Jeanie Buss | Ep 81 | ALL THE SMOKE Full Episode | SHOWTIME Basketball

ALL THE SMOKE is BACK. Owner and president of the Lakers, Jeanie Buss, joins the boys to talk all things purple and gold. Buss discusses the Showtime Lakers team & Magics retirement. Plus, she reflects on Kobe's impact and talks about Lebron's signing in 2018 & how it went down.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to All the Smoke, a production of The Black
Effect and our Heart Radio and partnership with Showtime. Welcome
back to another edition to All the Smoke. Man, it's
been like six months since we sat in these things.
On my hands. Bad to be back out here. It's
safe travels in the l A. Yes, he's good to
see you. Good to see that. Man. I just this

(00:22):
new glasses you I mean, is it only like when
we shoot remote episodes where these beyond are only these
are only live glasses. The best way I can explain
it is a man that thinks the same at fifteen
as you do as thirty, has ways of fifteen years
of life. So I'm just to grow. I'm just going okay, yeah, yeah,
but you ustill to ask my question. What was the question?
Are you gonna have these on like when we do
remote Are these only glasses that come out when you

(00:42):
do in person interviews? Okay, yeah, that's what I thought.
That's anyway, man. We have a very special guest today,
um the only female to win a professional world championship,
Genie Bus. Welcome to the show. Thank you for having me,
Thank you for coming to be here. We appreciate it.

(01:03):
We appreciate it. Thank you very much. What do you
inspired by in one? Obviously we'll get to the mess
that was, but what are you inspired by coming out
of It's nice to have the Lakers be part of
the conversation again. You know, it had been a few
years that we were at the bottom and watching everybody

(01:24):
else go to the playoffs. So you know, I just
want to continue and keep going and keep building this team.
But that's a lot of pressure, like you guys have obviously,
you know, won seventeen titles, eleven under your guys reign.
But that's a lot of pressure for the Lakers. You Like,
some teams can go years without even being in the playoffs,

(01:45):
but for you guys, it's not so much even the playoffs.
It's championships. Playoffs is not good enough. How much pressure
is that on just a day to day basis Because
you've been in this since you've basically been a teenager, well,
you know, it's it's really hard to win a championship. Really,
everything has to like line up perfectly, stay away from injuries.
Just it's it's really really hard. But a person in

(02:07):
my position, what our job is is to give the
team everything that they need to be successful to be
able to compete. So that's you know, every year, you know,
Phil Jackson kind of taught me this, that every year
there's a pathway to winning. Some might be more uphill

(02:29):
than others, but that's what you always go into it
thinking how am I going to get there? And that's
what you do and and you know, people like me,
we make sure that we give the team all the
resources possible. Absolutely. So the end of nineteen you unfortunately
lost your mother, the beginning of you lost some another

(02:52):
mentor to you, David Stern, and then we all lost
Kobe the end of that January. Um, talk to us
just about where you were as a person outside of business,
but obviously business had to continue. But as a person,
that's a lot for anyone to handle. Um, yeah, it's

(03:12):
And I'm I'm glad the way you said, um that
we all lost Kobe, because when people would say to
me and express their condolences, I would correct them and say, hey,
the world lost somebody really special. And just him as
a friend and as a motivator and watching him as

(03:35):
a father and a husband, you know, he just he
was a leader and you know he's irreplaceable and the
knowledge that he shared with people. I had no idea
until after he passed it. I mean, I knew he
helped basketball players, everybody. He helped everybody, people in every

(03:56):
kind of sport, and even me when I think back
to Um, you know he Um after my father passed
away in he invited me to have lunch and I,
you know, I met him down in Orange County and
he brought Gianna with him and he said, I hope

(04:17):
it's okay with you. I brought Gianna because I want
her to see a really powerful woman. And and I
realized later that really what he was doing was motivating me.
And He's just he was, you know, somebody that I
valued and will continue to value. And I hope that

(04:38):
what he stood for and you know, the lessons that
he taught people like me, I will continue to pass
on to other people. And I think his his legend
will continue to grow. Yeah, we had an opportunity Um
one of his last, if not his last interviews. We
went out there and interviewed him, and before we even
got to the interview, he brought me and Jack into

(04:58):
his office and he was just so adamant on putting
the first twenty years of his greatness to bed and
being that next what was but what's my next act?
The businessman, the father, the you know, everything else he
was involved in. But it was amazing to me just
all the other things he was into. And he was,
you know, at the time, finishing his i think his
second or third children's novel, and he had signed some

(05:21):
books for me and the boys, and you know, we
asked him how he got into it and just the
detail he would give us in in in getting a
chance to play with them, the verocity he the approach
he took the basketball, he took that same approach to business,
you know. And it was scary because he was such
a competitor on the court, but he was even more
competitive off the court because it's like, Okay, the Kobe

(05:42):
I was in the past doesn't mean ship now, Like
I got to kind of reinvent myself and and and
move forward. And that really just touched me. But um,
you know, obviously we lost, uh, we all lost something
very special. We'll talk about Code a little later. Have
you had time to reflect with everything going on with Code?
How are you able to pull off championship doing all that?
You never really recover from something like losing Kobe and

(06:07):
David Stern and and for me my mother all into
a short time period. But what happened was watching um
Lebron lead us, lead Laker Nation that first game back
at the end of January. He made a speech where
he told Laker Nation, I'm strong, you know, lean on me.

(06:31):
And that's really what we did, was we you know,
basketball brought us, you know, some kind of relief from
our pain, the community coming together, and I don't think
I have a really valued how important that was to
keep going. And yeah, it's just a basketball game, but

(06:52):
it has meaning because we're coming together to do something.
And so now we kind of get back into some
kind of rhythm and all of a sudden, COVID shuts
everything down and the one thing that was comforting us,
you know, being together, being basketball, was taken away once again.

(07:12):
And I think those months where we didn't know bubble
hadn't been invented yet and we were all just hanging waiting,
having to isolate, be away from each other, I think
it made it worse. It really I think affected my
mental wellness, you know, and I wasn't sleeping well. I
would wake up in the morning. I literally had been

(07:35):
crying in my sleep like it was that powerful. I
was really so grateful to the NBA for coming up
with the idea of the bubble and a way of
keeping our players safe because that was probably the safest
place for them to be. And you know, the way
I was feeling, I wanted to just embrace all things

(07:57):
Lakers are fans, are players, and keep every anybody safe.
And it meant a lot to me to to uh
have a chance to compete and finish out the season.
Are you I think if taught us to anything, it
is that tomorrow isn't promised, cherish your days, shares your
time through your loved ones. I think Jack and I.

(08:18):
You know, normally when you're in the midst of something,
you can't really step out and appreciate what you've gone through,
what you've been through, and what you're a part of.
Have you been able to do that considering the process
and how up and down it's been. Have you kind
of just got to think back, like, I'm running or
one of the people running the most historical franchise in
the history with all the ups, all the downs. But
I'm in it. I'm in the mix. You know, it's like,

(08:40):
until we have the fans at Staples Center. I just
even though I'm wearing a ring from the championship, it
still doesn't seem real because we haven't had that. And
what we did. We we gave the players the rings
on opening night, but we did not veil the banner.

(09:01):
So we've kept that covered until we could have fans.
And now we're finally in a position where we're gonna
start having fans. It might be tenent capacity, so maybe
fire two thousand people, but you know, when when I
hear the roar of the crowd, then it'll be real
for me. I know, I've heard you speak and your

(09:23):
father his goal was to obviously hang more banners than
the Celtics, and obviously losing him in thirteen, you were
able to tie. And what does it mean to you
to follow through with his dream and his legacy and
know that you have a great chance of putting number
eighteen up and possibly a nineteenth Like what is that?
Doing a great job? Yeah? I mean, my god, it

(09:45):
was It would just that that would be um, you know,
that's what he asked me to do, and so accomplishing
that would be phenomenal. I'm happy that we we got seventeen. Uh,
certainly if the Celtics win, then they you know, they're
going to raise the bar that much more. So we
have to continue to be competitive. Um, but I'm hoping

(10:09):
to get there. I think. Um, having a player like
Lebron James gives you reason to kind of put your
foot on the gas and um, you know how many
years he's going to play. I hope he plays another
ten years, but you know, uh, you don't want to
lose that time. Absolutely, like a dad, you gotta go
all in. You gotta go all in. Take us back

(10:31):
to your childhood, because you really were groomed for this,
and it's not normal for a female to rise in
a position, although you're making it normal, but back then,
it wasn't normal. And you started by you know, being
a part of you know, a tennis organization with your
father purchased and then I think rollers roller skating situation,

(10:52):
and then you know that that we were we were
studying that. What blew me away that your dad bought
the form the Kings in the la Akers all for
sixty seven million dollars, which is insane now because obviously
the value was astronomical. But take us back to your
childhood and just realizing that you were part of something
that wasn't normal. My father made his money in real

(11:12):
estate development, and I thought that was that was the
family business when I was growing up, and I thought
that's what I would end up going into. But then
he decided because he was such a big sports fan,
that he had this opportunity to buy the Lakers and
the Kings um and the forum where they played, and

(11:33):
all of a sudden, the family business went from you know,
real estate to sports and entertainment. So when you own
an arena and you have a hockey team and a
basketball team, that's about a hundred nights a year, Well
there's another two fifty nights that you got to keep
it busy. To keep it busy, So any weird sport

(11:53):
or any any kind of entertainment he put me in
charge of. So we had roller hockey, we had volleyball,
we did gymnastics, we did indoor soccer. We couldn't do
arena football because the yeah, the scoreboard was too low. Um.
And even when I was, you know, twenty six years old,

(12:14):
he sent me to Russia to negotiate with the government
officials to get the Moscow Circus to come to America
and tour. That didn't work out, but you know, I
mean it was whatever it was. He that that's kind
of what I did, and that was great experience for
me as I um continued on my path. Then in

(12:38):
UM the last five years that we were at the Forum,
I was named head of the arena operations. So it
was a really good move for me because I was
able to understand the nuts and bolts of how how
an arena operated and dealing with unions and UM, you know, putting.

