WEBVTT 00:00:04.801 --> 00:00:07.264 So let's go to Brian live now at the courthouse 00:00:07.464 --> 00:00:08.359 in Simi Valley. 00:00:08.559 --> 00:00:09.778 The trial of four policemen 00:00:09.978 --> 00:00:11.690 continues today in Los Angeles for the charge 00:00:11.890 --> 00:00:13.243 of beating motorist Rodney King. 00:00:13.443 --> 00:00:15.823 Well, now everybody is in a state of nervousness, 00:00:16.023 --> 00:00:18.328 just waiting for the decision to come down. 00:00:18.528 --> 00:00:21.334 As clear as can be, 00:00:21.534 --> 00:00:24.308 it's on tape, 00:00:24.508 --> 00:00:25.802 but they ain't going to jail. 00:00:26.002 --> 00:00:26.854 That's how I felt. 00:00:27.054 --> 00:00:28.431 And I'm sure a lot of other people in L. A. 00:00:28.631 --> 00:00:30.027 felt the same way. 00:00:30.227 --> 00:00:31.906 Not guilty of the crime of assault 00:00:32.106 --> 00:00:34.611 by force likely to produce great bodily injury 00:00:34.811 --> 00:00:35.955 and with a deadly weapon. 00:00:36.155 --> 00:00:38.126 We were really taken aback 00:00:38.326 --> 00:00:40.382 by what we saw in the courtroom. 00:00:40.582 --> 00:00:42.527 Technical political nonsense. 00:00:42.727 --> 00:00:44.163 This is not. 00:00:44.363 --> 00:00:45.545 It's crap. 00:00:45.745 --> 00:00:46.727 It's terrible. 00:00:46.927 --> 00:00:49.332 The jury gave the okay to continue 00:00:49.532 --> 00:00:51.937 to abuse and oppress and suppress 00:00:52.137 --> 00:00:53.366 Black people in this country. 00:00:53.566 --> 00:00:54.985 You know, you're looking at a team 00:00:55.185 --> 00:00:56.801 that has, you know, 80%, 00:00:57.001 --> 00:00:58.417 85% African American on it. 00:00:58.617 --> 00:01:01.205 So all of us probably have gone through some incident 00:01:01.405 --> 00:01:02.258 with LAPD. 00:01:02.458 --> 00:01:04.346 No justice, no peace! 00:01:04.546 --> 00:01:06.429 We could still keep going here. 00:01:06.629 --> 00:01:08.347 There was a lot going on 00:01:08.547 --> 00:01:10.065 off the court that day, 00:01:10.265 --> 00:01:12.904 but we had our work cut out for us. 00:01:13.104 --> 00:01:15.112 The team was in the first round of the playoffs. 00:01:15.312 --> 00:01:17.321 The Lakers trail in this five-game series 00:01:17.521 --> 00:01:18.624 two to none. 00:01:18.824 --> 00:01:21.287 There is no tomorrow if they lose tonight. 00:01:21.487 --> 00:01:22.924 I remember like it was yesterday 00:01:23.124 --> 00:01:26.965 this sort of hubbub building through the Forum 00:01:27.165 --> 00:01:29.198 that shit was going down outside. 00:01:29.398 --> 00:01:31.232 Departing the Forum tonight, 00:01:31.432 --> 00:01:35.023 go westbound on Manchester or north on Prairie. 00:01:35.223 --> 00:01:36.494 You know, I'm in the game thinking, 00:01:36.694 --> 00:01:39.057 "Did I hear what I think I just heard about 00:01:39.257 --> 00:01:41.620 going a certain direction, don't go east?" 00:01:43.123 --> 00:01:45.878 No, the buzzer. The Lakers win! 00:01:46.078 --> 00:01:47.181 We win the game. 00:01:47.381 --> 00:01:50.579 And they told us that there were rioting going on outside, 00:01:50.779 --> 00:01:53.978 you know, so you might wanna take a different route home. 00:01:54.178 --> 00:01:55.113 It was crazy. 00:01:55.313 --> 00:01:56.825 Give us as wide a shot as we can. 00:01:57.025 --> 00:01:58.988 I don't see how we could play a game here. 00:01:59.188 --> 00:02:00.866 With the situation the way it is, 00:02:01.066 --> 00:02:02.745 it's just too dangerous for people. 