Jerry West Out of a Job?

activeverb · Retired Number Joined: 17 Jun 2006 Posts: 37470

Brian Davis is a real-estate developer. News reports didn't say he bought the 70 percent, but rather that he led a group of buyers, including Christian Laetnner, which whom he has done real estate deals.

activeverb · Retired Number Joined: 17 Jun 2006 Posts: 37470

Apparently, West makes a lot of money and the Grizzles lost $40 million last year, so cost-cutting is probably the group's first move. And honestly, West really has been particularly successful during his tenure at Memphis.

ValisJason · Posted: Sun Oct 01, 2006 11:02 am Post subject:

I imagine you meant to say that West hasnt been particularly successful in Memphis. I can see how that case can be made, but I think its wrong. No, they havent won a championship. But, West has made Memphis into a perennial playoff team. They were a failed franchise before West. Now they are respectable. In any case, without West, I think they will fall back to that status ... think GS Warriors without the history.

LaLakers999 · Star Player Joined: 10 May 2006 Posts: 1103

Why do I have the sick feeling that if J west does get fired. Somehow....Shaq, Wade and Riles will come up with a way to get Jwest as VP and RIles as head coach and GM

even if it means to keep him off of south beach's hands.... Mitch, jimmy, jeanie, and jerry must get jwest back at all costs

Great One · Posted: Sun Oct 01, 2006 11:35 am Post subject:

LawyerShawn · Star Player Joined: 22 Jun 2005 Posts: 1834

wolfpaclaker · Retired Number Joined: 29 May 2002 Posts: 58349

West has one big hurdle in coming back.

The reason's he left are still here.

1- Phil Jackson. West can NOT really work with a coach that expects so much of the roster kept in a certain manner.

2- Jimmy Buss. If I recall he had an issue with the amount of power he was getting and wanted his right hand man - Mitch Kupchak - to inherit the GM position.

3- Pressure of being a Laker GM vs a franchise like Memphis. Pressure? That was actually the biggest reason West mentioned for his departure. He didn't like the pressure of running a franchise in the stature of the Lakers.

I don't see it. The hurdles are still there. You guys would have to remove Jackson and Buss Jr. out of the picture to get him even thinking of coming back IMO. Infact, knowing Kupchak he'd be willing to step aside for West. The problem is that I never see West wanting to work under Buss Jr. (Like Mitch is) and meet the needs of Phil Jackson.

ShowtimeDynasty_24/7 · Star Player Joined: 04 Mar 2005 Posts: 8361

bring West in dangit....

hoopschick29 · Posted: Sun Oct 01, 2006 4:28 pm Post subject:

Jerry West is not coming back here. Jerry West believes in order, and he believes in a clear chain of command. Before Phil Jackson came here, the only person with veto powers over him was Dr. Buss. Now you have Phil Jackson, and you have the added complication of Jimmy Buss, whom Dr. Buss has made it clear he is grooming.

Plus, unlike most of us, Jerry West has the utmost respect for Mitch Kupchak, whom he groomed and often credits for making the blockbuster acquisitions like Shaq and Kobe work with the numbers.
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TLT · Star Player Joined: 31 Aug 2005 Posts: 1025

24KaratGold · Franchise Player Joined: 13 Aug 2006 Posts: 17350

Rigged4fun · Posted: Sun Oct 01, 2006 6:59 pm Post subject:

There is no question in my mind, Jerry West is the best! Anything to get him back in the Laker family would be a big plus

Vancouver Fan · Franchise Player Joined: 17 Apr 2006 Posts: 17740

angel · Posted: Sun Oct 01, 2006 10:45 pm Post subject:

Jerry West will have plenty of offers, but I think he will retire.
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"Darkness cannot drive out darkness. Only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that." ~~Martin Luther King Jr.~~

PassiontoWin · Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 12:02 am Post subject:

Jerry West coming back here would be the best thing to happen to this franchise in a long time....he would help big time.