(13:01):
Now I'm on the other side. I used to be
a promoter. Now I'm on the other side. And that
experience was so valuable. As we moved to Staples Center
and became a tenant in a building that we don't
own or operate, I was named UM to my Laker
position in UH and UM. I remember when the w

(13:25):
n B A was launched twenty five years ago, David
Stern went to my dad and said, well, you know,
it's kind of obvious, like Genie should run you know,
the women's team, And my dad said to him, you know,
Genie is going to run the Lakers, you know, like
I already have a job for Jennie to do so, um,
you know he really his intention was always for me

(13:49):
to be in the position that I'm in. Talk to
us about your dad between I heard you speak on
when you call him Dr Bus for business affairs and
then but you also call him Dad. What's the different
between the two? Very different? Um? You know Dr Buss, Um,
he got his PhD in physical chemistry, so he's a
brilliant mathematical mind. Um. And you know he was he

(14:13):
was a great businessman. Uh, you know, lead with compassion
and empathy, but cut throat. You know, he knew, he
knew how to make money and he knew how to, um,
get right to the heart of the matter. And so
you know, when dealing with Dr Buss you better be
on your toes because I mean he he could sit there.

(14:36):
I would have a calculator and we'd be going over
numbers and he was faster than my calculat can punch
it in. Yeah, like he just I didn't get that.
I didn't get that side of him, unfortunately. But that's
why he was a great poker player as well. He
just had that that mind that that numbers just clicked
for him. So what about Dad, though, when was he Dad, Dad, um, dad, Um.

(15:01):
You know, he was worried that I was, um too
so ambitious for my career, that I would miss out
on having a really you know, creating a family for myself.
And so when I met Phil Jackson, and when when
my dad was thinking about hiring Phil, I was really

(15:23):
against it because we had had um another high profile
coach in pat Riley, and um at that time on
our team, we had Shaquille O'Neal, the biggest personality in
the league, and a young Kobe Bryant, and UM, I
thought having another big personality but kind of yeah, it

(15:45):
would upset things. Um. But of course my dad didn't
listen to me. So then when I when I met Phil,
there was just something, um so something about his voice
that just it just you know, I was like, whoa,
who is this guy? Like? Because he single, I didn't
know what his deal was and he was going through

(16:07):
a divorce, and um, you know, there was a spark
between us. And he asked me to dinner and I said,
you know, you know, I am interested in you know,
a relationship with you, but I am not interested in
in you know, keeping it on the down low, like

(16:27):
if if if we're going to see each other, then
it has to be with full disclosure. Otherwise I could
compromise the organization. I would never do that. But you know,
I'm going to have to tell my dad and how
am I gonna do this? And my dad you know,
and I'm getting to the story of what, you know,
who my dad was. Um, when I told him that

(16:51):
I was, you know, starting a relationship with Phil Jackson,
he took a second and he said, you know, I've
always thought you should date someone older than you because
he'll appreciate you. And um, you know, so there he was,
being the support of dad. What's the time frame? So

(17:11):
this is right, his feels first year with your guys
team was when you guys so initially right from the joke,
Oh yeah, like it was, I mean the second time
that I mean, if you know, of course I had
heard of Phil Jackson, but I thought he was just
some hippie dude that you know, like listened to the
grateful Dad. I didn't. He wasn't my type. And um,
we were together almost seventeen years and and you know,

(17:35):
really one of the most important relationships of my life.
What are your NBA memories, Like your dad watched around
the team. Um, the n b A, I watched it
grow from I think when my dad bought the team
there was only twenty two teams in the league. So
we went through this great growth period of expansion with

(17:58):
teams like Dallas in Vancouver and Toronto at Memphis, and um,
you know, really um watching the league become kind of this,
you know, little niche sport to really becoming I think
the leader in all of professional sports in terms of

(18:20):
our relationship with the players and and and really looking
at it as a partnership between the league and the players.
And you know, the greater we grow the business, both
sides benefit. So you know, I just I couldn't be
more proud to be associated with the NBA, especially after

(18:42):
the summer of So your dad buys a team. In
seventy nine, you guys draft Magic Johnson, first impressions of
him as just a person. Um, you know, I was
um seventeen and Magic was nineteen, so you know, we're
like basically the same age. And in those days, there

(19:05):
wasn't like a big draft event. They literally called you
and said you've been drafted by the Lakers, and so um,
he flew out to Los Angeles, and Um, I was
over at my dad's house and the doorbell rang and
my dad said, you know that's that's gonna be Bill
Sharman bringing Magic over. He goes, I got to run upstairs. Um,

(19:29):
you know, bring them in, offer them something to drink,
and I'll be down in a few minutes. So I
opened the door and all I could see was this
smile like I like dazzling, smiled Magic Johnson. And you know,
we sit down, we start talking and Magic said, you know,

(19:50):
I'm really really excited that I was drafted by the Lakers,
but I'm only going to stay for three years because
i want to play for the Pistons that you know,
that's where I'm from. I want to go back home
and play. And I heard that and I said, excuse
me a second. I ran upstairs to my dad and
I said, Dad, you're not gonna believe it. Um, Magic

(20:13):
is He said, he's only going to stay three years.
And my dad didn't missbeat and he said, Jeanie, the
first time he puts on a Laker uniform, he's never
going to leave. And that's exactly what happened, and he's
Magic is More or Los Angeles than he's never left.

(20:35):
How closely are you watching the games? Where were you
watching the games back then? Um? You know, I when
I was in high school, I played basketball at Palisades
High School. I was centered, No, I was terrible, But
I was also the scorekeeper for the boys team. So

(20:56):
um on that team my senior year was I by
the name of Chip England, who is um the one
of the assistant coaches in San Antonio. He's like, I
did the shot doctor. So um. I had this great
experience as a scorekeeper and you know, learning how to

(21:16):
do stats. So I was. I was always kind of
on the manager side of things anyway. Not that I'm
a basketball expert. I I leave that to the basketball people.
But UM, I've always you know, loved being involved behind
the scenes. Um, you know, doing whatever it takes to
get you know, to get the team where they need

(21:38):
to be to win. So again, you guys get the
team at seven none, you get magic. You already have kareem.
You guys win a championship your first year, Like, talk
to us about that, and you're thinking, like, okay, I
could if it's winning a championship, is this I can
do this? Right? I can do it well, that that's
my dad. So it was my dad's workie year and
Magic's workie year and they won together, and that really

(22:00):
relationship was really so so special that um, you know,
they really were as close as any two people. Uh,
Their friendship, my dad's mentorship of Magic, because you know,
Magic wanted to learn the business and you know my dad,
you know, was a willing teacher. And um, you know

(22:22):
what was frustrating was, um my dad owning a hockey team.
He couldn't figure out how to win, and he was
having so much success with the Lakers. He finally kind
of gave up in eighties six and sold the team.
It was winning five championships in the eighties. The Lakers
were deemed team of the eighties, which was a great honor.

(22:44):
But to have that kind of success and then really
not be prepared for the way Magic had to retire.
People don't realize he's only thirty two when he retired,
and how many more years we had with him. Um.
I remember when Kareem retired. Um, you know, Kareem made

(23:04):
a big announcement that this would be his last year,
and so you know, as he went to every city,
there was gifts his farewell tour. Um, you know, the
next year, because we didn't have Kareem my dad, we
got a new scoreboard at the Forum because it was like,
how do you replace a star? It's really hard, Um,

(23:25):
you know, what what can we do for the fans
to to keep them interested? While a new scoreboard with
a video that was like the first time we had this,
So you guys are too young to remember that. But anyway, so, um,
when Magic retired, we had no notice. It was preseason,
and you know, he did his routine blood test and

(23:47):
that's how we found out. So as soon as they
found out, Um, you know, he was um, you know,
he could have kept it quiet, but instead he took
at and you know, I'll never forget that day, that
press conference. You know, I only saw my dad cry

(24:08):
twice in my whole life. Once was when his mother,
my grandmother, passed away. And that day and um, you know,
everybody was crying in the room and everybody was leaning
on Magic. Magic was the strongest person there, the person
that was dealing with this face on was the strongest person.

(24:31):
And um, he took that opportunity to be a leader.
And we didn't know, you know, nobody knew it was
so new and we didn't know what the timing, how
things were going to go. So we immediately retired his number,
and um, you know, thankfully, after a year or two,

(24:54):
he was able to you know, play in the Olympics,
play in the ninety two All Star Game, and then
you know, decided to come back, so we had to
cover up his retired number so he could try to play.
But um, it just really never he never got back
in that rhythm again. But um, that that was devastating.

(25:14):
So then we now we're going into the nineties and
you know, the team you know, struggled, you know, we
missed the playoffs. Um, and I remember praying one night
and saying, if if you know, the universe ever sends
us another player like Magic Johnson, I will never ever

(25:39):
ever take that player for granted. I will do everything.
And you know that. You know, a few years later,
there's Kobe Bryant, and uh, the idea that Kobe you know,
stayed with the Lakers his entire career twenty years. Will
never see that again. The way the CBA works now,

(26:01):
I really don't see a player's first of all, playing
for twenty years, and second staying with one team for
twenty years before we get speaking of Magic year one,
Game six, remember that, yes, tell me what you what
were your feelings about that game? Well? Okay, so like,
um so people can refresh their memory. Kareem was hurt.

(26:26):
He twisted his ankle and back then it was and
we're back to that now where we would play if
you had home court, you got game five and then
game six was the other team back home for game seven.
So Kareem had twisted an ankle. The thought was don't
let him fly because it'll just make the swelling the worse.

