In the summer of 2017, just as West was leaving the Warriors and deciding what would come next, he said on “The Dan Patrick Show” that he would have liked to have ended his NBA career where it began — with the Lakers. Instead, they showed no interest in bringing him aboard, and the Clippers, in turn, reaped the benefits when he came their way.Two summers later, West’s oldest son, Ryan, parted ways with the Lakers after spending a decade in a variety of scouting roles (he now works for the Detroit Pistons). West declined to discuss the part Ryan played in the Lakers’ dynamic in the interview with The Athletic but told NBA.com in October that he believes he’s the reason his son was let go.
Then in April, after Jeanie Buss left West off her list of top five important Lakers of all time on the “All The Smoke” podcast, West fired back on the “Hoop Du Jour” podcast by calling it “one of the most offensive things I’ve ever heard in my life.” Buss had named Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe, Magic, James and her ex-fiancé and Lakers legend Phil Jackson. Back and forth, in the headlines and the hallways, the acrimony just kept building.
For West, though, the final straw came when the Lakers repealed the lifetime season tickets he said the late Dr. Buss had promised him so many years ago. Without any warning or explanation, his wife, Karen, received a text message from the Lakers last season informing her that the family’s seats for their games would no longer be granted.
“It was a cold phone text to my wife,” West recalled. “No one had the nerve to call me, but that’s how petty they are, OK? And I love the Lakers, OK? I love to see them do well. It’s great for basketball. I’m proud of everything that happened when I was there. I’m proud of everything that happened when I wasn’t there — the positives.
“But sometimes you feel like you’re discarded, like a piece of trash. And there’s a couple of people over there — not Jeanie — but there’s a couple of people over there that, uh … I don’t get it. I don’t. … I always had a great relationship with Jeanie — at least I thought I did. I don’t know where it is now.”
Just as the retelling of it all starts to rile West up, he stops just short of naming names. Still, as he’s well aware, the Lakers’ circle that surrounds Buss is a small one.A message has been sent.
When asked if there was any hope for reconciliation, West shook his head.“No, it’s too late; it’s too late,” he said. “I don’t need to do that, OK? I really don’t need (it). It’s just (bothersome) how people change so much. And I don’t understand it, but it’s fine. It’s fine.”
Jeanie Buss was presented with West’s extensive comments by The Athletic and chose not to respond. And so, it seems, West’s resentment will remain.
by bambam-in-vietnam
36 Comments
Why give courtside seats to the people who built your franchise when you can sell those same seats for thousands of dollars to influencers who aren’t watching the game?
one day the lakers will get new ownership and the world will be better for it
fuckin terrorists
Penny pincher Jeanie
“But sometimes you feel like you’re discarded, like a piece of trash”
He just like me fr fr
Shit it only saved them two years of season tickets
***”In the summer of 2017, just as West was leaving the Warriors and deciding what would come next, he said on “The Dan Patrick Show” that he would have liked to have ended his NBA career where it began — with the Lakers”.***
This hits hard more than ever. Rest easy Mr. Laker.
There is no better encapsulation of Jeanie Buss’ ineptitude than “Clippers announce passing of Jerry West”
Entire Lakers org should be ashamed that this is how they let a legend go out.
I was wondering why the Clippers put out an announcement and not the Lakers. Now we know.
“Buss had named Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe, Magic, James and her ex-fiancé and Lakers legend Phil Jackson.” I would never put James ahead of West on a list of five of the most important Lakers of all time. **NEVER**
Dr Buss definitely rolling in his grave. His kids don’t deserve the Lakers
As a lakers fan I’m loving everyone shitting on the lakers org. They fucking deserve it for how they testing this guy. Fuck Jeanie buss
Dumbass Jeanie
Common Lakers L
Garbage organization
Can someone explain how LeBron is a top 5 most important Laker ever?
Jeanie Buss is a worthless embarrassment to our franchise and I hope to see her sorry ass booed every time she’s seen in our arena for the rest of her life. She does not deserve to feel any of the success we may have going forward, though honestly she’ll probably prevent that through nepotism and penny pinching anyways.
I honestly have a hard time deciding if I hate her or the Celtics more.
Lakers genuinely need to count on the brand that already exists to carry them forward because Jeanie is speedrunning how-to-poverty-franchise
Lakers not jumping on Jerry wanting to come back is such a big fkin stupidity, all time dumb monent.
Damn
By text too damn lol they do not give a fuck
as a lifetime Lakers fan, this definitely changes my view on Jeanie Buss and rest of the ownership.
This franchise has not treated him appropriately, that’s for damn sure
How is LeBron a more important Laker than West???
Jeanie Buss has been a complete disaster. 11 years of mostly being a joke franchise.
“No one had the nerve to call me”… they knew better, if they had called Jerry to tell him his tickets were revoked he would have ended the call with even more tickets and an apology….such was his reputation as a GM.
Lakers taking some L’s this offseason.
As of if I need more reasons to hate the lakers
One more reason to add to the list on how cheap Jeanie runs the Lakers. Applying and receiving a PPP loan, not signing Caruso, not signing Lue due to only wanting to give out a 3 year deal. Lakers have the storied history but its actually the Clippers that are run like its the more valuable franchise. Absolute disgrace that its the Clippers that announced Jerry West passing and not the Lakers.
Its not just cheapness, its cheapness AND incompetence. How do you not see that showing Jerry West at your game is worth more money then you would make from selling the ticket? How do you not bother giving the man a phone call that you’re cancelling his promised invite? This is an incompetent owner.
Reading this kinda stuff makes me grateful in how we treat our legends.
L current ownership with a W location and legacy
You cannot seriously leave Jerry West off a top 5 important Lakers list.
* Helped them to their first championship in LA
* Probably would have won more if it wasn’t for Boston’s historic dynasty
* Easily top 5 player in the league at the time. Still easily a top 25 of all time, probably top 15 though that gets harder to judge as the years go by and more exceptional players enter the league.
* He’s the FUCKING LOGO.
* Helped build Showtime, which I would argue is the most important part in building the Lakers brand. Him and Riley together. LA was glitzy, LA was cool.
* Put the foundation together for Phil Jackson to reap.
There’s being petty, there’s being stupid, there’s being vindictive and then there’s whatever Jeanie Buss was doing. And it doesn’t reflect well on her.
Jeanie Buss is the type that would raise the price of the Costco hot dog if she could.
One thing that no one seems to have mentioned the last few years is how bad Lakers management is. Jeanie and Pelinka are both utter disasters
fuck Jeanie Buss, throwing away her fathers legacy.
Someone should explain Jerry West’s impact on the game. He’s literally on EVERYONE’S jersey. HE’S THE DAMN LOGO
You know what the “L” in Lakers stands for, Dan?
*beep*
Losers.