ג'יני היא כבר בת 53. "היום אנחנו מתבגרים הרבה יותר לאט. אני לא מרגישה בת 53 וקובי לא מרגיש בן 36. והיא ממשיכה: "I"M HELL-BENT TO RETURN THE LAKERS TO THEIR FAMILIAR PLACE ON TOP OF THE NBA"

 

היא כועסת ונרגזת על המאמן שהופיע השבוע ב-ESPN מגזין המאשים את קובי בכל הבעיות של הלייקרס. היא הגיבה :

 "any free agent that would be afraid to play with Kobe Bryant is probably a loser."

היא לא סיימה:

"I don't think we're a stock you should sell," Jeanie says with a smile. "I still believe in our brand … I will protect it and love it and nurture it and do everything in my power to make sure that we keep (Jerry Buss') vision, to what he thought this could be."

אוקיי. הלייקרס הם לא מניות בבורסה שאתה קונה ומוכר. אבל מה, בדיוק, עניין שמיטה להר סיני? מי רוצה לקנות את הלייקרס? לא עם החוזה המטומטם והחולני שנתנו לקובי, והיא מוכנה לתת לו חוזה דומה ב-2016 כשהוא יהיה בן 38. למה לא? היא בעצמה אמרה שקרים שיחק עד גיל 42!

שאלה:  הצורה שאת מדברת על קובי, נראה שאת מוכנה לעשות הכל לשמור על ה-BRAND של הלייקרס, ולעשות מהלייקרס 'משפחה' פעם נוספת?

A: "Yeah, I mean a lot has changed since my Dad is no longer with us. And I think in some ways, that's why people are getting their shots in now. They didn't do it when my Dad was around, and so now I have to set the tone. It's not where I thought I'd have to be, but I'm happy to do it because I'm not going to tolerate that kind of attack on the franchise and our most important player of the last 18 years."

שאלה: איך את מסתדרת עם משפחת באס עתה, 6 בנים ובנות וצריכים לנווט את הסירה? ואז יש פיל ג'קסון בניקס. כיצד את מסתדרת?

A: "I think it is trying to find how we're going to operate together. I believe that Phil was a source of conflict between me and my brother and Mitch, I guess, as well. And now that Phil, as of six months ago, is now off the market and has a job — isn't in the wings — that source of conflict is removed. And I think that the way we operate is becoming more clear. I'm satisfied with everybody's role, and now we just need everybody to step up and do what is required of them. For me, that means stepping up and talking about the organization and being the face of the organization and establishing the clear lines of authority and transparency and, ultimately, accountability, which lies on my shoulders."

היא מודה לראשונה (לפחות אני לא שמעתי זאת לפני כן) שפיל היה "המקור לקונפליקט" הינה לבין אחיה ומיץ' קופצ'אק. "עכשיו ללא פיל אין את 'מקור הקונפליקט' יותר…

אהההה…עכשיו אני מבין! הכל אשמה של פיל!!!

שאלה: את באמת מאמינה שעם הארגון, והקונספציה של האחראים על הלייקרס, תוכלו לחזור לימים הגדולים?

A: "(Laughs) I think that we're operating under a new collective bargaining agreement. People are figuring it out. What I love about our league is that players have an opportunity in their career to be a free agent and decide where they want to invest their time and their talent, in whatever team and whatever system. They deserve that right. They've earned that right. I think that we're an attractive destination for any free agent. We just haven't found that right fit, I guess. I think we have some good young players, but we also have cap space. I know that we're an attractive destination for any free agent."

היא בונה על כך שעם החוזה החדש יהיה יותר כסף לשחקנים ויהיו הרבה יותר פרי אג'נטס שיירצו לשחק בלייקרס, כי זה מועדון גדול עם הסטוריה, וכו' וכו'.

רגע. איזה פרי אג'נטס הגיעו ללייקרס? מה עצר את קווין לאב לעבור ללייקרס? כרמלו אנטוני? או צ'אנדלר פרסונב? היא עדיין חולמת חלום רטוב ששחקנים גדולים רוצים לשחק בלללל…ייי…ייי…קקק…ררר…ססס. אני לא רואה שחקן גדול אחד – אפילו אחד – שרוצה להיתקע בקבוצה שקובי יהיה בה עד…עד…עד…OH, NO…עד 2018…

שאלה:

Q: Are you reaching a point, though, of feeling like you have to speak out to get the message across the league that the Lakers do have a clear voice? Does the message need to get crystallized more?

A: "Yes, it does. That's what people don't understand, that in the NBA these are the best 450 players in the world, in the game of basketball, are in the NBA. With the CBA and the slotting and the cap space and all that, they are entitled to earn what they earn, either by their rookie scale or when it's capped (because of maximum salary regulations). It's dictated. But you put that aside, because they deserve the money, but they all are people who have hopes and dreams and aspirations of what they want their career to be and where they want to put down roots and be part of a community. That's especially part of a star player's career, is deciding where they want to go and where they're going to have the best place to show off their talent, and that they're going to have an opportunity to win a championship.

