Jackson's Masterful Orchestration

Phil is the Sultan of Manipulation

Has anyone considered that Phil could be 'orchestrating' this from the sidelines? Consider this, Phil was (Chicago) and will always be a master manipulator. He placated and stroked Jordan's massive ego, pitting him against the organization and gm for years. If you don't think its true, go take a look at the archives of local and national Bulls stories from 92-97. This worked in Chicago because Jordan was strong-willed enough and the gm/owner (Krause/Reinsdorf) actually had a clue and were willing to take the necessary risks (Rodman and other signings/trades) to place a championship team on the court. But back to Phil, is it entirely out of the realm of possibility that Phil has been 'nurturing' Kobe in the same regard? Consider this thought, prior to the recent media blitz, have you EVER seen Kobe so blatantly out of control? So loose and reckless with his words? So hard-set on how much he has been offended, stabbed in the back, and deceived? I totally think part of Kobe truly believes and feels all of what he is saying, but it doesn't make much sense that he is so out of control without the 'spurning' of his 'mentor'. Phil has made it clear that either he does not believe in Bynum, or that he doesn't want to wait around for Bynum to develop. Is it possible that he is the one that told Kobe that Jim Buss or John Black was the 'mole'? His ambivalent statement that he just happened to coincidentally drop to the L.A. Times last night actually makes me consider this even more. Jackson strikes me as an individual that truly wants Kobe to continue railing the front office and force their hands, because he will ultimately benefit from the outcome. He knows Jerry buss isn't trading Kobe anytime soon and he also realizes that Buss cannot and will not sit back and accept public embarrassment. Buss' desire to maintain his legacy was never more evident than with his letter to season ticket holders that he submitted yesterday. He made sure to reference the number of titles and finals appearances that the organization has won/made during his tenure. While I, like all other Laker fans, have benefited from Dr. Buss’ success, I refuse to allow that to cloud my judgment in terms of the state of affairs with the team today. I’m not going to place the ‘Sterling’ label on him, but I will say that it sure seems like Buss has been (at the very least) content with having Kobe work his magic each and every night while selling out Staples Center and his over-priced parking/refreshments/merchandise.

Kobe is not innocent in this matter either. He signed a contract, regardless of whether under misconceptions or deceptions, this is an undeniable fact. He has been loved, coddled, and blindly accepted by his fans throughout his 11-year career through the good and bad. That type of loyalty is precisely what I think he needs to consider when making his future decisions. No one can deny that Kobe has and always will be one of the fiercest and finest competitors in league history, but I just hope that steely-eyed tenacity and determination do not cause him to make one of the potentially biggest mistakes
(personal/professional) of his career. Now that he has lowered the proverbial ‘boom’, give the organization this off-season and season to respond and do something about the situation that everyone has taken part in trashing. If the organization fails to follow through on their promise, then Kobe has every right to continue his trade demands next off-season.

P.S.

Where the hell is Magic in all of this? Isn’t it time to tell little Jimmy and Papa Buss to maybe take a step back, and assert himself within the organization? The man is 10% owner and probably the most well-known, loved, and respected Lakers of all time. I think right about now would be the time for a town-hall meeting with the Laker brass all in attendance with Earv at the head of the table.