Fansided

Lakers’ Jeanie Buss surprised by Byron Scott firing

By Patrick Morgan

Oct 28, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers president Jeanie Buss in attendance prior to the game against the Houston Rockets at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 28, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers president Jeanie Buss in attendance prior to the game against the Houston Rockets at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jeanie Buss was not involved in the decision to fire Lakers head coach Byron Scott.

As crazy as it might sound, Los Angeles Lakers president and part-owner Jeanie Buss apparently found out about head coach Byron Scott’s dismissal the same way the rest of us did: through the news grapevine. According to Buss herself, she was at a memorial service when the story first broke, and wasn’t even consulted ahead of time about the decision to terminate Scott’s contract.

“I did not anticipate that a change like that was coming,” Buss told Colin Cowherd during a television appearance on his show, “The Herd.” She was quick to add, however, that she had “no reason to think that (Jim Buss) cannot be successful in terms of putting together a winning team,” and that fans need to give her brother and general manager Mitch Kupchak “an opportunity” to change the team’s fortunes.

The problem for the Lakers, specifically for Jim Buss and Mitch Kupchak, is that Los Angeles fans have grown accustomed to incredible success over the history of the franchise. The Lakers have missed the playoffs only twice in the 32 years Jerry Buss directed the team’s operations. Since his father’s passing, Jim Buss has now overseen a slew of historically awful Lakers seasons, including back-to-back franchise records for the worst season in team history.

Buss also publicly promised he would relinquish control of the team if the Lakers didn’t return to the Western Conference Finals by the 2016-2017 season, which seems all but impossible given the miserable direction the team has trended in of late. Even with a potential top lottery pick in this summer’s draft, L.A. is a statistical longshot to even make the playoffs as an eight-seed next season.

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