And for a post of a less serious nature I bring you my short rant about Jerry Buss. Old Doc Buss used to be the finest example of an owner in sports. He ran a first class organization in which he brought in the finest staff he could find and let them run the show.
Too many times we see owners get involved in something that they do not know much about. I know that they are the owners and that it is their money, blah, blah, blah stuff. But the reality is that none of us are experts in everything and sometimes the best that we can do is to hire a great team and let them do what they do best. And that often means you must get out of the way.
And now Old Doc Buss has forgotten that lesson. He chased away a coach that brought him 3 titles in five years and has so incensed the most dominant player in the league that he is demanding a trade. I am not interested in discussing egos or why Shaq/Kobe should shut up and play. This is not that different from the real world in that we see management do stupid things like this there too. Egos abound and sometimes your ego as the boss/owner can wreak havoc.
In this case even though Shaq is not the player he was, you will never find equal value for him. He is a key reason for the 3 championships and his presence means that the team will remain competitive. Why break this up early and risk losing seasons when you do not need to do it.
It is a sad time for Laker fans. Fox did this to the Dodgers when they traded Mike Piazza. And now it is 16 years since they last won a world series and almost a decade since they made the playoffs.
I used to have much more respect for Kobe. I thought that he was an idiot in Colorado, but unfortunately there is an entire league full of them.
But this other behavior is too much.
If Shaq wanted to, I think that he could remain in the top 5 for a minimum of 3 years and maybe 5 or 6. He is still so big, so agile and strong that there are few who can even come close to handling him.
It is pretty shocking that the Lakers are putting all of their eggs in one basket — a guy who could end up convicted of rape within the next few months. I’m not a huge fan of Shaq’s and figure he’s burning out fast enough that he only has a couple of good years left in him. But, I’d take his couple of good years over what Kobe has to offer in the future anytime. Kobe’s antics this past year show that he is an immature, self-centered little brat.