Jerry Buss says Lakers can bank on him Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times Owner Jerry Buss speaks with members of the media before the Lakers' game against the Houston Rockets on Sunday. Owner says he'll pay what it takes, in salary and luxury taxes, to keep the team in championship contention. Retaining Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson is a priority. By Mike Bresnahan November 10, 2008 Jerry Buss sat back in a supple leather chair, not far from an oil painting of James Worthy grabbing an alley-oop pass from Magic Johnson in a long-ago NBA Finals game against Boston, a symbolic backdrop these days for the owner of the Lakers. In the latest offering of the difference a year makes, Buss, 75, was relaxed and humorous Sunday in an interview, revealing with a glint in his eye how badly he wanted a Finals rematch with Boston while also saying how much he wanted to keep Kobe Bryant if the 10-time All-Star became an unrestricted free agent next July. Along those lines, Buss said he would continue to pay luxury taxes on an annual basis "if that's what it takes to win." He also envisioned Coach Phil Jackson staying beyond the expiration of his contract after next season because "this team looks like a delight." The mini-riot Buss touched off last year by saying he would entertain trade offers for Bryant seemed to have taken place a century ago as he recounted more recent dealings with Bryant, including a key phone call after the Lakers acquired Pau Gasol in February. "I think Kobe very definitely understands how hard I made the effort to get sufficient talent to win," Buss said. "I was talking to him on the phone right as the Pau Gasol [trade] came through, and he said, 'Wow, I can go win with this now.' I think Kobe and I get along pretty well." Well enough to open the vault again if Bryant leaves $47.8 million on the table and rips up his contract after this season? "We really don't address those issues until they come up because we don't know what the environment is, but we can't afford to lose Kobe," Buss said. FULL ARTICLE: http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketball/nba/lakers/la-sp-buss10-2008nov10,0,5322362.story
Why the weird font Trench? lol Anyways, "Owner says he'll pay what it takes, in salary and luxury taxes, to keep the team in championship contention. Retaining Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson is a priority." Music to my ears. Buss means business. He wants a championship, and he'll do anything in his power to get one.
I'm glad we have an owner willing to shell out the cash to produce a winner. For that matter...all my teams seem to be like that....the Cowboys...Yankees...Lakers...none of them are afraid to spend money if it means winning.
This should keep the chemistry intact for this season. Excellent timing by Dr. Buss. Basically he put it out there ... you want to get paid WIN!
This is true...but the point to them shelling out the cash is to win. Whether or not they do that is a different story, but that is the point of it.
