Melissa Rohlin
FOX Sports NBA Writer
Ever since Jeanie Buss took over ownership of the Los Angeles Lakers in 2013 following the death of her father, Jerry Buss, she has had one goal.
To make him proud.
When asked if she believes she accomplished that goal with one of the most shocking trades in sports history that brought Dallas Mavericks’ superstar Luka Doncic to the Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis on Feb. 1, she didn’t hesitate.
“He’d be very proud,” Buss told a handful of reporters Thursday while promoting “Running Point,” a 10-episode comedy on Netflix that’s loosely based on Buss’ tenure with the Lakers.
In fact, when Buss gave Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka her blessing for the stunning deal, her father, who was known for his vision and fearlessness, was front-of-mind.
“When you get a player of that stature, you have to give up a lot,” Buss said. “But my dad was such a great poker player and he said that he always wanted me to remember that poker was a game of patience. That you had to wait for the right cards. But once you got the cards, you had to go from zero to 100 — and not be afraid to play them. So, it was difficult because we were not looking to trade Anthony Davis or Max Christie. But it was a deal that he would’ve made. And we had to go for it.”
Buss acknowledged that the weeks leading up to the trade were unnerving. Only four people had knowledge of the deal – both teams’ general managers and owners – and she believed it was essential it remained that way.
“These things fall apart all the time,” Buss said. “It was really important to me that we didn’t blow up the team. If it had leaked out and the trade hadn’t happened, that would be really unfair to the progress that the coaching staff had made with the team. Because it’s a huge distraction.”
The deal stunned everyone involved, including Doncic, a 25-year-old who is considered one of the top three players in the league and who took the Mavericks to the Finals last year. Doncic faced his former team for the first time Tuesday and acknowledged he’s still reeling.
“The closure is going to take a while, I think,” Doncic said following his first triple-double with the Lakers: 19 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists. “It’s not ideal. But, like I said, I’m glad this game is over. There was a lot of emotions. But we go little by little, and every day is better.”
The Lakers, who have won 16 of their last 20 games and are in fourth place in the Western Conference with a record of 36-21, now have a franchise star who could make them contenders for the next decade.
Buss, who’s no stranger to pulling the trigger on big deals, added that she was proud that both teams kept such a blockbuster deal under wraps, and didn’t risk exposing it to falling through.
“I think that people talk about…not only the Pau [Gasol] trade, which did happen, [but] we have to look back at the Chris Paul trade as well,” Buss said, referring to the deal that then-NBA commissioner David Stern (who was acting as the Charlotte Hornets’ owner) vetoed in 2011 that would’ve brought the superstar point guard to the Lakers alongside Kobe Bryant.
“And there’s always this concern there’s going to be some new ruling that, like, now what’s going to happen? But what I have [is] complete confidence in Rob that he knows how to walk a deal through step-by-step to make sure that everything is complete and buttoned up. And that’s exactly what happened.”
It has been a wild few weeks for Buss, who not only oversaw one of the biggest trades ever, but was also eagerly awaiting the Feb. 27 debut of “Running Point.” The show stars actress Kate Hudson, who plays Isla Gordon, a woman who was appointed president of the Los Angeles Waves, a team that had won multiple championships and was owned by her family. The show was not only inspired by Buss, but she also served as an executive producer on the series.
“It’s like a dream come true for me,” Buss said.It’s a lot of fun. It’s not the Laker story. It’s not my story. But there are definitely things that are inspired by my position and what I do, and I think people will find it very relatable. The characters are warm and funny and flawed, but they’re a family. And as I’ve learned that the majority of businesses in this country are family-owned businesses, and that when you work with your family, you tend to step on each other’s toes.”
Buss couldn’t help but laugh at the irony of one of the biggest trades ever coinciding with the release of the Netflix show.
“Everyone thinks, was this trade done to promote the show?” she said, flashing a wide grin.
“I don’t think so.”
Melissa Rohlin is an NBA writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the league for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Times, the Bay Area News Group and the San Antonio Express-News. Follow her on Twitter @melissarohlin.
Los Angeles Lakers
National Basketball Association
Luka Doncic
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