00:02:04.666 --> 00:02:06.094 We had to move to Vegas 00:02:06.294 --> 00:02:09.012 and play in Vegas against Portland. 00:02:09.212 --> 00:02:11.730 The best of a bad situation, 00:02:11.930 --> 00:02:14.189 moving the game from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. 00:02:14.389 --> 00:02:16.648 Now, the Lakers are totally displaced. 00:02:16.848 --> 00:02:18.151 And they lose. 00:02:19.236 --> 00:02:21.575 That was a tough one to take. 00:02:23.077 --> 00:02:24.939 Back home in Inglewood, you see, 00:02:25.139 --> 00:02:26.802 in the aftermath, I still was upset. 00:02:27.002 --> 00:02:29.758 The fires continue to burn in various pockets 00:02:29.958 --> 00:02:31.185 of the community. 00:02:31.385 --> 00:02:33.181 A fella told us a little while ago, 00:02:33.381 --> 00:02:34.318 "If we have to burn it down, 00:02:34.518 --> 00:02:36.103 "we'll burn it down to make our point. 00:02:36.303 --> 00:02:37.574 And we'll start all over." 00:02:37.774 --> 00:02:39.694 There wasn't no rich people lootin'. 00:02:39.894 --> 00:02:40.788 I promise you that. 00:02:40.988 --> 00:02:42.599 - We already at the bottom. 00:02:42.799 --> 00:02:44.411 You know, what else can we do? 00:02:44.611 --> 00:02:45.726 Nothin' but violence. 00:02:45.926 --> 00:02:46.842 - It came to that point 00:02:47.042 --> 00:02:48.763 where people were just tired of it. 00:02:48.963 --> 00:02:51.300 You know, I'm not condoning any violence whatsoever, 00:02:51.500 --> 00:02:54.441 but I understood. 00:02:54.641 --> 00:02:55.777 You know, I feel like I feel. 00:02:55.977 --> 00:02:58.231 I'm not gonna, you know, sugarcoat it. 00:03:01.530 --> 00:03:05.453 I can hear Byron saying, "I know how they feel." 00:03:05.653 --> 00:03:07.709 Yeah, I said it. I meant it. 00:03:07.909 --> 00:03:08.969 End of the story. 00:03:09.169 --> 00:03:11.553 And I got some backlash for that. 00:03:11.753 --> 00:03:13.938 People have a hard time 00:03:14.138 --> 00:03:19.189 dealing with racial injustice in America. 00:03:19.389 --> 00:03:20.868 They don't wanna hear an NBA player, 00:03:21.068 --> 00:03:23.114 they don't wanna hear anybody say anything that 00:03:23.314 --> 00:03:25.210 might be sympathetic to people 00:03:25.410 --> 00:03:27.669 they are identifying as the rioters. 00:03:27.869 --> 00:03:30.128 I think we pretty much accepted 00:03:30.328 --> 00:03:31.306 that's the way it was. 00:03:31.506 --> 00:03:34.438 You know, you play basketball, stick to basketball. 00:03:34.638 --> 00:03:37.602 Byron Scott was a product of this environment. 00:03:37.802 --> 00:03:39.773 He had watched police violence happen 00:03:39.973 --> 00:03:41.075 for years and years and years. 00:03:41.275 --> 00:03:43.137 And because he made it successfully, 00:03:43.337 --> 00:03:45.000 he's supposed to turn a blind eye to it? 00:03:45.200 --> 00:03:48.039 He understood how we felt because he's one of us. 00:03:48.239 --> 00:03:49.258 We one of him. 00:03:49.458 --> 00:03:52.840 Sometimes you get lambasted for telling the truth. 00:03:53.040 --> 00:03:54.728 But if it's the truth, 00:03:54.928 --> 00:03:58.434 then you have nothin' to be ashamed of. 00:04:13.423 --> 00:04:15.594 There he is, his first shot as an owner. 00:04:15.794 --> 00:04:16.784 Do you think he likes it? 00:04:19.853 --> 00:04:22.115 At this moment, I can't believe it. 00:04:22.315 --> 00:04:24.177 What's the future? 00:04:24.377 --> 00:04:26.240 Want to replace your father at the top? 00:04:26.440 --> 00:04:28.002 Yeah. 00:04:30.290 --> 00:04:31.760 Between my daughters and my sons, 00:04:31.960 --> 00:04:34.799 there's certainly enough sports teams to go around. 