The Los Angeles Lakers have been in the middle of the roughest stretch in franchise history over the last several seasons, something that owner Jeanie Buss has been up front about not being easy for her.
Things got so bad by last season that Buss fired her brother, Jim Buss, and then-Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak, replacing the two with Magic Johnson as president of basketball operations, and Rob Pelinka as general manager, respectively.
The Lakers won’t make the playoffs this season, but they have been more competitive than most thought they’d be since making those changes.