Los Angeles Lakers governor Jeanie Buss has been adamant in her support of forward Montrezl Harrell.
Buss tweeted out a message for Harrell after the reigning Sixth Man of the Year sent out a string of tweets on March 9. Harrell had been dealing with the loss of his grandmother and feelings the pains of a tough year in 2020. Buss wanted to offer love and encouragement.
We love you Montrezl ❤️ here is a hug until I can see you🤗 https://t.co/HsDh1ge1QS
— Jeanie Buss (@JeanieBuss) March 10, 2021
However, there was more to the dynamic than just a tweet.
Buss had not been to a single Lakers game all season. But she made a point to attend a March 12 showdown with the Indiana Pacers. As Bill Oram of The Athletic reported, the rationale was simple: she wanted to be there in person to give Harrell a hug:
“She didn’t have to do that,” Harrell said, via Oram. “She could have paid me no mind.”
Buss said she is a big believer in treating players and members of the organization like family, something she took from Phil Jackson when he was hired as Lakers coach in 1999.
That approach has served Buss well through the year. It clearly meant a great deal to Harrell, whom Buss praised for his desire to be a Laker:
“I lived through that time period where people were like, ‘Nobody wants to come to the Lakers, they’re a ‘poo-poo show’ that nobody wants to go to anymore,’” Buss said, via Oram. “And Montrezl was like, ‘I want to be a Laker,’ and that just meant so much to me. I have a really soft spot for him in my heart and he’s exceeded my expectations of what he’s been able to do as a Laker.
“I’m just glad he’s here.”
The grind of an NBA season is very real. It wears in players even in the most “normal” of times, let alone during a pandemic.
Buss seems to want all her players, including Harrell, to understand they have systems of support when they are struggling.
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