic, but since his departure, Kurt has become a powerful voice. He interfaces between upper level management and basketball ops, so Jeanie wanted his opinion before pulling the trigger. This is going to be the theme moving forward"

"I'm just learning that not all bball ops folks were even privy to the final discussions. To avoid leaks, once Griffin got serious, and especially after the Bulls dropped out, things got quiet quickly because Pelinka and Griffin negotiated between themselves. Pelinka asked upper level management if they were okay with the extra picks to push the deal through in absence of a third team, and apparently Jeanie was okay but asked Kurt for the go ahead, which he enthusiastically gave. Now that things have settled, seems as though initially some internally were upset at the haul but now everyone is on the same page and excited to move forward into free agency. Consensus is that while LA gave up a lot, it won't matter if they contend the next few years, which is almost a given in their opinion. Business wise, AEG is more than pleased, for obvious reasons. AD promotions will be coming but the bulk will be delayed until post free agency. Instead focus is shifting entirely to free agency, and primarily trying to help the Lakers get either Kawhi or a point guard, as per the FO's request."

 

[Sinnerman]

Part Two

"Today was my first real day working with AEG and Lakers mgmt to figure out what to do about the consulting situation. And I just want to say... things internally are worse than what it seems on the outside. Complete top-down disorganization and amateur politics roadblocking those who are aspiring to add some real value and grow. I was hoping that the media exaggerated everything and came back quite disappointed"

"Apparently, AEG management and the Lakers talked and both agreed that while having back up plans is important, that shouldn't dissuade them from doing a bit of star chasing. They felt the NBA was just trying to get the Lakers into the 2nd round in the least-risk manner, rather than trying to ensure the best possible outcome, which is exactly what I thought as well. AEG suggested that rather than get basketball consulting help from the NBA, the problems in the Lakers org stemmed from a lack of direction from upper level management (e.g. Magic, Kurt Rambis, etc.). After some back and forth, they went ahead and suggested the Lakers bring in traditional management consultants (with their help) rather than the NBA guys. The Lakers and NBA corporate office reluctantly agreed. Where I come in is that due to my relationships with partners from some of the big firms, I'll be helping in the process of connecting them to the Lakers and maybe conducting some initial meetings with them to judge fit. I don't have the basketball acumen but I have experience in the industry. I'll be working closely with Tim Harris's team on this, which may or may not net me some additional indirect insight into what the Lakers are doing. Obviously, I cannot just ask him outright like with the AEG guys, but I might glean a tidbit or two. I"ll have to be more careful about what I share, as well. Hopefully this clears up some confusion"

"The hiring of Hollins was a Kurt Rambis move. Like I had stated earlier, he was pushing hard for Hollins for the head coaching position. Now that Rambis the layer between basketball operations and ownership executives, he has a lot of power and can dictate a number of things such as the coaching staff. Look for him to be pretty involved in things moving forward."

"Some pretty decent updates.

1. Kyrie spoke to Frank Vogel this weekend to talk more about how he will fit with LeBron in the new offense. Lots more discussion to be had but the more concrete these talks get the better it bodes from the Laker's chances
   
   
2. The Lakers feel that Jimmy, at this point, won't be signing with them.
   
   
3. This is the bigger one. Apparently, LeBron not being deep in the NBA playoffs has hurt NBA playoff revenues significantly. To counteract this, Mark Tatum has been talking to Jeanie a lot more lately to gauge how she plans to bring the Lakers back into the picture. However, looks like he is not confident in her plans at all. I heard, albeit with several levels of indirection, that she is leaving a lot of the basketball decision making to Kurt Rambis and Phil Jackson. After hearing this, Mark apparently has provided (more like "forced") a lot of front office/basketball operations consulting help to the Lakers to ensure they handle this summer's trades and free agency properly. This is not the first time this has happened, as the NBA has provided help to smaller market teams in the past. However, this is the first time a team of the Lakers' caliber has essentially had external front office guidance be forcibly given to them by the league. Hopefully, this is the NBA's way of ensuring that things go our way this offseason. Nothing is being "rigged", but expect NBA consultants to quietly play a role in how things shape up for the Lakers during the summer."
   