(26:48):
And we'll we you know, we can get them seven,
We'll get them game seven and um so everybody was
like okay, well, okay, game six. We're gonna lose anyway.
And the coach, I guess, was saying, well, who's who's
going to play center? And Magic was like I want
to play center and it was like what And he

(27:10):
started at center and had one of the most amazing
games unbeleigal. I've watched that game at least ten times. Yeah,
that was a great finals MVP two a m before
we jumped to night, there was a couple of things.
One on Magic contracting HIV. Obviously we don't don't ever
want to have, you know, anyone to have it, But

(27:33):
I don't want to say this wrong. It happened to
the right person from a standpoint, and he can handle it,
teach from it, and save thousands, if not millions of
lives being able to be a spokesperson in the face
for it because, like you touched on, it was so
new at that time, especially for a superstar and in
the superstar superstars to have it Magic Johnson, like I said,
I think he really embracing. Like you said, he could

(27:54):
have kept it private, he could have tried to disappear,
but he took his head on, spoke on an advocate
for it, and I think save thousand nobody would have
no ex And you know, and Arthur Ashe who was
a tennis player, had contracted it through a blood transfusion
that he had gotten for another thing. And we watched him,

(28:16):
you know, and and that's you know, get weaker and
weaker because that's what the disease um, the progression of
that disease did and so we really you know, didn't
know what the time frame was going to be. And
and here he is as healthy and strong, as strong
as he's ever been. Real quick before we get to
the nineties show, what was Showtime Lakers like from a

(28:41):
young twentysomething owner of the team's daughter perspective in l A.
Because Showtime captivated the world, I think there's this isn't
there a series being done about that team? If I'm
not mistaken, you might not be able to man, what
was it? Just like you? I mean, obviously you can
never be normal, and that's a situation, but kind of
just watching everything transpire from the great play to the championships,

(29:04):
to how you guys are kind of captivating l A
in the basketball nation and then just you as a
twentysomething woman in l A. Well, I'm glad you asked
that question. Just to clarify, we are, um, we are
making a nine part docuseries about the Lakers, starting from
when my dad bought the team at seventy nine, and

(29:25):
you know very much. I think people enjoyed the last dance,
So we're we're going to, you know, give give our
fans what they're hungry. Well, no, that that's something different.
There is a series being developed at HBO, a scripted
series which we are not involved in. And um, you know,

(29:47):
I really don't know what you know, I don't know
how they're going to be able to tell our story
if we're not involved in it. So, you know, so
back to your Guys nine part then yeah, so so
the occuseries will tell the story, especially in the context
of you know, my dad buying the team until you know,

(30:10):
we won the championship last year, and how it all
weaves together, and how how my dad had had really
hoped that there would be a day that Magic and
I would work together running the team. And you know
it was Magic Um coming back and standing with me,

(30:30):
Um beside me two that helped me make the changes
that were necessary in order to get the team back
to being competitive. So my dad really he saw that. Yeah,
so as far as did, Like I said, again, what
was that that that era like of Lakers basketball in

(30:50):
the eighties. I think just looking at the people sitting
on the floor and and the popularity and certainly Jack
Nicol since being you know, a hardcore Laker fan and
and a lot of people think that's when he started
coming was in in showtime. It's not true. He's he
was a season ticket holder since the seventies or the

(31:13):
early seventies and um, you know, he bought his ticket
like it wasn't like, oh, give him some some free
tickets because he's the hot guy. He he loves basketball
and he still has his seats. Um, we miss seeing
him because we haven't been able to have fans. But
there seemed to be a heartbeat in for the city

(31:36):
of Los Angeles. And that was really important to my
dad as well, that in a city as spread out
and as diverse as Los Angeles is, that we were
able to unite a city under a purple and gold flag.
And during the eighties we had, you know, even the

(31:56):
riots in the early nineties, you could see that the
says a city that it's it's smoldering with um, you know,
just being divided and that. Um my father loved Los
Angeles because he wasn't born here, but the city embraced him,

(32:19):
and he wanted his city to be whole. He wanted
his city to be together together and happy and and
and united. And that's what the Lakers ultimately meant to him,
was about community and about being a leader in um,

(32:42):
you know, bringing people together. Maybe from the outside looking
and I never got a chance to play for your father,
but from from me, from my side, he was one
of the most righteous owners I've ever seen, you know
what I mean, that's one thing I've always respected. Um,
Jerry wist talk about his role and help him build
the showtime after post time, right, yeah, I mean, you

(33:05):
know it's it's uh. When my dad bought the team,
the general manager was Bill Sharman and then he a
few years later moved to another position as advisor, UM
in the front office, and then Jerry West became the
general manager, and um, you know, there was so much

(33:25):
trust in his ability to evaluate talent. And and you know,
when you play well and you're at the top of
the standings, you don't get to pick the number one pick,
and so you you have to draft really well. And
that's that's something Jerry West could always do. And when
he found a player like Vladi di Vac, who wasn't

(33:47):
drafted until number twenty six in the first round because people,
you know, weren't willing to take the risk on him.
You know that he's who, you know, replaced Kareem abdul
Jabar for us as our big man. And you know
that that takes a lot of talent. And then also
that the key piece to get cod. Yes, he's the
one that knew Kobe. What made pat Riley a perfect

(34:11):
fit UM when he came along, because you spoke to earlier.
Obviously you thought with Kobe and Shaq the film might
have not have been the mix. What made pat fit
in with with Magic and the rest of the guys.
He was just born to be a coach. And it's
funny because the way it went was, you know, my
my dad buys the team in May, drafts Magic in

(34:32):
June hires Jack McKinney to be the head coach, and
then in October, as there's Um starting training camp, Jack
McKinney Um had a bicycle accident and hit his head
and was unable to coach that year. So Paul west Had,

(34:53):
who was his top assistant, took over the role of
head coach. So now to replace the assistant coach on
the staff, It was kind of like, wow, we're already
starting the season. How we're going to replace this assistant coach. Well,
they looked to the broadcast booth and pat Riley was
working with Chicker calling the games, and they knew obviously

(35:15):
he was available because that's the season. So that's how
he became on the coaching staff. We won the championship
that first year. The next year, west Head wanted to
take the ball out of Magic's hands and that did
not make and so we lost that um second year

(35:41):
to Houston. And of course, you know, back then the
first round was best two out of three, and you know,
my dad said, that's that's not enough games. So eventually
we got it to seven games, because you know, in
a seven game series, the better team will always win,
whereas in a three game series you might have more

(36:04):
upsets than than you normally would. But anyway, so west
Head we lost the second year. Now we're going into
the Magic's third year and Magic says to my dad,
you know, I'm not happy the way this coach is
coaching me, and I want to you know, my dad said, look,
you guys are leaving for Utah. You know, go play

(36:26):
the game there, and um, you know, just just you know,
we'll talk about when you get back. So after that
game we lose in Utah, Magic says to the media,
I want to be traded. And so now now the
pressure is on, you know, my dad has to make
a tough decision. And so my dad's decision was he

(36:50):
he really wasn't comfortable with Pat taking over, so he
wanted Jerry West and Pat to co coach and Jerry said, no, Pat's,
Pat's our coach. And you know it's like they never
looked back. Yeah, all the you know, Pat just stepped
into a role and that's where we went. I'll never

(37:13):
forget like seeing him, you know, walking past him in
the hallway and we always said his nicknames Ryles, right, Hey, Ryles,
and he said he I go hey, Ryles, and he
stops and he goes, Jennie, you got to start calling
me coach. And then that's when he started, like because
that's what his dad did. And and you know, he

(37:35):
took on that role of as a leader that the
team needed and uh, you know he was born for
that position. When you guys came into the league, this
the persona of the league was. It was drug Field, Um,
very black and just not in a good place. And
I think the growth of the league kind of coincided
with your guys. Rise. Your guys is robbery the Celtics,

(38:00):
the big TV deal that was signed in or eighty four,
if I'm not mistaken, UM, talk to us about that
era like I said, because you guys really catapult the
growth of a league. Well I think I think really
it was you know, the rivalry between you know and Magic,
and it captivated a nation. And um, you know, in

(38:24):
the late seventies, Um, the NBA Finals were on tape
delay you can find it, right, and so people wanted
to see Bird and Magic. Then we signed a big
deal with NBC Sports and they really got behind it
and they helped build not only the league and the teams,

(38:47):
but they knew how to build personalities. And that's when
the players really shine. Right. It wasn't just about um,
the city that you were, you know, represent It was
about the players personalities and and sports marketing you know
that didn't exist, you know, like it it really right,

(39:11):
like with you know, selling soda and you know, potato chips,
you know, and but that the power of the branding
and the exposure that our players got just made the
league even that much more powerful. Please describe what the
NBA Finals in the forum felt like between the Lakers
and Celtics in the mid eighties. Take us there. Um,

(39:37):
you know, the demand for tickets, you know, I just
I wanted to go into hiding because it was every celebrity,
every um sports figure in golf, you know, tennis, hockey, everybody, everybody, everybody,
you know. And so there was a player, Wayne Gretzky,

(39:58):
who was um playing for the Edmonton Oilers, and um,
so of course Wayne Gretzky, I mean, you know, the
great one. He came and I had also gotten tickets
for a girl by the name of Janet Jones who
was a actress and dancer, and so that game, I

(40:23):
think it was an eighty five. They you know, they
had met once before because he was a judge on
Dance Fever and she was a dancer Dance Fever, and
so they reconnected at this Laker game and ended up
getting married and they invited me to the wedding that
you know, so you know, you just it just brought

(40:47):
every everybody together and um, you know, and then the parades,
you know, just you know, take your breath away, um,
you know, in just the city shutting down and everybody
being happy. Great experience. How did the Laker Girls come about?

(41:08):
Because I mean that was entertainment and the stuff. I mean,
you guys had a young Paula Abduel and other young
l A scarlets at the time, but no one really
brought like it kind of just seemed like your dad
was about full and experience, not just a game, not
just I'm gonna give you everything when you come to
our games. Exactly right, thank you. The Lakers were the
first team to have a dance squad. No team in

(41:30):
the NBA had that. And the reason, you know, was
that the Laker girls performed when the team was taking
a break. So he wanted the show to keep going.
He didn't, and so he felt that you know, the
guys got center stage, now the girls get center stage.
At that time, they they the girls, um were all

(41:53):
graduates from either USC or U c l A. Because
both teams had really great song girls is what they
were called. Then Paula Abduel was hired as the choreographer.
She tried at as a dancer and so she was
the one who came up with these amazing routines. And
because of that, you know, the Jackson family, Um, you

(42:17):
know Janet Um, all the Jackson's came to games, and um,
they liked how she did her choreography. They hired her
to do all their music videos and then that led
to her having right so you know, and she's still
you know, just a gem. We love her and you

(42:39):
know she's part of like her family, absolutely, but it's
it's great opportunities for for the girls to dance and
and they're not just on the court, their ambassadors out
of community. Her girls and the Cowboy Girls are like
the two historical you know what do you call them?
Dance on whatever you want to call him like figures
next to the team and obviously Lakers being huge. Um,

(43:03):
let's talk about Kareem passing the torch to Magic. But
let's talk about Kareem because I think obviously it's great
as magic wealth. I think Kareem gets overlooked a lot
in a lot of different conversations. How important was he
to you your guys franchise? I mean, he still is
a valuable part of our franchise today. UM. He is

(43:24):
um an advisor to our you know, to me, to
um you know, all of our executives use him as
a resource. But I agree with you that he is
often um, you know, just because I think his personality
really wasn't He wasn't he wasn't a big media guy.

