On Buss

He reminds me of that clown that they have on ice-cream cone boxes.

Check out Kurt's (FB&G) take on Jerry Buss' recent interview. He pretty much expressed my sentiments exactly:

If you read both stories (LA Times and OC Register) I think this is just Buss being honest about what happened this summer. First, Kobe goes Vesuvius. Eventually Kobe sat down with both Mitch and Buss and, as Buss said, they made their pitches and Kobe said he is still frustrated and would like out. Then I think they both told him “if that’s what you want, we’ll keep an open mind, but we’re not going to trade you for Luther Head and an expiring contract or two.” Buss said he’s kept Kobe apprised of the lowball offers that rolled in, so Kobe would understand.

If Buss had played to the fans and taken a hard line in the interview — directly contradicting what he told Kobe to his face — that is what would have destroyed what is left of his relationship with Kobe, it would have hardened Kobe’s heart toward opting out regardless of what the Lakers did. So Buss professed his love of Kobe, said he wants to make moves that would keep him here (“”I wish he felt differently. And if we win, I think he will feel differently. So we’ll just wait and see if we can win.”) and at the same time put other GMs on notice that they will not be taking lowball offers — come for real or don’t come at all.

A lot of the talking heads, on the radio and in my office, have been making such a big deal about Buss' interview. About how it's reopening the same issue about trading Kobe or not trading him and all that drama. But to me, where is the conflict? Who is supposed to take offense to these comments?

Kobe? No. It's exactly what he asked for. That the Lakers be open about trading him. As Kurt said, if Buss said that they weren't open to trading Kobe, that would probably piss him off royally.

Does it distract the rest of the players? After all that has already happened, I doubt it. In fact, the transparency offered by Buss probably makes it less of a distraction because at least they know what the organizational stand on the trade issue is.

Do his statements worry the fans? Yeah probably. But that's more of a commentary on the typical Laker fan, or any fan for that matter. No one wants to see a player of Kobe's caliber leave, myself included. But to me, I am grateful that we have an owner who seems to be employing some sort of strategy in this matter and is disciplined enough to execute it. A lesson learned from the Shaq trade, perhaps?

Basically, someone in a position of power came out and made some blatantly honest statements and the media didn't know what to make of it. It's a non-story. But since it's Kobe, the Lakers, and the possibility of the two no longer being a couple, it'll catch some eyes.