"Kobe and LeBron are both pitching Kyrie. Kobe was asked by Pelinka to do it, so he's been recruiting as a favor. The media reports caught onto it and Kobe is vehemently denying because he doesn't want to be associated with the Lakers front office. It's bad for his brand, and makes it seem like he's not 100% invested in his businesses, which will also piss off the stakeholders of those places, who already have the fear Kobe might drop everything and join the Lakers front office. Kyrie is intrigued by the Lakers, but is definitely shopping around with other places too. As the AEG pitch develops, I'll keep you posted."

"I believe I've posted some updates in scattered places here, but with regards to free agents, here's my sense. Feel free to ask specifics if I missed anything.

-Kawhi: still ongoing, but things are mostly on pause for the finals. Feeling internally is Ballmer is behind a lot of the anti-Lakers media coverage, and is probably up to something bigger too.
-Kyrie: AEG was asked to prepare a pitch last week. He's been in touch with LeBron, Kobe, and various others. I've confirmed Kobe is recruiting him as a favor to Pelinka, but Kobe wants no mention of him and the current state of the Lakers front office in the same sentence. It's bad for his brand. He's doing as much as he can but quietly. Lakers are not the only team Kyrie's seriously considering, though.
-Kevin: Haven't heard a word from Rich since KD's injury, nor has AEG. No idea what's happening there.
-Jimmy: Mostly smoke as far as I can tell, with regards to the recent news. Jimmy's interested in LA but he's a firm backup plan as of now.
-Boogie: Maybe a backup, also. Haven't heard much in a while."

"Pelinka isn't a bad guy, but he's very evidently (as evidenced by his job performance) a novice, and needs proper guidance. This instability in the front office is doing the exact opposite of that, and Kurt (another inexperienced exec) is the wrong guy to be offering this guidance. It's firmly a case of "the blind leading the blind" as we sometimes say"

"What happened is that Linda Rambis is now cosigning any decisions along with Jeanie. Jeanie was not hell bent on hiring a new President from the outside even though Joey and Jesse were pushing, and she's all about empowering the "Laker family." Linda is savvy and played on this sentiment, saying that we shouldn't let an outsider come in and ruin what we have. She insisted that Pelinka was capable of doing the job and that Kurt would be a great "senior mentor" type of person for Pelinka when it came to basketball specific things. Linda hit the right keys and Jeanie has basically made Kurt the de facto front end to upper management (basically Jeanie and Linda) for all basketball and even many business related decisions. If you want to get to Linda/Jeanie, you have to know go through Kurt for the most part. Really unsettling stuff, in my opinion. In my years of business experience, I have never seen a corporation misuse the degree & value of the assets of the Lakers possess by prioritizing nepotism over operational excellence and solid execution"

"Hey guys,
reports are true and line up with what I've been hearing/sharing the last few days. Kurt has gained a lot of influence in basketball operations. Jeanie asked Ramona to leave the true nature of Kurt's responsibilities out of this, but he's the front end for all upper management (Jeanie, Linda). Rob technically reports to Jeanie but has a dotted line report to Kurt. Even AEG is being slowly told that most important business matter should go through Kurt first. He'll pick and choose what to pass on.

 

[Sinnerman]

Part Three

Personally, this is very upsetting to me. Not because of the power Kurt has, but because of how he obtained it. In my opinion, he's an amateur business man and has no business (no pun intended) being in the position he's in currently. I'm also extremely concerned that if he ends up in pitch meetings to big time FAs, just because of the media reports about the Rambis family, they will turn the other way. I'm actually going to approach the AEG guys as a fan and ask them to see if they can keep Rambis out of the in person meetings at the very least. I rarely do this, and I have no authority over anything basketball related, but quite frankly, having watched what's happened the last few days, I can't be silent anymore."

