Mitch Kupchak USA Today Interview (among other things, says Lakers will not consult with Kobe about coach decision)

[WindyCityLakerFan]

[Omar Little]

Either way, you don't say you're not consulting him unless you're in agreement. If you're going to do something he doesn't agree with, the standard form is "we will consult with him and make the right decision for the team as a whole". The whole syntax of this was too aggressive for Mitch. He isn't picking a fight with Kobe here, there's no gain in that. He's giving him cover.
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“We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” ― Elie Wiesel

[SmokeAndAshes]

[Voices]

[TheElectronica]

Did people expect Mitch to say we are going to ask Kobe what he wants and give it to him?

Because what Kobe wanted was to deal Bynum along with whatever salary we had for Jason Kidd. Meaning no Pau Gasol.

If I remember correctly, Kobe was also on board with the MDA signing. Not as much as Phil, but unlike Brown he did show some approval of the signing. The one consistency with Kobe has been if the team is playing well he doesn't question the FO at all but the moment they lose he raises hell. Mitch and the Lakers would be fools to give into every demand Kobe had when something goes wrong. He's still an employee and his job is to play basketball for whoever the Lakers decide to pick as a coach.

[youcantguardme]

Wow, there are some nutty Lakers fans here. The topic was dumping D'Antoni and OF COURSE he is going to say that he isn't going to consult Kobe because to do so would be throwing Kobe under the bus placing blame on him. We all know Kobe has already expressed his desires. My guess is that there is no way Kobe plays for D'Antoni and his "I actually WANT to lose defense" next year and he has made that clear.

[salami]

[venturalakersfan]

[venturalakersfan]

[venturalakersfan]

[venturalakersfan]

[USCandLakers]

[venturalakersfan]

So despite a former player saying otherwise, I guess you know better. Useless to argue with that kind of thinking, your mind was made up before you read the article.
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RIP mom. 11-21-1933 to 6-14-2023.

[pd23]

[ahaider]

If they fire D'antoni, you really don't think Kobe was consulted??

He goes from angry in one day to totally cool the next? If he's fired, they might have decided this weeks ago.
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Author of James Harden and the Strip Club


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[VegasLakerFan]

[kikanga]

[activeverb]

[The_Dynasty24]

[Cup-of-noodles]

I think Kobe wants to retire and watch his beloved Lakers blossom before he fades into the sunset. That is why he is so frustuated. He is a Laker for life just like Magic and company. It hurts their soul when they suck this way.
I think Kobe has trust in Mitch and company now that they have proven that they will turn it around.

Kobe would love another ring no doubt, but he is smart barring a miracle it is not going to happen.

[TheLakerWay]

I agree with pretty much what 24, JerryMagicKobe, Luca Brasi and others said in the last two pages (pages 7 and 8 of this thread).

Also, the LA Times article cited by Hector The Pup provides a lot of important information, I think.

When I wrote my comments in the original post, I was not aware of the information in the LA Times article. Having seen that information, my guess is that Mitch is providing cover for Kobe here rather than picking or continuing any kind of (front office versus Kobe) fight with him.

When I shared my thoughts in the first two pages of the thread, that was pretty much exactly my interpretation of the Mitch interview based upon the text itself and the context that I was aware of. I made no attempt to spin anything but was simply giving my take on the interview based upon what I knew. The same text, and even text and context, can yield various interpretations and often does.

However, in light of the LA Times piece Hector brought up, I now feel differently as regards the subject of Kobe being "consulted" or "on board" with whatever happens to MDA. I cannot imagine that Jimmy and Mitch sat down with Kobe and Rob and the subject of MDA did not come up. That just doesn't seem realistic.

Thus, I have changed my interpretation of what Mitch said. And to dovetail with what Luca said, Mitch said somewhat recently something along the lines of the front office will talk with Kobe about a number of things but not necessarily everything. Or something like that.

My comments during this entire season have often fallen into two categories.

Number one, chain of command and respect for ownership, management and coaches. That is, the coach makes the decisions as regards the players, in general, and the front office makes the decisions about the direction of the team. I'm old school this way. So if I feel like someone disrupts that chain of command, whoever they are, that will make me unhappy. It could be a player, it could be a former coach, it could be anyone. I've been fairly consistent as regards my feelings on this matter in the time I've been here, both with figures this year (Kaman, Pau, Kobe, Magic) and previous figures (Jamison, Phil).

