Earlier today, ESPNLosAngeles.com published another excerpt of Jeanie Buss' updated memoirs, "Laker Girl." In this piece, Buss says that she was less-than-involved in the 2011 trade that jettisoned Lamar Odom from L.A. According to Jeanie, her brother Jim notified her of the trade via text, writing, "Traded Odom to Dallas for first-round pick. I think it might make it easier to make a big trade. Will keep you posted. Have a good night." That wasn't the only significant storyline that Buss touched on, however. Here's more from Buss' memoirs and other items of interest on the Lakers..
- Buss went on to describe the events that led to Chris Paul being traded to the Lakers and the deal being called off shortly thereafter. In Buss' mind, the timing of the deal rubbed the small-market owners the wrong way as they all just got done ratifying a CBA that was supposed to ensure a more even playing field for all teams. Had the Hornets and Lakers waited, say, two days to pull the trigger, it's possible that the deal never would have been reversed by David Stern.
- In an interview in Dubai, Kobe Bryant told Jessica Kahawaty of Yahoo (video link) that he would like to be reunited with a longtime teammate. “My all-time favorite teammate has always been Derek Fisher. He’s been my favorite teammate, I would love to see him back in a Lakers uniform so we could kind of finish out together," Bryant said of the veteran guard.
- General Manager Mitch Kupchak is out there searching for diamonds in the rough, writes Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times.
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