Brian Shaw says Jimmy Buss had problems with Phil Jackson at the Los Angeles Lakers – NBA News
Former Los Angeles Lakers player and assistant coach Brian Shaw has revealed the turmoil within the franchise last year.
Jimmy Buss, the son of owner Jerry Buss, became an increasingly powerful figure within the Lakers management last season and he didn’t approve of Phil Jackson, in spite of the success Jackson has brought to the Lakers over the
years.
Brian revealed that Jimmy, who isn’t exactly the most adored figure in the hearts of Lakers fans, didn’t really Phil Jackson’s style. As someone, who doesn’t really know the game of basketball, Jimmy took the laid back demeanour
of Phil Jackson as a sign of a lack of commitment.
“It was more from Jimmy Buss just doubting some of the decisions he made in terms of how he was handling and running the team and coaching the team on the sidelines, and sitting down instead of getting up.” Shaw said during an
interview with Sports Illustrated.
He also went on to say that some people think being animated on the touchlines is a sign of a good coach; the truth though is to the contrary.
“People look at coaches and want them to pace up and down the sidelines and bark instructions to the guys.”
Especially in the case of Phil Jackson, he has never been one to act like a mad man on the sidelines of a basketball court. Shaw pointed out that throughout Jackson’s career, a career that spanned decades and resulted in 11 NBA
World Championships, he has never been like that.
“That’s not Phil’s demeanour. That was viewed as a negative in my estimation — but it won him five championships with the Lakers and six with the Bulls, and that was his coaching style when he won, so why was that not acceptable
now?”
Shaw’s comments would incite more anti-Jimmy sentiment in the Lakers fan base, who already view the owner’s son with tinted glasses, and not the good kind. The younger Buss is often viewed as an outsider by Lakers fans and his
history of uneasy relationships with fan favourites like Jackson or super star Kobe Bryant haven’t endeared him to them one bit.
Buss made another PR mistake this summer when he didn’t hire Shaw as the replacement for Jackson. Brian was a favourite for the job and backed by Bryant as well as veteran point guard Derek Fisher. However Buss wouldn’t hire him.
As if just to rub it in Bryant’s face, Buss went out and hired Mike Brown, the former coach of Cleveland Cavaliers, to fill the vacancy left open by Jackson. The fans and Bryant didn’t approve of his actions one bit and a media
storm ensued, ending with Jimmy admitting he made a mistake in front of the press.
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