00:04:38.682 --> 00:04:40.460 Are you and the rest of the family, 00:04:40.660 --> 00:04:42.439 are you guys all on the same page? 00:04:44.026 --> 00:04:45.654 The Lakers, caught in the middle 00:04:45.854 --> 00:04:47.867 of a family power struggle. 00:04:52.250 --> 00:04:54.254 I think I've really left them with something. 00:05:23.429 --> 00:05:26.068 Nothing that has happened to Rodney King 00:05:26.268 --> 00:05:27.037 is new. 00:05:27.237 --> 00:05:29.166 America has always been about this. 00:05:29.366 --> 00:05:32.790 Cops out there feel that they got a license to kill anyway. 00:05:32.990 --> 00:05:37.006 And a beatdown just goes with the program. 00:05:37.206 --> 00:05:39.970 In 1992, you get the Rodney King rise. 00:05:40.170 --> 00:05:42.935 But if you look at the history of hip-hop, 00:05:43.135 --> 00:05:46.535 this was a time when music changed. 00:05:46.735 --> 00:05:49.056 Like, we stayed on the "Chronic" album 00:05:49.256 --> 00:05:51.578 the day that niggas took over, 04-29-92. 00:05:51.778 --> 00:05:53.297 It took that incident for America 00:05:53.497 --> 00:05:56.630 to finally see that, "Wow, I guess all these songs 00:05:56.830 --> 00:05:58.654 like "* the Police" and, you know, 00:05:58.854 --> 00:06:00.479 these records that they been making 00:06:00.679 --> 00:06:03.434 really make sense because the police do act a fool 00:06:03.634 --> 00:06:04.571 when it ain't no cameras on 'em. 00:06:04.771 --> 00:06:06.608 Actually, when there are cameras on 'em. 00:06:06.808 --> 00:06:07.660 We not the problem. 00:06:07.860 --> 00:06:08.946 We tryin' to solve the problem by bringin' 00:06:09.146 --> 00:06:10.958 these problems to your face. 00:06:11.158 --> 00:06:15.066 We were showing the ugly underside of 00:06:15.266 --> 00:06:18.974 being young and Black in America. 00:06:19.174 --> 00:06:21.600 And people far beyond the Black community 00:06:21.800 --> 00:06:24.026 are actually listening to this music. 00:06:24.226 --> 00:06:26.648 Their rhyming lyrics to a thundering beat 00:06:26.848 --> 00:06:29.286 are angry, violent, and profane. 00:06:29.486 --> 00:06:32.308 We were a mirror to what was going on. 00:06:32.508 --> 00:06:34.821 And instead of solving the problem, 00:06:35.021 --> 00:06:37.335 people wanted to break the mirror. 00:06:37.535 --> 00:06:38.680 Honestly, looking back 00:06:38.880 --> 00:06:40.926 on it as part of hip-hop's appeal 00:06:41.126 --> 00:06:42.480 is that it was notorious. 00:06:42.680 --> 00:06:44.734 Society was changing at that time. 00:06:44.934 --> 00:06:49.569 And you were seein' it on the basketball court. 00:06:52.950 --> 00:06:56.624 The league was definitely changing, and I loved it. 00:06:56.824 --> 00:06:59.054 The players looked like people that I knew. 00:06:59.254 --> 00:07:02.302 They dressed like the hip-hop community in Los Angeles. 00:07:02.502 --> 00:07:07.145 It was cool to see hip-hop and the NBA 00:07:07.345 --> 00:07:09.399 merge and grow together. 00:07:11.028 --> 00:07:14.586 Welcome to the 1993 NBA Draft. 00:07:14.786 --> 00:07:16.413 The Lakers needed a point guard, 00:07:16.613 --> 00:07:17.341 but you're spoiled. 00:07:17.541 --> 00:07:19.090 You're looking for the next Magic. 