(43:47):
He was to himself. Yeah, it was more introverted and
thoughtful and how he approached things. And I don't think
a lot of people realize he played til he's forty
two years old, and how he took his craft very seriously.
You know, an intellectual, brilliant man um and really, um,

(44:10):
you know, somebody who's stood for the right things his
entire career. He's been a leader. And the idea that
you know, he started in Milwaukee and then you know,
wanted to come back to l a where he played
college at u c. L a Um really was you

(44:30):
know important for the Lakers franchise. It was before my
dad bought the team. And his chemistry with Magic was
so so great because Magic deferred to him and respected
him and then did all the media so he didn't
have to because really they matched duo. Um. So we're

(44:53):
in the nineties now in a rebuilt phase, Jerry being
instrumental in that. But take us down a path of
the Shack recruitment um getting Kobe and what was next.
You know, you guys went through a small, small dead period, um.
But talk to us about the mid nineties regrowth of

(45:15):
the Lakers, the recruitment of Shock. Really you know there
because he was a free not until he was declared
a free agent, but you had to be set up,
you know, and take that risk that he might have
stayed in Orlando or gone to any other team. So
that was probably the most like stressed I'd seen my

(45:39):
dad about, um, you know, the team in terms of
having to clear all that the cap space in order
to you know, to get him. And then also you know,
trading to Charlotte Vlade Divac. So now if you don't
get shock, you traded Vlady to get Kobe and probably

(46:03):
just to kid out of high school at the time, right,
you didn't know if that was going to pan out,
and so I think that was Um, it was a
huge relief when Jack decided to become a Laker. Um,
and uh, you know, just what a what a tremendous
personality and and so much fun to work with. We

(46:26):
just had him on the show two weeks ago. Character
I got a chance to play with them, So yeah,
we we get it. Yeah, he's an entertainer. Absolutely. That's
the memories of what it was like to going through
the sign Shack. He was the you know, the best
player in the league, and you know, the Lakers had

(46:47):
this tradition of having to have a big man, and
you know, he was the best that you could get.
And you know, we're just happy he decided to sign
with the Lakers and then you know, now building a
team around him, and you know, but it took three

(47:09):
or four years how we really started to get going.
And um, you know there was a couple of wasted
years maybe of his career in the mid to late
nineties where we we really didn't do a lot in
the playoffs. You touched on in a second ago, But
what are your thoughts when you guys are able to

(47:31):
trade Vloody for Kobe? Um, you know, a kid fresh
out of high school. Um, you prayed that if you
ever got another Heaven sent such as Madge Johnson. Uh,
and you're able to land a Kobe Bryant at eighteen,
fresh out of high school? What was that like for
your franchise? Well, you know, my dad was really close
to Vlade, you know, and and um, that was that

(47:53):
was a big leap from my dad to take. You know,
he he he really didn't like losing Vlada Um, and
you know he had to be he convinced it was
the right decision. And you know, Kobe, It's funny because
it's like We're also used to Kobe with all his

(48:14):
great accomplishments, but he wasn't Rookie of the Year. You know,
it bothered him too. We when we had him on
the show, it bothered like he sat and he was
pissed and he felt like he could have did so
much more. He saw it as he saw as you know,
the guy that came in the draft with doing what
they were doing. And he said it really hurt him
that he wasn't getting a chance to really show who
he was. Yeah, I mean he they they made sure

(48:35):
he wasn't going to be a starter, you know, they
made that decision instead of throwing him in there. And
that was brought up recently because the passing of Elgin Baylor,
another Laker great, who was the only Laker drafted that
was a Rookie of the Year. Which it's really hard
for me to believe that, right, but you know, such

(48:58):
as the case, how did Shack and Kobe parents involved
your up? Um Shack and Kobe, Um, that's that could
be a whole show. And it's they just two two
different um approaches to life, I think and Um, you

(49:22):
know a match that on the court, Um could bring
out the best in each other. UM. I think when
Phil came that was um, his emphasis was on Shack
and making sure that the ball went through Shack and um,
you know, really highlighting, um what Shack was good at,

(49:44):
and you know, trying to make sure that UM, as
as Phil likes to build a team, you have to
to make sure that everybody knows what their role is
and how they play into that role. And I think
there there might have been some headbetting between Phil and

(50:04):
Kobe early on. UM that resolved itself, especially the second
time Phil came back. UM, but UM, you know, they
were obviously a very successful duo. When my my dad
hired Phil, he signed Phil to a five year contract.

(50:25):
And you know, in in into making a decision about
a coach, it's like you really have to to show
the players that you're behind your coach. Otherwise the players
are thinking who's next, you know, like right, And so
so my dad signed Failed to a five year contract

(50:45):
and he said to Fail, you know, I expect you
to win a championship. I want I want a championship
in these five years, and and Phil was like, why
wouldn't you want five? You know, like and so you know,
Phil ended up winning his first year with the team,
and they you know, went in won three in a row,

(51:09):
which is really hard to do, really really hard to
do because you have to stay healthy, you know. And
that one there was one season where shock, you know,
um started the season late, um, and we had to
catch up. But um, you know there was you know,
so three out of five that was out at that
five year contract. My my dad got what you paid

(51:31):
for and uh, you know it was it was great.
But as as things have shown, things aren't meant to last.
And UM, Shack was UM in a contract year and
he wanted because of the way the Collective Bargaining Agreement

(51:52):
UM was structured, there were some players that were grandfathered
in in the new agreement that we're able to you
were able to pay them more than the current players.
So Shack was one of those grandfather players and he
wanted you know, an amount of money that that was
you know, legal under the c b A. But it

(52:15):
wasn't what my dad wanted to pay them. And so
it came to the point where the decision was made
to trade Shack. And a lot of people want to
put that blame on Kobe. It wasn't it was purely
a money situation, right, So if if Shack had agreed
to be paid what my dad wanted to pay them,

(52:37):
he did that. Yeah, and so well, and so that
that's why my dad looked to see in in the league,
who who had empty seats? Who who which team could
you know, bring on a player and pay him that

(52:57):
kind of money and and reap the benefits because they
have seats to sell. And Miami was the right place
for him to go, and they paid him his money
and he brought them a championship, so you know, and
and and a lot of people are like, you know, oh,
are you know, aren't you like pissed that Shack is

(53:18):
winning a championship with Miami. I'm like, no, are you kidding?
I'm I'm happy for him everything he accomplishes. I think
him as family and I want him to be successful.
And um, you know, and some people, you know, my
newer friends, when I say, well, when Shack was in Miami,
and they're like, Shack was on another team besides the Lakers.

(53:40):
They don't even know, but you know, it was, um,
you know it. I know it hurts Shack to be traded.
I mean it would hurt any of us. You know
that it's it's not a fun situation to be in,
but you know, I spent my time building that bridge
back to him so that there was a way that

(54:02):
we could reconnect. And and now I sit on his
board of his foundation. And he wanted his jersey retired
and he wanted to go into the Hall of Fame
as a Laker, And um, you know that that's what's
important to me because unfortunately, trades are part of our
business and it's probably the toughest part for me, but um,

(54:26):
you know, we have to acknowledge we're we're dealing with
human beings. We're all human beings and this and that
comes with emotion, and you have to allow people to
feel their emotions. Um, you know, when it comes to that,
I wanted to be rhin real quick. In you were
named executive vice president of Business of business Operations for

(54:46):
the Lakers. How excited were you for that next step
And did you realize at the time, being a woman
making these kind of moves that you were viewed as
a role model in the idol and people looked up
to you. Well, certainly when I started attending Board of
Governors meetings, there was never aligned for the ladies room.

(55:07):
Let's put it that way. It's like, you know, a
couple of women who worked for the league and um,
but now you know, uh, twenty years later, there's there's
you know two other women governors, um, Gail Benson in
New Orleans and and Jody Allen and with the Portland Trailblazers.

(55:27):
So um, you know, while I get you know, credit
and accolades for being the first woman uh governor to
you know, win an NBA championship, I know there's going
to be more. And I you know, and if I
am considered you know, uh, you know, breaking the glass

(55:48):
ceiling or being a role model for other people. I
know what it meant for me to see women in
positions of power and um, you know, so when I
look to Billy Jane King, um, you know who who
is a friend and a and an inspiration for me.
I like what she said after you know, winning this

(56:11):
this championship. Her quote about me was, you know how
important it was because um, you know they people need
to see when that women cannot only lead women, but
also men as well. And and you know that that's
that that's why that was an important part of history.

(56:31):
Absolutely so Phil Jackson arrives in after winning six titles
UM in eight years, you guys spark a relationship. What
did he bring to the Leggas From a coaching perspective, UM,
I think it was really about UM creating the team
atmosphere and UM he you know, having a system like

(56:56):
the triangle, Like you know, the triangle has been malian
Um many times, but you guys can talk more about
the basketball aspect of what the triangle means. But you
know it was about UM, you know, highlighting your strengths
as a player and as a team. And that's how

(57:16):
you would score your points. Was wherever your your strength was,
you highlighted it. And you you know, Um tried to
um hide your flaws or your you know, the the
weak parts of your of your team that you didn't have.
And so he brought a discipline that was needed. UM

(57:38):
his leadership. UM. I would get in fights with him
because he would he would make the team practice on
Thanksgiving and I was like, I finally snapped that, and
I'm like, why are you doing this? They just got
back from a road trip and you know they're they're tired, Like,

(57:58):
you know, why do you bring them in for practice,
and he said, he goes. First of all, they'll have
plenty of time to be at home with their families
and have Thanksgiving dinner, he said, But I'm building a
family here and they need to know that. And that's
what families do. They're together on holidays. So that's why
we need to beat He was a winner though, he
just he was just a winner. Right. What if you

(58:19):
think about what he did his first three years to
win three in a row with them, but coming off
six and eight years of the Bulls, so he won
what nine championships in twelve years, And I mean I
kind of heard insane, you know what I mean. And
the one thing I got a chance to last night
when I was with him, I always right, I got

(58:40):
his you know, I got his lap. Was blessed enough
to play his last year when he went through the
cancer and everything. But the one thing that his approach
was like the mental aspect in the game was the
most important aspect. And we would meditate and talk and
he would play these chimes like he would just do
some ship. You're like, well, it's got to work at
Phil Jackson, But like it really, like looking back on

