Buss Likes Lakers, NBA’s Chances

Back in his beloved Hawaii, with dusk gathering outside the 25th-floor window of a downtown hotel here, Jerry Buss said that he was charged with leading fellow NBA owners on the path to fiscal sanity.

And, he’s pretty sure, he will.

In a 30-minute conversation, he addressed the state of the Lakers, the state of the league and, even bigger, the state of Michael Jordan.

He said he expected the Lakers to be better this year than last, and that he was satisfied with the course of the NBA in regard to its salary cap and this year’s luxury tax, particularly in comparison to other professional sports leagues. And, he said he cheered Jordan’s decision to return, as long as he did not become Willie Mays at bat or Tony Gwynn on the basepaths, but doubted Jordan’s presence would change the short-term economics of the game.

He said he has not considered selling the Lakers, despite the profit they would bring. Buss, who once frightened fellow owners with his spending, now stands with the old guard, preaching financial responsibility and level playing fields, even as the Lakers prepare to defend their second consecutive title. “I kind of feel like I should be a leader,” Buss said, “because Los Angeles is such a very popular place for players to play. We’ve had so much success that if I then went out and bought players in addition, I don’t think that gives a very good example for the way I think the league should be run.”

That said, the Lakers chose not to spend lavishly for a new power forward this summer. Horace Grant left because the Lakers would not offer him the same two-plus-year security as Orlando did, and Samaki Walker had larger offers than the two-year, $3-million deal proposed by the Lakers. Walker, swayed by his friendship with Shaquille O’Neal and his hope for a title, chose the Lakers.

Regardless of how the cuts in training camp go, the Lakers are up against the luxury tax threshold, which many believe will come in around $54.7 million. General Manager Mitch Kupchak was given the task of replacing his power forward (Grant, who left via free agency), his point guard (Derek Fisher, who had his second off-season foot surgery in less than a year) and a veteran guard (Ron Harper). Limited by the coming tax, Kupchak returned with Walker, Lindsey Hunter and Mitch Richmond, “a phenomenal job,” according to Buss.

“The limitation, of course, is that most of the teams in the NBA have realized that unless somebody gets hold of these salaries they’re going to price tickets out of existence, if they’re not already,” he said. “I’ve been in leagues, like indoor soccer, where salaries went so high the league folded. In trying to cooperate and build the best team, there were a lot of restrictions.

“It’s not so much the luxury tax. I pay [Kupchak], I pay Phil Jackson. Everybody in the organization is the highest-paid man at his position, so that’s not really the issue. The issue is the sport. Los Angeles could be one of the leaders to do what’s happened in baseball and essentially let you predict who’s going to win it before it ever starts. But, I don’t know, it’s kind of unsportsmanlike to me.”

Regardless of the complications, and there are many, Buss said, he can’t imagine quitting.

“It’s hard to visualize not doing it,” he said. “You know, as long as I enjoy it and don’t get too upset with it. You have to understand, I have some children. They probably wouldn’t talk to me if I sold the Lakers.”