00:07:19.290 --> 00:07:20.839 I think Jerry West was just gonna take 00:07:21.039 --> 00:07:22.300 the best player he could get. 00:07:22.500 --> 00:07:23.562 - Now, the Los Angeles Lakers 00:07:23.762 --> 00:07:26.146 selected while we were away Nick Van Exel, 00:07:26.346 --> 00:07:28.530 the excellent point guard out of Cincinnati, 00:07:28.730 --> 00:07:31.276 although his stock, as you can tell by where he was selected, 00:07:31.476 --> 00:07:32.330 has slipped. 00:07:32.530 --> 00:07:34.992 Nick had a chip on his shoulder. 00:07:35.192 --> 00:07:37.088 You want a guy with a chip. 00:07:37.288 --> 00:07:40.044 It's just the question is, is can you channel it? 00:07:46.558 --> 00:07:49.067 I definitely wanted to prove people wrong, you know. 00:07:49.267 --> 00:07:51.576 And it was just to go out there and crack heads. 00:07:51.776 --> 00:07:54.657 You know, at the end of the day, just make people pay. 00:07:54.857 --> 00:07:56.473 Passes over Hardaway. 00:07:56.673 --> 00:07:58.089 And it. 00:07:58.289 --> 00:07:59.342 That's my guy. 00:07:59.542 --> 00:08:00.761 I remember when the Lakers got him, 00:08:00.961 --> 00:08:02.473 we used to go over his house and hang out- 00:08:02.673 --> 00:08:04.384 you know what I'm saying- and do what grown folks do. 00:08:04.584 --> 00:08:05.729 You understand me? 00:08:05.929 --> 00:08:08.392 Before the season, during the season, and after the season. 00:08:08.592 --> 00:08:09.988 Nick was just a baller. 00:08:10.188 --> 00:08:12.242 You know, some guys come in 00:08:12.442 --> 00:08:15.198 and they're not scared of anything. 00:08:15.398 --> 00:08:16.918 I loved Nick the Quick. 00:08:17.118 --> 00:08:20.342 I loved the shave thing in his eyebrow. 00:08:20.542 --> 00:08:22.755 That was just what we did in my hometown. 00:08:22.955 --> 00:08:24.016 That was our thing. 00:08:24.216 --> 00:08:25.728 You know, Big Daddy Kane, Kwamأ©, 00:08:25.928 --> 00:08:28.015 those guys putting two parts in the eyebrows. 00:08:28.215 --> 00:08:29.694 So that's what we did. 00:08:29.894 --> 00:08:31.030 These players are younger 00:08:31.230 --> 00:08:32.491 and they have their own style. 00:08:32.691 --> 00:08:35.154 And that style was very much rooted in hip-hop culture. 00:08:35.354 --> 00:08:36.616 You know, they're wearing everything 00:08:36.816 --> 00:08:38.294 baggy and then super baggy. 00:08:38.494 --> 00:08:40.958 Eddie Jones from Templar University. 00:08:41.158 --> 00:08:42.260 When I got drafted, 00:08:42.460 --> 00:08:45.303 the whole dress code, baggy shorts, long jerseys out. 00:08:45.503 --> 00:08:48.347 You know, we were trying our best to get, you know, 00:08:48.547 --> 00:08:50.664 an inch here or a inch there. 00:08:50.864 --> 00:08:52.782 - The shorts that you guys wore 00:08:52.982 --> 00:08:56.071 are not the shorts you see guys wearing today. 00:08:56.271 --> 00:08:58.388 - Change and evolution 00:08:58.588 --> 00:09:00.506 clearly was happening. 00:09:00.706 --> 00:09:02.385 Players getting more power. 00:09:02.585 --> 00:09:04.389 The game prior to Michael Jordan 00:09:04.589 --> 00:09:07.803 didn't have this flair of individuality. 00:09:10.016 --> 00:09:12.103 More of a league based on superstars 00:09:12.303 --> 00:09:15.150 rather than on super teams. 00:09:15.350 --> 00:09:17.447 - Guys that dunk, showboating. 00:09:17.647 --> 00:09:19.544 After they'd make a long shot, 00:09:19.744 --> 00:09:23.208 they'd look at the bench and point at you. 00:09:23.408 --> 00:09:25.922 And I was like, "I never saw that." 00:09:26.122 --> 00:09:27.183 The music probably 00:09:27.383 --> 00:09:29.555 had something to do with it as far as being a little bit 00:09:29.755 --> 00:09:31.108 more, like, as a show. 00:09:31.308 --> 00:09:34.699 We're gonna talk a little trash to you. 00:09:34.899 --> 00:09:37.408 20-year-old kids, hip-hop is running the world. 