(59:01):
it now, it was just really like it was strengthening
your mind. He would give you books to read like
he really thought the mental I mean, once we get
to this top level, I mean everyone could pretty much
do everything, but what's going to set you a part
of your mind? And that's what he really really focused on.
How do you think he helped push Kobe and Shock
to be their best on the court, because that was

(59:23):
the one thing I found when I played for Phil.
Phil would talk to Kobe like he would talk to
the twelfth guy like Phil it and give a funk
like if Kobe was bullshit, and Phil would be the
first one to tell him, you know what I mean.
But he said there was no favoritism or anything like
obviously Kobe was our best player, but he was treated
like everyone else. But how do you think he was
able to push those two guys in particulars buttons to
get them to jel on the court? Um? I think

(59:45):
that's um. You said it well when you said pushing
their buttons, Like he knew um how to reach each person.
And um, you know, I think you know he he
understood Shack as a big man, because you know, Phil
was a big man, and and the importance of respecting

(01:00:07):
the big man, and he managed that situation very well.
But it was tough because Kobe was just becoming this
beast in terms of you know, his his playing ability,
and you needed to keep Shack motivated and that that's
two different personalities and how you keep them motivated and

(01:00:30):
um and I think that that may be frustrated Kobe,
that that Shack maybe was a little bit um more
babied or not called out as much. But I wasn't
in the locker room, so it's hard for me to
really explain. But there were times that Phil was very
frustrated with both of them and you know, wanted to um,

(01:00:55):
you know really you know, emphasized to them. You know,
the talent that they had, they could they could have
won five championships in a row, and you know that
those opportunities are so rare. But you know, both of them,
being young, they didn't get they didn't know you. So

(01:01:17):
you know, he did, he did the best he could.
But I have to ask you, do you remember the
book he gave you? And you know it's funny because
that was another thing is he would give the books
out right, and you know, guys would make fun of
it and you know, just leave them in the locker room.
And I said to feel like, you know, why why

(01:01:37):
do you do this if they're if they're not going
to pay attention to it? And he said, he goes,
I'm not asking them to read it right now. He said,
the message that I have for them is there whenever
they're ready to hear it. And that book sits for
each person too, like he had read so many books
that month. He knew your personality and my situation. When
I started reading it. I don't remember it, but I

(01:01:58):
tore my knee that year. Saw was fun everything I
was like, that was my ment. I was like, funny,
have a chance to play for the Lakers going for
three championships in a row, and I tear my knee.
So I was in a different place with Phil at
that particular time. But it was interesting, because you said
it was he had had so much knowledge on all
these books. Once he would get to know your personality,
he would give you a book that would fit who
you he who he felt you were. So it's crazy,
you said. It wasn't an unnecessary right away thing, but

(01:02:20):
at some point it would be there waiting for you.
And you were with the team that year that he
went through his battle with prostate cancer. And and so
if if he hadn't had that other, you know, issue
he was dealing with, he really would have embraced you
because he had been hurt as a player and he

(01:02:40):
knows what it felt like to be separated from the team,
and he would have Well, we actually connected, to be
honest with you, because it was on road trips he
would start. We would talk after games on what I
saw and what I thought. And so it was I
only had him for a year, you know what I mean,
But it was amazing to like think that, like I'm
talking to Phil after games on what I saw the Lakers.
You know, I'm at home rehab in my knee, but

(01:03:02):
he I'm talking to Phil Jackson about strategy. So like
he really did care, and I thought it was dope
for him to just take the time to even call me,
you know, and have that kind of conversation. Well he
was like he was like thinking that maybe you might
be a coach, and like possibly, especially as a father,
you're going to coach talking about you and feel in particular,
how much was it basketball talk all the time, or actually, hey,

(01:03:26):
let's not talk about basketball. Let's what's let's talk about
us or or whatever else anything but basketball. Was there
a balance or with it a lot of basketball. There
was a lot of basketball, and you know, like he
would he would be watching um, you know games on
TV and like you know, not just our you know,
obviously not our games because he'd be there, but you know,
other games around the league, and then he'd stop something

(01:03:49):
and he'd rewind. He goes, okay, watch this, and I'd
be like, what am I looking for? He you know,
all the nuances that he saw, Like I am not
uh sophisticated of an eye for basketball to to see
those things. Um, but you know he would he What
I think made him most upset watching games around the

(01:04:11):
league is when coaches made mistakes. That really because when
when a coach makes a mistake, that's it hurts the players,
Like a coach should never make a mistake that's going
to affect the team, the players and lead to a loss.
And so it was always interesting to see the coaches

(01:04:32):
that he liked and who he respected. And of course
then there's referees, so don't even go there those conversations.
But we we would be at dinner and you know,
he'd be diagramming things with the salt shaker and I
a I'm like, oh, please, not this again. I love it.

(01:04:52):
So you guys went through some down years, um oh,
four oh seven in particular, talk to me what you
saw him Kobe as a growing up man and leadership
kind of changing him because you could say whose team
it was, possibly Shocks team. I wasn't in those locker rooms.
It was Shot but now Shock is gone. Now obviously

(01:05:13):
it's Kobe's team, and there's a lot of these shows
and he takes a lot of pride in that. What
did you say as a man? His development as a
man and as a leader during those down years, he
was a strong leader and he wanted to win. His
appetite for winning was um like all consuming. And so
you know when because the year that Shack got traded,

(01:05:35):
Phil also was let go and so now we hire
uh Rudy tom Janovich and you know, uh it was
you know the time that I was with theil was
I really I kind of became like the team, mom,
Like I was more around the basketball side of things.
I had always been on the business side, but I

(01:05:56):
really wasn't around the team that much. And so when
when he was gone, I just kind of lost that
contact and continuity with the team. UM, but I could
see that Kobe wasn't happy and we were we weren't
doing well. And Phil took that year to travel to

(01:06:16):
Australia and New Zealand, you know, take a trip that
he'd always wanted to take. And I didn't go with
them because I had a job. I had to stay
and work, and so um, you know, Rudy ended up
stepping down, um for health reasons, and they put Frank

(01:06:38):
Hamlin in as the interim coach to finish out the year.
And I was like, oh, now, you know, what are
they gonna do? Now? Who's going to be the next coach?
And um, there was a game I forget which game
it was. It was some time in January or February,
and I was watching the game and it was U

(01:07:02):
in the game situation and Kobe was running the huddle
and he called a play that was Phil's play, and
it was like the what the F? And I was like,
all of a sudden, I thought, oh my god, he
he's running a Phil play. Maybe there's like a bridge

(01:07:24):
here that we could bring this back. And so I
started working on Phil, like, hey, do you want to
would you ever coach again? Are you going to coach again?
How hard are these conversations for you to have them?
Because like it's the business of Genie, this is also
my boyfriend, Like where is there a like the boundaries working?

(01:07:46):
And I but I mean, I like, I I felt
so protective of Kobe, Like, you know, I wanted Kobe
to have what was best for him. And I asked,
even asked Phil like I don't I don't know what
they're gonna do next for a coach, you know, I go,
who do you think would be best for Kobe? And
he goes me and I'm like, okay, well, now I

(01:08:09):
have to see I have to float this idea to
my dad and like, you know, is there any possible
way of bringing Phil back? Because when when my dad
made the decision to trade Shack because of the money um,
Phil said to him, I think you're making a big mistake,
you know, like Shock is the most dominant player in

(01:08:31):
the league. And my dad said, well that you know,
I'm glad you feel that way because you're not gonna
be coaching this team and workship. So it didn't end badly,
but they were not on the same page, right, So
now it's like, how how is this going to work?
And I think, you know, after having an organization that

(01:08:53):
had Phil at the helm and things ran really smoothly,
you know, to going into chao us having a coach
quit in the middle of the season or stepped down
in the middle of the season, that it was, um
those good old days Phil, days of Phil Jackson weren't
so bad. And so they you know, came back together

(01:09:14):
and Phil returned as the That was two thousand six,
five or six, so he Phil only missed one year.
And so now now it's like, okay, how do how
do we make sure that things are you know, good
with Kobe and and Phil Because there was a little,

(01:09:35):
there was a little, there was a little. He came
out with a book book. Sele is a writer, and
so he kind of talked about coaching Kobe and what
it was like, and um, I was like, oh, no, work,
And I remember what we we decided to do because
um her came Katrina had just happened, and there was

(01:09:59):
a dog rescue here in l A that that arranged
to have dogs brought from this area where you know,
there was all these you know, people had lost their homes,
they couldn't take care of their beats. So, um, we
did a calendar where we had a photo shoot of
players with different dogs that were up for adoption, thinking

(01:10:23):
that that would be you know, help them get them adopted,
and so, um, you know that was the cover of
the calendar was phill and Kobe and a dog, and
it was kind of like that's going to eat like
this dog, like you know, and doing something positive and
and and helping. They both wanted to win, so that's

(01:10:46):
always what their common ground was. I mean, I could
do whatever I could do, but it was their two
basketball mines that just mashed. And so then you know
that year, the team that we had, um, you know
we almost beat Phoenix in the playoffs. Were you on
that team trying to think? Um, that was you know,

(01:11:07):
um the Steve Nash was on that team. Yeah, like
it was. It was a really good team and we
we almost had it, but we you know, lost in
the first round. But he got us back into the playoffs.
You know, we had missed that that previous season, and
that led to a draft pick that became Andrew behind him.

(01:11:28):
Then Pal came in February two thousand and eight, and
you know Pal, you know that was having Pau Gasol,
who was you know, he was Rookie of the year.
So here we go. We went, you know, right before
the trade deadline. We get Pau Gasol and then we

(01:11:49):
just went on a tear like Pal learned the triangle
in two days, super smart, super smart, and it just
it was like, did you guys think Jerry, because wasn't
Jerry over Memphis? And well we traded Mark, people who
you got him for nothing, not realizing that what you
guys gave him was Marc Assault and Kwamie Brown and

(01:12:10):
so and umay with Mark, No, this that was one
man trade. You just name the name just there. So
now we get Pal, we go on this run and
we end up in the NBA Finals against the Boston right,

(01:12:31):
and the team wasn't prepared to go from like, you know,
like losing in the first round. Now of a sudden,
you're in the NBA Finals and you've got Pal and
power and never you know, this was all new to
him and you guys can a test how different playoffs are,
different level game and so you know, we were kind

(01:12:55):
of humiliated. That was his is his his worst loss
of his career, losing in O eight to Boston. How
close was Kobe to the Clippers? That really happened? Um,
you know, I never had that conversation with Kobe, but
there was a game where he wore Clippers throwbacks, right, yeah,

(01:13:16):
not even the jersey. He wore like the colors. Yeah,
like very subtle. And I'm like, you know, I could
see like he loves challenges, right, and and that would
have been like right, So, I mean I I do
think that was something that was, um, you know, very possible.