"I think for us, we are a franchise that knows how to win a championship and is devoted to doing that. We have a great fan base. We're in a great market, and I think we tell an attractive story. At some point, there will be the right player who is a player that Jimmy and Mitch know will fit into their version of the kind of basketball that they want to play. What that is? They have to explain that to you, but my job is for any player, any free agent, to know that they will have the support, they will have the infrastructure, the manpower, everything that they need to be successful. That's an important part of the story. Certainly the money, the cap space, that kind of stuff has to work too, but this is a franchise dedicated to making the players better and to giving them a chance to win a championship."

טוב, הבולשיט הרגיל.

שאלה: הסבירי בבקשה איך הפכת לכל כך PASSIONATE בקשר ללייקרס?

עכשיו היא משתפכת. לבכות ממש. יא אללה כמה שהיא קורעת לב:

A: "I guess it's in my blood. Somebody sent me a clip of my Dad doing an interview, and it was an NHL broadcast. He had bought the Kings and the Lakers at the same time, and the Kings were hosting the Detroit Red Wings and it was in between periods, so the Detroit channel that was showing the game interviewed the new owner of the LA Kings. They talked about the hockey team, and my Dad talked about the role of an owner, and the role of a general manager. They asked him, because it was Detroit, about this kid from Michigan (Magic Johnson) who they had drafted (in 1979). And the Lakers hadn't even played their first game yet with Magic Johnson, but my Dad said, 'We have a player who is not only going to fill the Forum, but he's going to fill every stadium that we visit because he does it with a smile on his face and he plays the game with such passion.' He knew what Magic was going to mean, not only to the Lakers but to the entire league. That's just in my blood. I love this team. I love the people — the players are people. Every year is different. Every player is different.

"My brother asked me back in June when, before the draft, you can bring in the prospects who you're looking at. And my brother asked me, 'Do you want to come down and meet the guys who we're bringing in to work out?' And I said, 'No. Once you draft them, and once they become a Laker? Then, I'm in.' But I get too attached. Once they put on a Laker uniform, they're on my team, and I've got their back, and I'm going to do everything that I can to help them reach the dreams that they have, because the better they are then that fits into what we're trying to do as a team. Some people think that I get too attached to players, but that's not the case. First of all, it's a two-way street. Everything that we put into you, we expect to get back. That's the rule. And if that rule is broken, then that players has to move on. They're not a fit for us. It's still always about the team. The team will always be bigger than any one owner, or any one player, or one coach. The team is always first. So if it means having to trade Shaquille O'Neal because that's what's best for the team, then I'm all for that. But I wish Shaq well, and I take pride when he's a success at his next stop because I like to think what he got from us he took (to his next stop). I will do whatever it takes, and whatever is in my power, to do everything that I can if you're a Laker. Kobe has been a Laker for 18 years, and when I read stuff — especially stuff attributed to the Buss family, and I haven't been interviewed for a story — that was too much for me. I snapped, I guess (laughs)."

 

שאלה: מה למדת מכל הפיאסקו עם דווייט האוארד?

"חשוב לזכור שלשחקנים ישנה זכות להפוך לשחקנים חופשיים במשך הקריירה שלהם. מדווייט האוארד היה 'שחקן חופשי' ומסיבות שהיו לו הוא העדיף לשחק במקום אחר. ידענו כששכרנו את מייק ד'אנטוני במקום פיל ג'קסון, שהוא משחק התקפה שלא מתאימה למשחקו וטעמו של האוארד. אולי אם היה לנו גארד שהיה מבין טוב יותר כיצד לשחק עם האוארד, דברים היו אולי מסתדרים. האוארד הבין שאנחנו מתכננים כדורסל חדש עם סטיב נאש כפוינט גארד, האומר משחק טרנזישיון מהירף ועבור האוארד זה היה פסק דין מוות. בגלל זה הוא עזב ולא בגלל שום דבר הקשור לקובי בריאנט!

he had to look for what was going to make him happy and take on his next challenge. It had nothing to do with Kobe Bryant. Everybody is entitled to their opinion, and that's how I see things. That's that. I stick to that. And that's the truth. That's my truth."

לי נמאס ממנה. אם היא עדיין מעניינת אתכם, קראו את הראיון עד הסוף!

Q: Considering how strongly you feel about the idea that Kobe isn't the problem, is it safe to assume that you think it's only a matter of time until an elite player comes your way?

A: "Oh yeah. Absolutely. I don't think we're a stock you should sell. I still believe in our brand and what we offer our fan base — the Laker Nation. The Laker Nation owns this team, not the Buss family. They're the most powerful voting block there is, and any player who comes here is going to be celebrated and embraced. In my power, I'll do everything that I can so they can live their dream and they can surpass their own potential."

