Don't mistake Jeanie Buss' soft appearance for her lack of killer instinct. This woman is as strong-willed as any other team owner in the NBA, and there's no denying that she has done a marvelous job as the Governor of the Los Angeles Lakers over the past half-decade.
What is also a known fact is that her team had a truly forgettable 2021-22 campaign. The Lakers are starting off with a clean slate ahead of the new season, and there's an optimistic vibe within the team right now. Be that as it may, Buss sent out a bit of a warning to her front office and her players ahead of what she fully expects to be a bounceback campaign in 2022-23:
“It’s on me to provide the Laker fans the product they’re used to seeing. They want to see great Lakers basketball,” Buss responded when asked if she intends to implement changes if her expectations are not met. “Nobody in my position can promise a championship every year. It’s really hard to put all the pieces together, avoid injuries and get to the top. But you can’t start the journey if you’re not even invited to the dance and you’re not in the playoffs. We have to get there. That’s up to the coaching staff and up to the players. We give them all of the tools they need to be successful.”
Jeanie Buss has made it abundantly clear that she's done her part in terms of providing the team with whatever they need to be competitive this coming season. Now, it's up to Darvin Ham and his coaching staff, as well as LeBron James and his squad to deliver. It goes without saying that general manager Rob Pelinka also holds a ton of responsibility.
“I fully expect us to be competitive,” Buss continued. “The Western Conference is tough and includes the new NBA champions, the Golden State Warriors. Hats off to them. They’ve set a standard of excellence in the league. It’s up to us to raise our game to compete. I expect us to be competitive in our conference.”
Clearly, Ms. Buss is not messing around.
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