(01:13:40):
So you guys lose, could you imagine that? Though? My god,
I remember they were Clipper I remember they were talking
about they were going to build an arena out in
Orange County for me, he wouldn't have to travel now,
and like the Clippers put the full court press to
try to get Kobe, and I was just like, there's
no way this can happen. So that that was crazy.
I would give up everything you got to, including children.

(01:14:01):
You So, you guys lose an oh eight um to Boston,
come back the next year, beat Orlando and get a
chance for redemption in two thousand ten, talk to us
about Okay, Yeah, so like two thousand and eight. Now
we were humiliated by Boston in that game six. We

(01:14:21):
had to like fly. We barely won game five, and
now I have to go to Boston, to Boston and
lose by thirty whatever points. And so now I've got
grumpy fill, you know, because it's so hard to lose
your last game. You know, now it's going to stick
with you the whole summer. And but you know, Kobe

(01:14:45):
had the Olympics, right, so now he's got a chance
to like get back into beating somebody. And so of
course they end up playing Spain and you know for
the gold medal against Pal and you know there's it's
on YouTube. I watched it recently. Um him, you know, uh,

(01:15:09):
just kind of leveling Pal during the game and just
kind of standing over. I'm like, you know, this is
what needs to happen. Yeah, this is Pal got You
don't want to say, but Pal got bullied. Pal got
punked a lot. But Kobe took that ship personal, and
Kobe had a it was always out of love, but
he was tough on Pal because he saw how great
Poal was. And I think Power spoke on how Kobe
kind of molded him kind of into a different mindset

(01:15:31):
because Poal was always so talented. But I remember Boston,
they just tried to punk him, kg perk all them dudes,
and that's what they did. And Kobe fucking hated that ship.
So when it happened to the limits, I remember that
and I was just like, pow, this is what the
fund needed to happen. But I saw that in the
locker room sometimes, like he would be hard on Pal
because he knew how great Pot was. He was just
such a nice guy, and Kobe didn't like that on

(01:15:52):
the court, right, yeah, you can be nice on you
didn't like that on the court. Well, then then he
when you know, we were getting ready for that next season,
Kobe hung his gold medal in Pal's locker just to
remind him. So now we you know, we get back

(01:16:14):
to the NBA Finals, but it's against Orlando, and um,
it's funny because we ended up afterwards having Dwight Howard
on our team and that was you know, Orlando was
Dwight Howard's team at that time and we're playing them
in the finals, and um, you know, it was just

(01:16:35):
it was great to be redeemed and win that championship.
So now the following year, Um, we get back to
the the NBA Finals and this time it is against
Boston and it is um, you know, the way things
should have been, and no, but having it go to

(01:16:59):
a game seven, UM, you know you couldn't have written
it any better. That's what's so great about sports is
it's it's so dramatic and ironic and emotional and hysterical
and just every different kind of emotion you can imagine.
And so beating them was was super sweet. What I

(01:17:21):
wanted to ask you, because I was actually on the team,
what happened with the CP three trade getting voided? I
can tell you exactly what happened. And it's it's hard
to understand if you don't know like the background of
how the league operates. So if you remember, we were
in a lockout, right, so so UM, when there's a lockout,

(01:17:45):
there's a moratorium on everything. You can't make trades, you
can't do anything. And so as UM we were um
making a deal with the union and then starting to
lift the the you know, the lockout rules. UM, we
had to UM all the representatives of the team teams

(01:18:10):
had to be in New York for Board of Governors
meeting to ratify the the new c b A and
with that UM it also um was tied to the
revenue sharing that was, you know, an important component of
our league. And so as as we're in this room

(01:18:32):
ratifying the union and the c b A with the
union and and voting on revenue sharing, all of a sudden,
there's kind of this rumor that goes around the room
about a trade. Well, at that time, the team was
run by the league, right, so there's no way a

(01:18:54):
trade could be happening if we're all in this room
doing league business. Except the general manager of the team
felt that he had the authority to make a trade
of New Orleans at the time, and so he felt
that he could make a trade. And my dad at

(01:19:14):
that time was you know, beginning to his health was declining,
and he didn't make the trip to New York. I
was representing the team, so I didn't. I didn't, I don't.
I wasn't responsible for trades. So the trade was happening
while everybody is in this room. So teams felt like,

(01:19:37):
how is that possible? We didn't get a chance to
to make a trade for Chris Paul, And so they
all attacked the league and said this wasn't fair. We
didn't all get a chance to to you know, but
he wasn't going to you guys, So it doesn't matter.
But but it was I understand what they're saying. Like
David Stern didn't reject the trade as commissioner, he rejected

(01:20:03):
the trade as governor of the New Orleans team, right
because he wasn't asked permission to okay the trade. But
the general manager, when they said we're going to have
a hands, you know, arms distance from making basketball decisions
because we're the league, felt that he could make that

(01:20:24):
decision without having to have someone stamp it. So like
it wasn't the NBA trying to keep the Lakers from
Chris Paul, it was it was about them him. David
Stern had a responsibility to make sure that it was
a trade that he would approve. So now he just

(01:20:47):
calls off the trade and wants everybody to cool down,
because now you had a lot of teams thinking there
was some some funny business going on, but it wasn't.
It was just by coincidence how things lined up. So
so now our front office decided to make a different

(01:21:08):
trade and traded lamar Odom to Dallas. So now you
can't resurrect the trade because you just broke up the
pieces that made it. And so now it was like
now it was everybody was trying to get Chris Paul
and the Clippers offered the best deal. Yeah, that was
crazy because I remember being on the team, and I

(01:21:30):
remember guys that were involved in the initial trade. I mean,
I think Poal was talked about, l O ended up
going to Dallas and and the trade got vetoed. So
it just had a crazy energy in the locker room,
you know what I mean, because I remember I was
with Cope talking to Chris like, oh ship look out.
So basically what you're saying is if the GM of
New Orleans would have kind of just took his time,

(01:21:50):
it would have happened. So so it really, I mean,
the league isn't against the Lakers sometimes because I never
need that whole story. And that's what I thought. I'm like, day,
how did David Stern void this? Like he's never done that,
but it was acting governor of the team that he
did it. As Wow, So massive changes occur in two

(01:22:12):
thousand thirteen, not only on the basketball front front in
your personal life. Unfortunately, you lose your father, Kobe tears
as Achilles, and you guys kind of start a drought
of bad basketball that no one in laker Land is
accustomed to. Talk to me, not about the basketball side,
but about the personal side and and how hard that
time was for you. Um it was. It was difficult

(01:22:34):
for me, you know, losing my dad, and then Phil
decided to take a job in New York. So now
I've got to stay back in l a And and
do my job. And Phil has now moved to New York,
and you know, I just I felt, you know, it
was it was a challenging time for me personally and

(01:22:58):
my dad when he passed to way, I had left
my brother in charge of basketball and myself in charge
of business, and he wanted us to run the team together.
And whatever my dad wanted is what I wanted to do.
And so my brother and I really saw things very

(01:23:18):
differently about the team and how things should operate. But um,
you know I said to him, after you know, missing
out in the playoffs, I said, you know, we had
a family meeting with all my siblings, and what my
dad did was, you know, really difficult to do when

(01:23:40):
you have a asset the size of that. You know,
the value of the Lakers. Um, it's really difficult to
transfer that to the next generation because of inheritance taxes
and UM. So he he knew he wanted the family

(01:24:00):
to keep the team. So for the ten years prior
to that, he would transfer the Lakers stock into a
trust that would benefit his children and would pay the
taxes as he made each transfer, so that there was
a really great opportunity for us to be able to

(01:24:22):
keep the team in the family. So, you know, the
idea that he he was so disciplined and thoughtful that
he had this this tenure plan to make it happen.
I really wanted to stick with his plan. That's how
important it was to him. And so, you know, with
with my brother, I said, you know, we we sat down.

(01:24:44):
There's there's six of us siblings and we had a
family meeting and I said, you know, on the business side,
I need to know what's like it's and and not
basketball wise, just you know, when are we going to
be back in the playoffs? I have to you know,
figure out the finances and how to price the tickets
and how things are going to go. And you know,

(01:25:06):
he said, I go, just tell me when we're going
to be back in the playoffs and and and competing
for a championship. I'm not saying you have to win
a championship. It's just like we got to be in
the conversation. You always wanted to be in the conversation
because otherwise you can't get free agents because they don't
know they And so now we're experiencing these like free agents,

(01:25:30):
like not even returning our our phone calls. Right, I'm
not saying like we have the formula of how you win,
but you have to be you know, considered and respected
to be you know, to get stay up at the top.
So um, he said it would it would take him
three years. And I said, well, if after three years,

(01:25:53):
if we're not back in the playoffs, then I'm gonna
have to make some changes. And he said, oh, absolutely,
you know I would step down if I couldn't succeed.
He announce it that That's what I was going to say,
is that here this was a private conversation. And and
then he's the one who went to the media. So
now the media comes to me and says, are you

(01:26:16):
going to hold your brother to the timeline? And I
have to say yes, because first of all, why would
he say it if it he didn't feel that that's
was possible. So I said, of course, you know, like
we're back on the road too. And so then as
time went on and I saw some of the decisions

(01:26:39):
that were being made, they none of them made sense
to me. Like we had Mike Brown, who's a great coach,
right and um, but more defensive minded. Right now, you
fire him after eighteen months, and you hire Mike D'Antoni,
another good coach, but offensive mine, like your roster can't

(01:27:03):
get crossed the boom. I mean, like, like I'm seeing
both of those coaches are really good, but like you
can't change your roster fast enough to accommodate what kind
of style of basketball play. And Phil always taught me, like,
you know, what you have to do is you have
to decide the style of play you're going to play,

(01:27:25):
and then you hire the coach, and then you get
the players, and then you did like right, it's a process,
and like you can't possibly find success changing coaches every
eighteen months. And and you know, and I sat in
the in a meeting with a free agent who's on
another team who I can't say because he's on another team.