"Pelinka wanted Beasley gone after the locker room incident with Walton you heard about, especially since it was his agent who most likely leaked it to make Walton look like he had lost control of the locker room. He was having a hard time moving him and wanted to attach some asset to the deal. He wasn't looking at Zubac, but McGee and his agent met with Pelinka before the deadline. He was upset that he was promised the starting job and that he was unable to get back into shape after his pneumonia because all his minutes were going to Zubac. He threatened to not come back next year, and to also spread the word about how the Lakers don't treat their players well. McGee is actually well connected to people in the Warriors and liked around the NBA by former teammates, of which he has a lot, so this isn't an empty threat. Magic was big on the Lakers keeping the impression that they do right by their players, in contrast to the C Bags. So they sent Zubac off. Magic knows West well, and just called West and said hey take these guys and give me someone who can shoot. And that was it.

Clippers are very serious. They do not have the endorsement/media benefits to increase revenues for players as much as AEG and the Lakers. Ballmer is pitching the idea that he has a clean slate for star players to make a strong name for themselves around the league. And it's a powerful message. He's also bought out a lot of press time to keep the conversation going on about how the Clippers are an attractive destination. Ultimately, stars do care if our front office is in disarray, but they do not look to the media to get that information, as they know how it is spun since their agents to it all the time. Instead they make the decisions themselves by talking to other players, their agent, and management directly to get a sense of how it is.

It is going to be a battle of two competing interests. The Lakers have the power of AEG, the big media, and the name brand on their side. The Clippers have a cleaner slate with no star players, and a good core that has proven themselves a bit. Doc is also a powerful voice. It will be a close call this year, but it ultimately depends on what each star cares about more. That is why the Lakers are pushing this New Balance thing so much, right now."

"-With Walton, Pelinka wanted Randle gone at the start of the season, since James was all but confirmed at that point. Of course Magic was big on maintaining the image that the Lakers are loyal to their players (in contrast to the C Bags) so he wanted someone to basically annoy Randle enough to want to leave on his own. So Pelinka had Walton mess with his minutes and starting position until Randle got pissed enough to ask the Lakers to renounce him in the offseason. Walton didn't want to do this but was coerced. Him annoying a Mintz client was icing on the cake.

-With Lue, Pelinka is the one who was convinced by Kurt to low ball on the years, because Kurt wanted Hollins. Kurt convinced Pelinka that Lue had little options and that giving a 5 year deal to a coach is a big mistake. Because Rambis is a former coach, and Pelinka is inexperienced with coaches, he listened. I can see how Lue dislikes Pelinka.

-With James, it actually has to do with the Davis trade. Both Magic and Pelinka made numerous blunders. Rich Paul is not blameless here either, but naturally James is not pleased at Pelinka for how he handled it. Now that Lue also was not treated well, it gives him cause to be upset."

"Difficult to say, it's a very dynamic situation. Here's my take: Jeanie is a media person and is all about having a big name - hence why he's constantly calling Kobe about it. Rambis is far from a big name. Linda is pushing hard though, and my guess is that he'll end up as having a very powerful influence along with Pelinka, but not have the title of President.

This will all change if a big name comes about, though. Linda won't be able to veto that."

What I was told is this is likely a power play by the Rambis family.

-Linda asked (more like begged) Jeanie last year to give Rambis a job as a senior basketball advisor (basically did nothing). Jeanie relented. Rambis soon snuck into coaching affairs.

-After Magic resigned Jeanie was, and is, very lost. She turned to Linda for help. Linda wants Kurt in a position of power, likely as PBO. She suggested because nobody on the Lakers had any coaching knowledge, they would have a hard time interviewing a coach. She said Kurt would help as some more Xs and Os questions, so they took him along.

-Most of the Lakers wanted to go ahead with Williams due to optics about LeBron taking control. Kurt and Linda smartly raised enough doubt about his coaching record to delay the decision until Williams signed with Phoenix.