LakersFanESS · Starting Rotation Joined: 06 May 2003 Posts: 789

lakersflambe · Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 3:19 am Post subject:

if he would only come back as before, in a consultative role, so that he could provide his protege, mitch, with meaningful trade prospects and scenarios...

Bergamotichek · Retired Number Joined: 02 Sep 2007 Posts: 16777206

CabinCreek44 · Star Player Joined: 16 Apr 2001 Posts: 3856

As you might surmise from my screen name, I would love to see Jerry West back with the Lakers, and I think the organization should move heaven and earth to make it happen. Not to replace Kupchak (West would never agree to that), but just in a consulting capacity. West never should have been allowed to leave in the first place, that was one of the saddest moments in the history of the franchise. He is a Laker thru and thru and always will be (in fact, I don't even get why this thread was moved off the main discussion board - West is still a Laker at heart you can believe that - he's not "non-Laker related").

All that said, it won't happen for all the reasons others have mentioned in this thread. And of course even if it did, ol' JW isn't getting any younger. This once again illustrates the tenuous position at the top of the Laker hierarchy once Dr. Buss' reign comes to an end. Jim Buss has awful big shoes to fill. What role will Jeanie play? And most disconcerting, where does Jeanie's boyfriend, that master of manipulation, fit into the whole thing? Don't think the thought hasn't run thru his mind, despite his past lame protestations to the contrary.

Like Mr. Zimmerman sang, the times, they are a-changin'.

TACH · Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 8:52 am Post subject:

A little more info:

Laettner, ex-Duke teammate to buy majority stake in Grizzlies
Oct. 2, 2006
CBS SportsLine.com wire reports

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- An investment group that includes Christian Laettner and his former Duke teammate Brian Davis has reached an agreement to buy 70 percent of the Memphis Grizzlies.

Billionaire Michael Heisley announced Monday that he agreed to sell his majority share to the group.

Davis said at a news conference that the sale was worth about $360 million, and he and Laettner are putting a total of $40 million of their own money into the project. The remainder will come from investors he did not identify, but Davis said he has lined up the money for the purchase.

Davis said Laettner also will be talking to the Grizzlies about coming back to play. Laettner, a first-round pick of Minnesota in 1992, has not played in the NBA since the 2004-05 season with the Miami Heat.

Davis, who played in four Final Fours while at Duke from 1989-92, said he wants Jerry West and coach Mike Fratello to stay with the Grizzlies.

The transaction will take several months to complete because the minority owners have the right of first refusal for 60 days from the date they are notified. The sale also must be approved by the NBA, and Heisley said he expects to remain with the team for several months.

AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

CabinCreek44 · Star Player Joined: 16 Apr 2001 Posts: 3856

^ Thanks for posting that Tach. Davis says he wants West to remain. If that's true I'm happy for JW, and Davis has made a wise first move as owner.

Vancouver Fan · Franchise Player Joined: 17 Apr 2006 Posts: 17740

JerryMagicKobe · Moderator Joined: 28 Jul 2005 Posts: 15100

Associated Press

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - An investment group that includes Christian Laettner and his former Duke teammate Brian Davis has reached an agreement to buy 70 percent of the Memphis Grizzlies.

Billionaire Michael Heisley announced Monday that he agreed to sell his majority share to the group.
Davis said at a news conference that the sale was worth about $360 million, and he and Laettner are putting a total of $40 million of their own money into the project. The remainder will come from investors he did not identify, but Davis said he has lined up the money for the purchase.

Davis said Laettner also will be talking to the Grizzlies about coming back to play. Laettner, a first-round pick of Minnesota in 1992, has not played in the NBA since the 2004-05 season with the Miami Heat.

Davis, who played in four Final Fours while at Duke from 1989-92, said he wants Jerry West and coach Mike Fratello to stay with the Grizzlies.

The transaction will take several months to complete because the minority owners have the right of first refusal for 60 days from the date they are notified. The sale also must be approved by the NBA, and Heisley said he expects to remain with the team for several months.

re4ee · Franchise Player Joined: 07 Mar 2005 Posts: 12237