Since Magic Johnson stepped down from his role as president of basketball operations, the Los Angeles Lakers have struggled to establish any sort of hierarchy in their management.
We may be starting to get an inkling of who is in charge, however.
According to Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus, it was Kurt Rambis who organized the hirings of both Frank Vogel and Jason Kidd and teams around the league are taking notice:
According to a person familiar with the negotiations, it wasn’t general manager Rob Pelinka but senior basketball adviser Kurt Rambis who orchestrated the Vogel hiring. He also made the move for Jason Kidd, who will serve on the bench as an assistant coach.
Multiple executives, when polled, suggested the Lakers should make sure they have their front-office hierarchy established before hiring a coach, and it appears they have, with Rambis stepping into that role.
One executive even called him the Lakers’ “shadow president.”
Rambis was hired to be an adviser last year and has seemingly risen the ranks of the Lakers front office faster than the speed of light. Somehow, this former coach and executive who has failed at every step of being a coach and executive is now in charge of the Lakers’ decision-making process.
Add to Rambis the fact that Phil Jackson, who also failed spectacularly as president of the Knicks, seemingly has a large influence on the team through Rambis and Jeanie Buss, and the lack of stability is just oozing out of the organization.
If it hasn’t been disastrous already, it is bound to be, soon.