00:09:37.608 --> 00:09:40.117 That's how we got hyped up to go out and play. 00:09:40.317 --> 00:09:41.788 You know, Mary J. Blige is there. 00:09:41.988 --> 00:09:42.956 You know, Snoop Dogg's there. 00:09:43.156 --> 00:09:44.719 You know, Dre is there. 00:09:44.919 --> 00:09:46.463 You wake up in the morning and you start listening 00:09:46.663 --> 00:09:48.300 to their music getting ready for the game, 00:09:48.500 --> 00:09:50.659 you wanna put a show on for them. 00:09:50.859 --> 00:09:52.818 Our music got them going, 00:09:53.018 --> 00:09:54.964 just like the way they play got us going. 00:09:55.164 --> 00:09:57.110 So I'm, like, bonding with these guys. 00:09:57.310 --> 00:09:57.995 You know what I'm saying? 00:09:58.195 --> 00:09:59.364 I'm like, "Oh, we got a nice squad. 00:09:59.564 --> 00:10:00.417 "We gonna be all right. 00:10:00.617 --> 00:10:01.878 "They young, they get down, they killers, 00:10:02.078 --> 00:10:04.082 they move, they shoot, they talk shit, they back it up." 00:10:04.282 --> 00:10:06.524 You know, they was giving us some great games. 00:10:06.724 --> 00:10:08.767 Now one of the youngest teams in the NBA, 00:10:08.967 --> 00:10:11.723 the new Lakers must establish an identity of their own 00:10:11.923 --> 00:10:13.977 and find a way to continue the legacy 00:10:14.177 --> 00:10:15.479 of the great teams of the past. 00:10:15.679 --> 00:10:16.491 We were like, 00:10:16.691 --> 00:10:18.328 "We wanna make a name for ourselves," 00:10:18.528 --> 00:10:19.739 We're saying, "We're not Showtime anymore. 00:10:19.939 --> 00:10:21.429 We the Lake Show." 00:10:21.629 --> 00:10:22.920 And that was all Nick. 00:10:23.120 --> 00:10:24.753 You know, we had to try to create 00:10:24.953 --> 00:10:26.386 our own image, our own identity. 00:10:26.586 --> 00:10:28.965 I don't know what the hell made me think of it, 00:10:29.165 --> 00:10:30.572 but I just started sayin, 00:10:30.772 --> 00:10:32.180 "We'll be the Lake Show." 00:10:32.380 --> 00:10:34.017 And it just stuck. 00:10:35.478 --> 00:10:38.777 It is the way they were matched up tonight. 00:10:38.977 --> 00:10:40.622 You know, we were the team that, 00:10:40.822 --> 00:10:43.076 you know, after Showtime, they was like, 00:10:43.276 --> 00:10:45.591 "It's about to be a downtime." 00:10:45.791 --> 00:10:48.237 When Erving announces he's HIV positive, 00:10:48.437 --> 00:10:50.684 that clearly was the end of Showtime. 00:10:50.884 --> 00:10:55.142 And then Byron Scott left and then A. C. Green left, 00:10:55.342 --> 00:10:57.877 and there wasn't much left. 00:10:58.077 --> 00:11:00.412 No matter what they do now, 00:11:00.612 --> 00:11:03.701 it's gonna be compared to the '80s, compared to Showtime. 00:11:03.901 --> 00:11:05.893 And it's always gonna come up short. 00:11:06.093 --> 00:11:07.885 We had went to the championship 00:11:08.085 --> 00:11:10.590 almost every single year in the '80s. 00:11:10.790 --> 00:11:13.480 So I just thought, 00:11:13.680 --> 00:11:16.184 "End of the day, Lakers gonna be there." 00:11:16.384 --> 00:11:17.446 - We Lakers. 00:11:17.646 --> 00:11:20.861 We won a championship every year, no matter who we got. 00:11:21.061 --> 00:11:22.656 Everyone expected it to be like those guys. 00:11:22.856 --> 00:11:23.825 And it wasn't gonna be like that. 00:11:24.025 --> 00:11:25.286 This was gonna take a while. 