-Kurt and Linda then started to push the optics angle more. Kurt wanted Lionel Hollins as the coach, who is a friend, and if he gets his guy in, Kurt will have an easy angle into taking more control in the Lakers FO. They drove the Lakers to purposely low ball Lue to send him off. Now Rambis will push for Hollins. It is unclear if Jeanie will relent, but the AEG guys tell me it is looking more and more like the Rambis family wants to assume the power void in the Lakers FO and take charge of all basketball decisions."

"This Free Agency is a very interesting one for the Lakers.

AEG has been pushing for Durant. Him and LeBron met a while back to discuss this and some media ventures. Kevin is not the most clear with intentions. His guys have been vocal about New York next year, but this could be a leverage play - not the first time I've seen it. Nothing directly from Kevin though. Right now everything is on pause as we wait for word on what might be a very serious leg injury to Durant.

Lakers Front Office is more interested in Kawhi. AEG has already started working on our media pitch to him about how we can blow up his media brand with our New Balance partnership while still keeping LeBron in the spotlight. The quandry at hand is that he, much like most stars, has a big ego. Having been a Finals MVP, he wants to lead his own team. This is where Ballmer will try to come from. Lakers, without insulting LeBron, want to show that Kawhi can have a lot of credit and increase the valuation of his endorsement portfolio, and take over the Lakers from there.

Kyrie is another target. LeBron wants him badly, and has been recruiting with him all season since Irving's phone call to LeBron months earlier. Mr. Wechsler has been in touch with Pelinka about this, but it is unclear how serious the interest is. Irving is immature and fickle with his decision making, and has his eyes wandering all over the place from the Knicks to the Nets. He is close with Kevin also, and those two have been in touch about teaming together. Kyrie is nervous about being in LeBron's and Durant's shadow as well. He felt as though he should have had more credit for the championship win, and Kobe has pushed him to lead his own team too. There is a lot to unpack here."

"Jeanie wants little to do with basketball. She is interested in media/business deals to increase the valuation and revenues of the Lakers. Her hope with Magic was that she could hand that part of the org over to him and be done with it. That is why even though she personally liked Walton she let Magic fire him.

What happened is that when Magic was forced out (I can elaborate on this separately, it is very long story), she was lost. She wanted to turn internally for help. Her general go-to folks are Phil and Linda. Her relationships with Phil is tenuous due to the broken engagement, so she asked Linda for advice. Linda is not a basketball person, so she suggested Kurt, and that led to what we now have today.

Linda's suggestion of Kurt was a soft one. She could not recommend him to run bball ops because of his lack of experience. Initially Jeanie suggested letting Pelinka handle it, but Linda smartly pointed out he knows little about NBA coaching. Hence Kurt tagged along, and slowly has been rising up from there.

With regards to President of Basketball Operations, Jeanie is interested in having a big name there for $$ reasons. Magic Johnson was perfect, but of course he is a shady manager. Jeanie has been calling Kobe every other day to take over, as that would generate positive publicity. But he is smart and has doubled down on the fact that he has no interest. Hint: The recent interviews/TV appearances where he was asked if he would be interested - those questions were forced in by AEG at Jeanie's request to put pressure on Kobe. But he handled it well."

 

[2Quik4UHoes]

If they pull it off I'll take it all back and happily eat crow and salute that man. I just don't trust him yet.

I’m with you breh, but at this point we don’t got much choice. Besides, we joke around about that LeGM shyt but for once I think that’s playing a real factor here. It’s the least he could do after that “playoff mode” bullshyt he tried to pull. If Bron helps to deliver Kawhi/AD and titles to LA it’s not a breh among us that can hate on that.

Let’s hope for the best, and even at worse we’ll have the money to sign nice complimentary players.

 

[Kang Deezy]

MGrads pushing the D'LO to LA rumors

Yeah, I’m sure he will go back to the team that traded him and kicked him on the way out