(01:27:47):
But you know, he sat there and he said, well,
how are you going to use me to our coach?
And the coach his answer to him was, I don't
know because I don't know who's going to be on
the team. So it's like, okay, like free agents gonna
say I, I can't just leave that in your hands

(01:28:09):
and you can't answer the question. So, I mean, I
I knew that, like things just weren't going the way
they needed to go. And now, um, you know, now
I realized, you know, we're coming up on the three
year time span and the clock is taking and I'm
going to have to make a decision on on what's

(01:28:31):
going to happen next. And that was really hard for me. Yeah,
I mean to have to fire your and if I'm
not mistaken, you did it right before the trade deadline, too, right,
you have to pull the trigger quick. So not only
are you firing someone, but that person you're firing is
your brother. Right And and mind you, the person that
I used to lean on was Phil. Well, Phil is
now with another team. I can't talk basketball with him.

(01:28:55):
I mean, the the NBA made a sign a letter
that we wouldn't you know, like people were complaining that,
like it was too close. So now it's like who
do I turn to? I turned to Magic, and I
have a heart to heart conversation with Magic, and I said,
am I seeing things the right way? You know, like

(01:29:17):
you and and and having conversation with Magic is like
talking to my dad, like meaning he taught you know,
he was taught by my dad. Like he sees the
things the same exact way that I do. We spoke
the same language, and you know, he he was the
strength that I needed at a time when I was

(01:29:41):
really at a crossroads. But like you said, we had
to make the decision before the trade deadline because I
was worried that my brother was gonna crash it and
burn it and that then we it would be that
much harder to recover from something. So, you know, because
there was a lot of pushback about that, we didn't

(01:30:04):
you know, do interviews for you know, front office. And
the thing is is that it had to be kept toping.
So I couldn't ask permission of a team to talk
to their assistant general manager without tipping like what's going
on with the Lakers? So um, you know, that's that's

(01:30:25):
when Rob was Rob Polinka. It was you know, you know,
who who I had dealt with, and another person that
you know, thought like Kobe thought like you know, a
person that I understood, um, you know, was was the
perfect person for us to bring in as general manager.

(01:30:46):
But really it was about putting Magic at the front
of and the top of the basketball operations, which then
our fans knew Magic's not coming back to lose. So
that was a key moment for me. And you know,
of course it was met with disbelief by my brothers,

(01:31:10):
my two oldest brothers, who didn't realize that what my
dad did and he didn't tell any of us when
he told me, but that that he put the power
in my hands and that um, you know, my brother
took me to court to try to take me out

(01:31:31):
of um, my position. And you know that the lead
leagues don't like that. Leagues don't like when when teams
are in turmoil and chaos es exactly, and so it
was kind of like we had to deal with it
swiftly and smoothly and firmly, and that's you know, that's

(01:31:54):
exactly what we did and turned you know, everything around
and let people know who's in charge now and that
was that was the turning point to get us to
a championship that was huge. Um Magic and Rob Magic
obviously standing by you in that in that tough transition,

(01:32:14):
Rob coming on board and then there was being a
little friction between them. Um, you know you spoke on
I think that you know, there was some cracks in
the ship and there was some leakage getting out. You
guys were able to fix that. How tough was it
to have knowing Magic the way you do and and
the love you have for him and then him kind
of stepping away publicly and then kind of have a
whole another wrath coming at you. How tough was that

(01:32:35):
to deal with? It? Was? It was again, you know,
I mean you've been through a lot of ships. I mean,
you got some nice jewelry, but you've been through a
lot of ship to earn it well that you know,
Like that's when when Um Magic stepped down, Like I
had no idea that he felt that way, and Um,

(01:32:57):
you know, I I would never want Mad to be
in a job that he that wasn't fulfilling to him,
or that he wasn't happy, and so I I, you know,
I just wish he would have done it a different
way because that it took me off guard. But now
in retrospect, when I look back at it, it was

(01:33:18):
very similar to that story I told earlier when when
Magic wasn't happy with the way the coach was playing him,
and my dad said, just just give me a you know,
give it some time. And you know, Magic wears his
heart on his sleeve when he feels something that's right there.
And and so that day, it was the last game

(01:33:39):
of our regular season, and um, I was driving to
Staples Center, and I get a call from Tim Harris,
who's head of our business operations, and and and I
answered the phone because I'm late and I'm supposed to
be at Staple Center. I'm not there yet. And I
just answered the phone. I said, I got a flat tire.

(01:34:02):
I'm on my way. I'll be there soon. And he
goes turn around and I go, no, no, no, no,
I'm okay, like I got it fixed. I'm on my way.
I'm going to get there. And he goes, no, no, no, no,
he goes, Magic just quit. I go, what are you
talking about? And he goes, I don't know what's going on.
He's on TV right now. And I said, oh, my god.

(01:34:24):
So you know, we turn around and we convene at
our headquarters in El Segundo and try to figure out
what's happening. And I think, what, you know, had I
been on time, because Magic was looking for me. And
when he was looking for me, he you know, people
are like, I don't know where Genie is. She's not

(01:34:44):
here yet, I'm not in my usual spot. He walked
by the media and that's so if I had been
on time, I would have he probably would have, you know.
And but he did say he was afraid to see
me because he was come out of it because I
would have started crying. So I get why if he

(01:35:05):
wasn't happy, I wouldn't want him to be in a
job where he's not happy. That's when you you you
you want to keep your two feet on the ground
and say, I don't really know what's happening here. And
then the rumors and you know, it's like, you know,
I accidentally sent an email to Magic where I was

(01:35:26):
you know, I was really thinking I was talking to Rob,
but I was making fun of Magic and like, I mean,
like I never emailed with Magic, like I talked to him, right,
it was, but I mean the rumors who were just
like out of control, and so I knew that something
was feeding it and that we had to kind of

(01:35:46):
shore up, um, you know, the leaks that were taking place,
and you know, we we got we got our feed
on solid ground, because I mean, it's you know, you
guys have experienced so much success, so it's almost like
a and it's crazy to think because this is really
your life and you've been through a lot of people
were happy to see the Lakers struggle because you guys

(01:36:07):
have done so fucking well and win so many championships,
so to see, oh they are a little bit normal.
They do have some leaks in the ship. Like people
really enjoyed that time, you know. And me, as someone
who played as long as I played, always had a
special place in my heart for your organization because I
grew up watching magic you with my favorite player, my
favorite team. It was just kind of hard to see
where you guys were at currently. Obviously I didn't know
the behind the scene situation. I'm just getting done playing.

(01:36:29):
But it's just like it looks like a lot, but
you guys never stayed down long, is is the thing,
you know what I mean? And that's obviously a hat
off to you because you've kind of been on this
this journey the whole entire time. Well, I you know,
I just I went back to the way my dad
ran the team, and like it didn't mean, you know,
my dad didn't win every single year, but it's like

(01:36:51):
you you you have to get things in the right order.
And um, you know, we were we were all over
the place, and you know now, and I wouldn't. I
wouldn't have faulted after Magic stipped down. I wouldn't have
faulted Lebron coming back and saying, you know, this isn't

(01:37:11):
what I signed up for, because Magic was a big
reason why Lebron came to the Lakers to begin with.
Lebron wasn't going to waste the last few years of
his career being in a place that didn't know what
it was doing. And so I would you know, he
could have easily said, you know, I want out, you know,
I want to go somewhere else. Um, but instead it

(01:37:34):
was like he's he stood even with you deeper he
was in We'll talk to us about that process. I mean,
you guys pull off one of the biggest free age
signings in the history of the game. You know, you
get Lebron James to come to the Los Angeles Laker.
It seems like a match bade in heaven, but it
really happened. It did, And like I said, I value

(01:37:55):
a player's career because it is it is. It's such
a small all amount of time that a player can be, um,
you know, playing at his top level. And you know,
we we had to really you know, I'll tell the
story about you know, my dad was a great poker player.

(01:38:15):
He was actually ranked on the World Poker Tour and
he would always try to get me to play poker.
He tried to teach me the game. And I was
a terrible poker player because I can't bluff. I can't
you know, I'm just not good that way. And I'd
get frustrated and then he get frustrated with me and
he goes, he goes, I want you to know why

(01:38:37):
I'm I'm trying to teach you this game, he goes.
People think that, you know, poker's like, you know, it's
a lot of fun, but it really is about stamina,
and it's about like hanging in there until you get
the cards. And most people don't have the patience to
wait for the cards. He said. I know you have patients.

(01:39:00):
I know you have perseverance, he said, but when you
get the cards, you have to be able to go
from zero to a hundred. And I'm not sure you
can do that. I'm not sure that's in your personality
to do that. And you know, it's like now, we
we had Lebron and we had assets you in and

(01:39:24):
get you know, a player like Anthony Davis and and
that was really really difficult for me because I get attached,
especially those young players, right. You know, but in order
to get a great talent, you have to give up
great talent. So I like to think that I have
that that that gene that he was talking about what

(01:39:46):
he was looking for. Talk to me about what Lebron
the man has meant to your guys organization. Obviously, he
like I said, he weathered the storm with magic, leaving
a bad season, trades up and a lot of stuff
is going on. You guys are able to get a d.
But he kind of seemed like, from the outside looking in,
it looks like he's kind of we're never going to

(01:40:07):
get over Kobe's passing. But I think he kind of
eased the passing um he was able to help bring
a title back this past year. What is he just
meant to the Laker brand and what does he meant
to you as a person? When he signed with um,
the Lakers, there were some people that, um, you know
put up murals and some some people in life l

(01:40:30):
A people don't play. That's the one thing. They're die
hard Dodger Laker fans. But Kobe is God. So for
for Lebron to come in right away and and and
be muraled like you know, some some graats like Laker
fans were having. He had to earn that right. If
you're a Laker fan, you have to be happy that
he's here, like he's coming to to us Laker fans.
So I didn't understand that. But Um, you know, like

(01:40:53):
you said, it's it's you know, people have you have
to earn your your love here. End he did. I mean,
he he did exactly what he said he would do. UM.
And you know he wanted to lead this team to
a championship. Um. He's fearless. UM. And I think in

(01:41:15):
the times the social unrest of last summer, I was
really um just so impressed with his composure and his
purpose in the things that he said. And one of
his big campaigns was to get Arena's open to be
voting centers and not. I didn't really understand like how

