Thursday, February 23rd, 2012 at 9:50 am  |  11 responses

Magic Johnson: Lakers Ownership Should Communicate Better With Kobe


Magic Johnson was critical of the Los Angeles Lakers’ ownership — who, um, still cut him checks — and said they need to do a better job of keeping an angry Kobe Bryant in the loop. From the Daily News: “It’s not Mitch’s situation anymore. He’s not running the team. Jim Buss is running the team,’ the former Lakers superstar said, referring to general manager Mitch Kupchak and team executive Jim Buss, the son of owner Jerry Buss. ‘Mitch has to follow the direction of Jim Buss and what he wants. I wouldn’t say Mitch is the problem. He’s going to do his job.’ Johnson said it was time for Jim Buss and Kobe Bryant to meet face to face and talk about the direction of the franchise because there appears to be a seismic shift since Phil Jackson retired as coach and Mike Brown was hired to replace him last May. ‘(Bryant) just wants to be informed as a team leader and a future Hall of Famer and a guy who has brought five championships to the Lakers,’ Johnson said. ‘He wants more communication, probably like he did when Phil Jackson was here and he worked well with Mitch. I don’t think Kobe feels he has that type of relationship … with Jim. What probably has to happen is they need to sit Kobe down and sit Jim down. Dr. Buss was the master at taking you to lunch or taking you to dinner and going over what he was thinking and what he wanted to do with the team. ‘Jerry West was good at that as well. Kobe, Mitch and Jim just have to get on the same page and things will be OK.’ When a reporter asked Bryant after the Lakers’ shootaround if it might be time he met with Buss to discuss the team’s evident change of direction, the face of the franchise said simply, ‘Um, perhaps.’”

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  • David M. Posted: Feb.23 at 11:12 am
    First! The Lakers need to start preparing to find a successor to replace Kobe. He’s still got some good years left, but they aren’t that many. Real talk.

  • Pais Posted: Feb.23 at 11:21 am
    The only thing Laker management owes Kobe (and more importantly LA fans), is a point guard.

  • tomtom Posted: Feb.23 at 11:32 am
    Top two comments are on the money! Can we close commenting now before the trolls come out?

  • Hulahula Posted: Feb.23 at 12:10 pm
    Yeah howard and dwill to lakers

  • DerekG Posted: Feb.23 at 12:13 pm
    Cosign everybody here so far!

  • bike Posted: Feb.23 at 1:23 pm
    Jim Buss wants to purge the Laker organization completely of anything remotely connected to Phil Jackson. PJ predicted all of this a year ago. It’s obvious that Jim is a wormy, paranoid, control freak.

  • IAMORANGE4EVER Posted: Feb.23 at 2:50 pm
    I wonder who the Lakers use their amnesty on next off-season.

  • robb Posted: Feb.23 at 3:19 pm
    Sit Jim down and talk to him like you’re Moe Green Kobe.

  • Dungeon Family Posted: Feb.23 at 9:38 pm
    @IAMORANGE4EVER Worry about Them Knicks and Lin who got Ran Out the buildin Tonight

  • Matt Posted: Feb.24 at 12:37 am
    Lakers could use a little bit of Linsanity!!!!

  • Joey E. Posted: Feb.24 at 2:58 am
    they dont need to talk. kobe should shut up

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