The jury is out on how he'll do for now, but I like the hire just because I think it's a forward thinking out of the box type move. He seems to check a lot of box for us that we need right now, and he's more than well-qualified for the position. Plus, I put a great deal of faith and trust into this man named Kobe Bean Bryant on basketball related things:
Here's the live stream: http://www.nba.com/lakers/livestream I'm going to be live posting what Pelinka touches on.
- Rob Pelinka seriously looks like Rob Lowe. Crazy. - Magic: happy to know who my running partner is now finally. - Magic thanks Jeanie for trusting and picking the two of them. - Magic: "Rob is an incredible young man. Intelligent. Smart. Built his own business and knows talent." - Magic talks about how Pelinka representing one of the greatest Lakers/players ever so he knows the importance of the jersey. - Magic: "Rob is competitive like I am." - Magic is learning the CBA from Rob right now.
- Magic says Pelinka knows and recognizes young talent so well because he's been recruiting them for years. - Magic says Pelinka complements him. - Magic jokes that Rob went to the University of Michigan which is his only negative. - Magic keeps referring to Rob as his "running mate". - Magic says they're going to turn this franchise around and build it block by block. It'll take some time, but they're going to do it. Magic compliments Luke.
Love seeing our two greatest Hall of Fame lifetime Lakers intimately involved in the master plan here of where the franchise goes next, starting with Rob's official press conference. Jeanie clearly has total faith in both Magic's and Kobe's advice and that's what clearly came out in Ramona's long article here: http://lakersball.com/threads/buss-family-turmoil.2662/
- Rob says he's a storyteller and he's determined to get the Lakers back to the top. - Told a story about Magic and he connecting over their faith and their hard work ethic. - Rob brings up Kobe's May 2007 and how the two of them demanded a change in order to get the Lakers back on track. He talks about how he and Kobe and Dr. Buss went over their dreams and goals for this franchise. Says Dr. Buss was Dr. Buss because of how he treats people and how he solves problems.
- Rob says it's going to be a collaborative effort. He says he, Magic, and Jeanie are going to do everything they can to build this franchise back to the top with exchanging great ideas and feeding off each other. - Rob says this situation arose not unlike When Harry Met Sally. - Rob says the word for the Lakers moving forward is "cares". - Caring is going to be at the center for everything in the franchise going forward from money to players to sponsors etc. - Rob thanks Jeanie saying she's a wonderful person with a heart of gold. He's flat out effusive. He compares his 6 year old daughter to Jeanie saying anything is possible for her because of women like Jeanie. - Rob thanks Janie who is also there to watch the conference. - Rob thanks Kobe and Vanessa. He says having them there makes him "speechless". He says they're his best friends. - Rob tells a story about a time when he had to get his son stitched up one day and he called Kobe and Vanessa for help and advice and the two of them help him, literally going to the hospital to help. Amazing story. - He told another story about his families and Bryant's going on vacation with each other. - Rob compares Kobe to the greatest artists of all time. - Rob then thanks Luke and says he's one of the coolest guys to ever be around and players all over the league want to be coached by him. - He then thanks Linda Rambis who does all the behind the scenes work. Again effusive.
- Rob comes back around to thank Tim Harris. - Rob says the leadership personnel all met yesterday and he said it felt like the same type of conversation that he had with Dr. Buss back in 07. - Rob then thanks his family each individually by name. - Rob says the Lakers are a family and a family business. - Rob brings up a bible verse, he is clearly a man of faith.
- On the young talent: Rob says we have some really strong young talent on the team. BUT we are 29th in the league and that's unacceptable. We have to add to that core. He says the timeline is aggressive and to grow with quality players. He says he loves the kids and wants to develop them, but we have to add significant players in FA. - (someone asked a question before Jim Hill which is weird) - Couldn't make out Jim's question but Rob answers saying that Kobe is in the DNA of the Lakers still today and he cannot be taken apart from it. Magic says everyone is going to dinner and talk Lakers and basketball. It's clear that Kobe is going to be involved in the team, but his extent is unknown.
Great. Trudell and his George Lucas shirt had to chime in. What's next? John Ireland asking questions about the 2016 season?