(01:41:39):
much of a difference that would make, but it did.
And you know, he he's not one to back down
from a challenge. Um, And I like to say he's
like the closest thing to a superhero I've ever met
in that he is so powerful and strong and smart,
and but he does things for the good and everybody

(01:42:03):
yet right, Yeah, he's kind of like the people's superstar.
I mean, he Cob was a superstar, but he wasn't.
It wasn't really the time to really kind of be
out aspen out. But I don't know if that's even
COB's personality, but that's something Lebron embraces and he talks
and I remember it with the Donald Stirleing situation he
was in Miami, if I'm not mistaken, at the time,
and he was very outspoken that we can't stand for this,
you know what I mean, And that was kind of

(01:42:23):
the beginning of athletes speaking about stuff that outside of
sports that really mattered, and he kind of took that
braut on. But since then, I mean, obviously, like you said,
he's he's been a superhero, opening schools and and and
and coming out here and standing for the people, and
and that's what I think. To me, he's an amazing
and one of the grades will ever see. But he's
just as powerful off the court. And I love the

(01:42:45):
off the court. I mean, I love watching him, but
the power he has off the court can change the world.
To be honest with you, he's made me stronger. Cobe
talked to Lebron the night before he passed, obviously congratulating
him on a on a mile stone. Uh, just shows
what kind of character he has. But what did that
mean to you to know that they had a little

(01:43:06):
bit of, you know, back and forth on behalf of
your franchise before he was gone. Kobe, Um was such
a you know he was he was a sort of
source of strength for me. And you know, when I
had to go through what I went through with my brother, Um,
I met Kobe for lunch and I talked to him about,

(01:43:31):
you know, what I was thinking of doing, and um,
he said, you know, he goes if you're if you're
if this is something you're really going to do, you
have to go all the way and it was very
Game of Thrones like which is and and the strategy.
So you know, after it all happened, because it happened quickly,

(01:43:55):
he just texted me the emoji of you know, the
moth or of Dragons. That was it. That was his
message to me, and um, forever, the mission, um for
me will be about Kobe's legacy. And you know, he
set the bar for what it means to be a

(01:44:16):
Laker and we're gonna we're going to live up to that.
And um, you know that we have so many ways
that we're going to be celebrating him. He's going into
the Hall of Fame next month, and um, you know,
I you know where his number and and gigs number, um,

(01:44:38):
and you know he was coming to games with Gig
was really so adorable, you know, the father father daughter.
But I mean that's a similar situation with you. Yeah, exactly,
And so he's going to be missed forever. It's just
you know what I wish though, I wish more owners

(01:45:01):
of teams could be as transparent as you are, you know,
because it will make the relationships with the players so
much better. But it's real because the relationship and we
know we will tell you too when my thoughts in
your career. I can't tell you two or three honors
that I had a conversation with you, know what I mean?
And so I know for Kobe and other players and
you and the players around your organization that mean a

(01:45:22):
lot to them and then make them want to work
hard for you, you know, So I commend you, and
especially being a woman, I commend you on the way
you you you you relate to your players and the
way you get into their lives and care so much
that mean a lot on the outside looking in and
and we and I would say, because I've watched, you know,
the ownership turnover in the league, and I would say,

(01:45:44):
there's now a generation of owners that are my age
and younger who are doing yeah, doing things different and
and are open and see family environment and like you said,
it's not obviously it's a business, but it's a family,
know what I mean. And like Jack just touched on,
I mean, if I like, if I know you personally,
like if I know Jennie really has my back, I'm

(01:46:05):
gonna do whatever it takes to make Jeannie's life easier.
And that means being a great person on the court
and off the court. But like I said, if there's
a disconnection there, it's just a right let me go
do my job instead of like, let me go play
for my family. But one thing that that that you
may not even realize that other being a Laker is
so much more than basketball, so much more than basketball.
And you've seen some great players come and and and

(01:46:28):
put that Laker for uniform on and they're not able
to live up to the standard because I think there's
so much. Unless you've been in this, you don't understand
the pressure of constantly even when you guys weren't doing well,
you guys are still the top story when you're doing Yeah,
when you're doing well, you're the top story. When you're
not doing all the top story. When something bad happens,
it's almost celebrated because you guys are so good that

(01:46:48):
they're like they like to kind of find a chink
in the armor. I mean, how what what do you
do to relax? Do you do? I need to teach
you how to smoke weed? I don't feel already like yeah,
like what if? What what is? What is? What is?
Before we get the quick hitters, we got about five
questions we're gonna end it. But what do you do
to relax? Because, like I said, you've had a hell

(01:47:09):
of a life by journey and professional sports ups and downs,
had a lot of strong role models in your life.
You've learned a lot, you've showed, you've taught people a lot.
But what do you do to relax? I have a dog,
so that helps. And I, you know, took a comedy
course and how to do stand up comedy. And not

(01:47:30):
that I'm funny, but you know I like doing different
things like trying um and you know, yesterday I got
to go to the movies. You know that that was
taken away from us for a year, and so I
got to see Godzilla, which is like like just you
know that just you know, takes your mind somewhere else

(01:47:50):
for a couple of hours. And I live a pretty
um simple life and you know, enjoy friendships and compete
eating and you know, it's it's hard like when when
we talk about like you know, wanting owners to be
more transparent and and you know it doesn't mean that

(01:48:11):
we're soft, you know, right, I mean there is nobody
I like to be better than you know, Michael Jordan's
with Charlotte or with you know, the Boston Celtics or whoever.
It's like, but you have to respect your opponent. And
and you know, when I accepted the trophy, um, I
talked about each team that we met along the way

(01:48:34):
and thanked them for for bringing out the best in us.
And um, you know, I think that's it. It's really
important and sports has to keep that. That's the lesson
that we want our children to know is that you know,
you you appreciate the person that competes with you because
that allows you to be the best that you can be.

(01:48:56):
And there has to be that respect of your opponent.
And I'm not I'm not for you know, dividing, um,
you know, in hating, and you know, I don't want
to see another team you know, engulfed in fire. You
know it's it's but you know, I want them to
bring their best game to us, you know, because then

(01:49:19):
we're not just to the nets to bring it on
from Brooklyn out here. Well it's like, you know, Golden
State had you know, a great run and they have
great players and great you know front office, and you
know they set are higher and like, you know, I

(01:49:40):
just I really appreciate when teams do that, and they
and that that they know how to create a roster
that compliments each other, and that that they're not just
spending money to spend money like you're going to buy
a championship, because you cannot buy a championship. But it
doesn't happen, all right, Well, quick hitters, first thing to
come to mind. Let us know, um, if you can

(01:50:02):
go back one night in Laker history and relive it again,
which moment would it be and why? Um? So, men,
I'm surprised to remember half the stuff at Memories A one, Um,
I guess the the you know, two thousand championship winning
at Staples Center, and and that that um parade that

(01:50:26):
we had because Staples Center was just built and there
was nothing around it, so you know, we had hundreds
of thousands of people as far as the eye can see.
That still gives in jails. So five most important Lakers
all important or five most important Lakers of all time? Okay,

(01:50:50):
well then then you know you have to start with
Kareem and you know Kobe um and Lebron and oh
this is hard magic, yes, of course, Matty, My magic
might be number one. No. A. Kareem I don't know
like they like that. It's that's that's it's so hard.

(01:51:14):
Yeah and important and Phil what does he count? There?
You go? Um, top five Laker celebrity fans. Um, let's
see Jack Nicholson, Diane Cannon. There's a reason he sits

(01:51:36):
next to the visiting bench by the way right. It's
like you nest never know what Jack's thinking. Diane Cannon. Um,
you know I'm gonna throw out. Um, well, Denzel watched, Yeah,
he said he sits right near me, so I get
to see Denzel. Um, we need to see more of him. Um.

(01:51:58):
Oh gosh, Um what about Andy Andy Garcia, He's fantastic. Um.
You know. Then there's like Leonardo DiCaprio and um Arsenio
Hall And I mean, yeah, we can go on all day,
like different different eras to top five Lake Revillain opponents.

(01:52:25):
Let's see Boston, Boston, Boston, Boston. I mean I think
you have to put in Detroit, um and the seventies
sixers and um, you know, I like there is that
carry over with the Knicks a little bit, but you

(01:52:47):
know we need there. You know, they're not going in
the right direction, so maybe the nixt San Antonio stopped
the Yeah, I'm sorry, san Antonio, I forgot about ge Is.
It's it's too many. There's too many phoenix like yeah,
five dinner guests dead or alive, you plus five people
at a dinner table discussing whatever. Oh wow, like discussing whatever. Um,

(01:53:15):
you know, who I really regret that I didn't get
to know was Wilt Chamberlain. Um, and gosh, you know
like John Belushi for a comedy and Frank Sinatra music
The hell of a table? So far three you got
two more? Um, let's see. Oh gosh, Um, I don't know.

(01:53:38):
You guys should have given me these to really think about.
I have so much experience, it's like it's not um
you know, Um, I guess I don't know your dad
and cove around that up. Well, yeah, I saw one
night in Miami. Have you seen that movie? I would

(01:53:59):
love to have a movie like that where you you
have you know, people like my dad and Kobe and
you know, just talking about Yeah, last question, who do
you want to see on all the smoke? You have
to help us with your answer? Magic Johnson? Like you said,

(01:54:20):
you know you haven't had magic. Magic, Okay, you have
to help us get magic Genie, I will, I will
put in my good word if that means anything. He
you know, he's very popular. He's very busy, so are you.
Actually I want to do one last question. When it's

(01:54:41):
all said and done, when they say, Genie Buss, what
do you want them to remember? UM, I want them
to imagine saying, you know, just protect in the Lakers legacy.
You've done a beautiful job. Well, Genie, we want to

(01:55:04):
thank you. Like that said, very busy, but we look
up to you, We love you, we admire you, we
appreciate all you've been through and all you continue to do.
Especially like I said, I'm a lifelong Lakor fan. So
getting a chance to put on that jersey and get
to know you as a person, not as management but
as a genie, UM, I definitely appreciate that. So man,
thank you for your time and continue to the best
of luck for you and your team and your family.

(01:55:26):
I knew you was a sweetheart. Yeah, well that's a wrap.
Thank you, Genie Bus for your time. You can catch
this on Showtime Basketball, YouTube and the I Heart platform
Black Effects. We'll see you all next week. I all
love it. This is all a smoke a production of
the Black Effect and our heart Radio and partnership with
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