00:11:25.486 --> 00:11:26.547 I think we have to be realistic 00:11:26.747 --> 00:11:28.568 about what this team really is right now. 00:11:28.768 --> 00:11:30.589 We're not a great team at this point in time. 00:11:30.789 --> 00:11:31.891 Sometimes you got booed. 00:11:32.091 --> 00:11:34.563 You could hear it in the crowd. 00:11:34.763 --> 00:11:36.401 That just leaves, like, a nasty taste. 00:11:36.601 --> 00:11:40.074 You just walk away like, "What's the point?" 00:11:40.274 --> 00:11:42.529 Jerry Buss won a championship his first year, 00:11:42.729 --> 00:11:44.207 won most times in a decade. 00:11:44.407 --> 00:11:45.810 And now, he's going through what 00:11:46.010 --> 00:11:47.213 many owners do at the beginning, 00:11:47.413 --> 00:11:49.543 which is take a team and build upward. 00:11:49.743 --> 00:11:50.929 And it's hard to rebuild. 00:11:51.129 --> 00:11:54.511 It's hard to pull yourself back from being so great. 00:11:54.711 --> 00:11:56.974 You know, we got down to a very low point. 00:11:57.174 --> 00:11:59.375 And I don't think he enjoyed that at all. 00:11:59.575 --> 00:12:01.681 I mean, you don't have the superstars. 00:12:01.881 --> 00:12:03.788 You don't have a lot of the other guys. 00:12:03.988 --> 00:12:07.078 And there's no definite coach who's gonna be here forever. 00:12:07.278 --> 00:12:10.417 So basically, we're on a coaching carousel. 00:12:10.617 --> 00:12:12.756 I start with Pat Riley, obviously, 00:12:12.956 --> 00:12:15.260 and Mike Dunleavy, 00:12:15.460 --> 00:12:16.939 Randy Pfund, 00:12:17.139 --> 00:12:19.102 legendary Bill Barker, 00:12:19.302 --> 00:12:20.989 Magic. 00:12:21.189 --> 00:12:23.110 Nearly three years after retiring 00:12:23.310 --> 00:12:24.705 from the Los Angeles Lakers, 00:12:24.905 --> 00:12:27.185 Magic Johnson returns to coach the team. 00:12:27.385 --> 00:12:29.465 Having Magic back was really 00:12:29.665 --> 00:12:31.961 something my dad wanted 'cause he never 00:12:32.161 --> 00:12:34.767 wanted the tie cut with Magic. 00:12:34.967 --> 00:12:38.181 And maybe coaching was the right answer. 00:12:38.381 --> 00:12:39.568 I never wanted to coach. 00:12:39.768 --> 00:12:42.607 Dr. Buss said, "Can you do this for me?" 00:12:42.807 --> 00:12:44.402 And when he hit me with that one, 00:12:44.602 --> 00:12:46.541 then I said, "Yeah, okay." 00:12:46.741 --> 00:12:49.312 I am happy to be back with the Laker family. 00:12:49.512 --> 00:12:52.084 Is there any way to predict what your 00:12:52.284 --> 00:12:54.610 coaching style will be like? 00:12:54.810 --> 00:12:56.936 Aggressive. 00:12:57.136 --> 00:12:58.681 When Magic came back to coach, 00:12:58.881 --> 00:13:01.027 I thought it was great. 00:13:01.227 --> 00:13:02.739 His motivational speeches-I mean, 00:13:02.939 --> 00:13:05.319 you were gonna run through a wall playing for Magic. 00:13:05.519 --> 00:13:06.204 He was hard, man. 00:13:06.404 --> 00:13:07.833 He practiced the shit out of us. 00:13:08.033 --> 00:13:10.622 And he'd run us like Pat Riley used to run 00:13:10.822 --> 00:13:13.553 'cause that's all he knew. 00:13:13.753 --> 00:13:16.617 To see him come in and try to deal with some 00:13:16.817 --> 00:13:19.681 of these young players, it was hard for Magic 00:13:19.881 --> 00:13:23.000 to see players not hustle all the time. 00:13:23.200 --> 00:13:26.319 They say now, we don't practice hard. 00:13:26.519 --> 00:13:28.123 We play hard in the game. 00:13:28.323 --> 00:13:29.910 They say, "We don't wanna hear about the '80s." 00:13:30.110 --> 00:13:31.517 I understand that. 00:13:31.717 --> 00:13:32.925 We're the '90s team. 00:13:33.125 --> 00:13:34.653 You're old. You're old. 00:13:34.853 --> 00:13:36.181 - You know, I was a baby. 00:13:36.381 --> 00:13:39.095 You know, I didn't have a clue about, you know, 00:13:39.295 --> 00:13:41.099 the things that they had to go through 00:13:41.299 --> 00:13:42.903 to get to a championship level. 