Q: What about the ownership side of things. All around the league, with (former Microsoft CEO) Steve Ballmer cutting a $2 billion check to buy the Clippers, is there any thought to picking up shop and selling? I think people wonder about the level of dedication here as far as the family goes.

A: "To me, the team is not for sale. My Dad spent 10 years ensuring that we could keep this team, figuring out how we could do a transfer, because it's very complicated when you're passing on an asset of this size to the next generation. It takes a lot of discipline, a lot of planning. And the fact that my Dad did that out of a labor of love, so that this family could hold onto this team? The team is not for sale, and I will protect it and love it and nurture it and do everything in my power to make sure that we keep his vision, to what he thought this could be.

"In that (video) clip (she mentioned earlier), my Dad was about the age I am now. And when you hear the passion that he had for that team — and he hadn't even had his first game as owner just yet, but he loved it. This was everything to him, and he wanted us to keep this team in the family."

USA TODAY Sports' Sam Amick talked with Clipper owner Steve Ballmer about the high expectations for his Clippers.

Q: What's the tone among the siblings? You have your things you're trying to figure out, but is the group dynamic going in the right direction? (Johnny Buss is the Lakers' executive vice president of corporate development; Joey Buss is president and CEO of the Lakers' D-League team, the LA Defenders, as well as an alternate governor; Jesse Buss is the director of scouting; Janie Buss, like the five other Buss siblings, also has an equal vote)

A: "I think so. I mean my Dad groomed us for each of the positions that we're in and what roles we would play. He put us in what he felt our strengths were, and I think he's pretty good at where he put everybody."

Q: Looking ahead a bit, what light can you shed on the plan?

A: "That's where you'd have to ask Mitch and Jimmy what the plan is. I can't explain it. I don't know what it is. If you go back to the Instagram posting of Kobe signing his contract (extension worth a combined $48 million over two years), and you look at who's in the picture, I'm not in the picture. Jimmy and Mitch made that decision. I'm in full support of it."

Q: Do you still feel good about it?

A: "Absolutely. Kobe is worth every penny, and I'd never had any doubt that he'd contribute to this team … We have a (salary) cap, but we also have a (salary) floor, and you do have to spend it. This is a team that's paying $10 million to Steve Nash, and $9 million to Jordan Hill, so we have those two players for $19 million, so Kobe for $24 million sounds pretty good (laughs). Especially since the $10 million player isn't going to play for us this year (Nash is out for the season, and likely his career, because of a recurring back problem)."

Q: What about the business side? How would you explain that part of the (Bryant) decision?

A: "You have to have a team. So if you show me who you could have put on the team this past summer, then…"

Q: But more on the TV side and the idea that Kobe being here is good for that side of the business.

A: "No. Business is not making the basketball decisions, you know? My job is to generate the revenue so that they can spend it on the basketball team of their choice. It's their choice. If that was the case, if I was running the basketball side, then Phil would be here. That's only from my own bias, but if you think I have that kind of power to push my own agenda, that should say it right there."

Q: As far as the future goes, what are you willing to share about these next couple of years in terms of the management team. Your brother, in a Los Angeles Times article a while back, volunteered the fact that if it's not working then he might not be the guy running that ship in a few years. I don't know how Mitch plays into that. What's the specific agreement there?

A: "Well in that conversation about the three years, it's really my brother, he talked in the offseason about (how) we would be markedly better this year than we were last year. So it's not that, 'Oh, in three years, we have to wait and it's all perfect.' It's a progression. They assured me that this year we would be better than we were last year. And the season after that, we'd be better than this season. That's the continuum. The idea is that if you can't get it right within three years (culminating in the 2016-17 season), then you're not building towards something. I'm confident that (Jim Buss) is not going to have to step down, but he would understand it if he had to. He's confident in what he and Mitch are building, because they see the game in the same way and are in agreement of what we're trying to do. It isn't like, 'Oh, we just have to start counting down the days to three years from now.' Every year they've assured me, by virtue of a very quantitative number of wins, that we're going to be better than last year."

Q: To the point of putting a number on it, or how do you gauge that?

A: "It's being in contention. In contention, which to me means at least the second round of the playoffs. There's no reason to think that they can't accomplish that goal."

Q: So it's not 'title or bust'?

A: "No. But Lakers fans know — they're the smartest fans in the world — they want to see progression. And when you change coaches every 18 months, that makes it really hard to see progression, because now you've got to change everything that you're doing and go in another direction. But they had the ability to spend many months deciding on a coach (before giving Byron Scott a four-year deal in late July), a coach that they wanted, and figuring out what kind of basketball they want to play. They have a plan. I'm confident that they have a plan. I can't explain it, because I don't know exactly what it is, but they've assured me that every year you'll see progress."