The Busses own the Lakers and they run the Lakers, along with Mitch and others. I don't like people on the outside taking shots at the Busses or trying to manage the Lakers who don't work for the Lakers or who may be overstepping their bounds in making suggestions, particularly public ones. I am probably always going to react to that.

I respect Dr Buss, and what he built. I trust his vision. I respect Jimmy, Jeanie, Mitch and other Lakers management and staff, even if I don't agree with them. If I have to weigh management versus a player or former player/coach, I will usually side with management because (especially as regards the Busses) I view them as more permanent and the player or former player/coach as more temporary. The Busses will still be around once Steve Nash is gone, for example. I am a front of the jersey guy more so than a back of the jersey guy.

Number two, future focus as compared with present focus. People often say to me "why do you rip on Kobe so much?" The answer for me is simple. Kobe, to me, is part of the glorious past. But I don't see him as part of a championship future, due to where he is at in his career and where we are at in our rebuild. I am more focused on the future than the past. So my glee at what I thought Mitch was saying is about feeling like the front office feels like I do, and they are being realistic (in my view).

If Kobe comes out and rips the front office, that won't work for me, as laid out in my "number one" above. If Kobe comes out and says he wants to hasten a rebuild for self-interest reasons, that won't work for me based upon my "number two." Because I don't think we can realistically do that and compete for a title. We tried to go "all in" last year, and it failed. But we tried it. Now I think it's time to move on.

Others may feel differently than I do, and it's clear many do. Good! That's why it's so awesome there's a forum like LakersGround to discuss how we feel. If we all agreed, it would be pretty boring, in my opinion.

My goal is for the Lakers to win and win big as soon as possible. But my feeling is that such a goal will not be achieved in the next two years. It might not even be achieved in three years, which I think Mitch said was possible in the interview.

I have made my feelings known here many times, including in this thread, about Phil. But now Phil is gone, so I don't have to think about Phil anymore. So who does that leave on the team who may be most interested in what I think could be a "quick fix" rebuild attempt that might hurt the franchise? The veterans, in particular Kobe and Pau. Nash seems about done, so he's likely out of the picture in my mind.

Pau doesn't have the clout Kobe has, and that is understandable in my way of thinking. Kobe has earned his clout with the team and the fans. As I have said many times, I have a lot of respect for Kobe and I thank him for all he has done for the team.

But if I have a different concept of what should be done with the team, however, than Kobe does, then I'm going to bring up Kobe. Not because I hate or even dislike Kobe, but because he is the most obvious, relevant, and vocal symbol of what I view as the potentially wrong way to go with the franchise at this stage of Kobe's career. Or to put it another way, when Kobe says he wants a quick rebuild or whatever for self interest reasons, I take him seriously and I want to make my voice heard to say I don't agree with that path for the team right now.

That is why I bring up Kobe so much.

Even with a slightly different understanding or take on what Mitch said given the information from the LA Times article Hector provided, I'm still very happy with what Mitch said and that he said it. Just as I'm happy with the Lakers retaining Mitch on a new contract. He deserves it.

I still think, and hope, the front office is seeing things in a manner similar to how I am seeing them. In the LA Times article Hector showed, there were three free agents mentioned and none of them was Carmelo Anthony. I don't know if that is just Bresnahan choosing to omit Carmelo himself, or if Bresnahan is hearing that Carmelo is not on the radar for the team. I have heard that Carmelo is not really on the radar for us, and I hope that is why Bresnahan did not include Carmelo's name.

[JUST-MING]

Comment removed.

[Dave20]

Deng will most likely be the free agent we sign this summer. Having Deng and a top 6 pick would be more enticing for Love or any other free agent to come in 2015. Mitch comments suggest that he will wait until next summer to pursue Love and just go with Kobe/Deng/draft pick for next year. We can start the rebuild but still be competitive at the same time.

http://www.rantsports.com/nba/2014/04/10/los-angeles-lakers-rumors-luol-deng-on-the-lakers-radar-this-offseason/

[LandsbergerRules]

[Kobe Jocker]

They didn't consult Kobe on Brown or MDA either...how did that turn out?

The last coach Kobe lobbied for was Phil after 2005.
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