To say that the 2021-22 NBA season was a disappointment within the Los Angeles Lakers organization should be an understatement.
Not only did the team miss the playoffs but they didn't even make it to the play-in game between the 9th and 10th seed in the Western Conference. That's a lot to say for a team featuring LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, and Anthony Davis.
Needless to say, Lakers owner Jeanie Buss was far from satisfied with the outcome of the season, especially given how much the team spent to put together a winning roster:
“I’m growing impatient just because we had the fourth-highest payroll in the league. When you spend that kind of money on the luxury tax, you expect to go deep into the playoffs,” Buss told The Los Angeles Times. “So, yeah, it was gut-wrenching for me to go out on a limb like that and not get the results that we were looking for. … I’m not happy, I’m not satisfied.”
Analysts and fans called out GM Rob Pelinka for putting together a team full of veterans who didn't mesh well together. But even despite the bad season, his job is safe:
“In terms of basketball decisions, I have complete confidence in our front office, which is headed by Rob Pelinka,” Buss said. “He is a person that is extremely smart, extremely strategic, everything he does is thoughtful and with purpose. I have complete confidence that he can put together a roster and find a coach that is going to get us back to where we belong.”
There was also plenty of speculation about LeBron's future. Whether he'll leave as a free agent when his contract expires or not. Buss has reportedly stood up to him multiple times, but he still wants to have him on board for years to come:
“I want him to feel confident in the team, that we have the pieces to win a championship. He has to be happy," Buss added. "I want to make sure that he’s happy."
Moreover, her discontent doesn't mean that she's ready to move on from the family business and sell the team. Not now, not ever:
“In terms of selling the team, I’m not going anywhere. This is exactly what my dad asked me to do,” Buss said, adding, “The team is not for sale. This was something that was important to him, that he wanted me to keep the Lakers in the family."
So, don't even try. It's not happening.