00:13:43.103 --> 00:13:45.942 That used to drive Magic crazy because he saw 00:13:46.142 --> 00:13:48.196 something that maybe was in us, 00:13:48.396 --> 00:13:50.179 but we wasn't ready for that yet. 00:13:50.379 --> 00:13:51.962 When I was assistant coach, 00:13:52.162 --> 00:13:55.795 Magic used to always say, "Can these guys run a three on two? 00:13:55.995 --> 00:13:57.507 "We're going down on offense, three players on two. 00:13:57.707 --> 00:13:58.434 You gotta score." 00:13:58.634 --> 00:14:00.137 Well, we would throw the ball away. 00:14:00.337 --> 00:14:02.442 That was perplexing to him. 00:14:02.642 --> 00:14:06.692 You're coming to understand that what we had was special. 00:14:06.892 --> 00:14:09.122 And you see that now. 00:14:09.322 --> 00:14:11.476 Well, he was trying to figure out why, 00:14:11.676 --> 00:14:13.631 you know, we couldn't get it done because 00:14:13.831 --> 00:14:17.421 he thought it was just *' easy, you know? 00:14:20.010 --> 00:14:21.522 We on a losing streak. 00:14:21.722 --> 00:14:24.185 Before practice, and he said, "Come on, everybody, 00:14:24.385 --> 00:14:25.112 let's go outside." 00:14:25.312 --> 00:14:27.024 When I go outside, it was fine. 00:14:27.224 --> 00:14:28.911 Weather's great. 00:14:29.111 --> 00:14:31.324 So he was like, "Everybody take a deep breath. 00:14:31.524 --> 00:14:33.755 "Like, enjoy the air, 00:14:33.955 --> 00:14:35.541 'cause some of you * ain't gonna be here 00:14:35.741 --> 00:14:37.378 next year to enjoy this good air." 00:14:37.578 --> 00:14:39.215 "You like this weather out here? 00:14:39.415 --> 00:14:40.760 "It's nice and sunny. 00:14:40.960 --> 00:14:42.271 "Shit, you wait. 00:14:42.471 --> 00:14:45.106 You think I'm * with you?" 00:14:45.306 --> 00:14:47.741 We was like, "Oh, shit." 00:14:47.941 --> 00:14:50.278 I just had to put my head in the towel and laugh. 00:14:50.478 --> 00:14:52.082 "You *' guys wanna be in Cleveland?" 00:14:52.282 --> 00:14:55.665 Magic out on the floor again flirtin' with ejection. 00:14:55.865 --> 00:14:58.128 Here comes Magic. He's gone. 00:14:58.328 --> 00:15:00.391 Magic's gone. Magic's gone. 00:15:00.591 --> 00:15:03.434 Now, he used to say, "Coop, you know what?" 00:15:03.634 --> 00:15:05.895 "I'm not gonna be here a long-" 00:15:06.095 --> 00:15:08.023 So I did it all the way 00:15:08.223 --> 00:15:09.952 to the end of the season. 00:15:10.152 --> 00:15:12.164 Dr. Buss said, "What you think?" 00:15:12.364 --> 00:15:15.830 I said, "I never wanna do that ever again." 00:15:18.251 --> 00:15:20.656 How would you assess your performance as a coach? 00:15:20.856 --> 00:15:23.261 It really doesn't matter how good I can be. 00:15:23.461 --> 00:15:24.398 It really doesn't. 00:15:24.598 --> 00:15:25.900 The players are gonna make you great 00:15:26.100 --> 00:15:29.486 or they gonna make you lousy, one way or another. 00:15:29.686 --> 00:15:33.073 I don't think we made the playoffs that year. 00:15:33.273 --> 00:15:35.753 That was a big blow. 00:15:35.953 --> 00:15:39.970 The Lakers playoff stretch 00:15:40.170 --> 00:15:42.136 for so many years had been broken. 00:15:42.336 --> 00:15:44.303 And, you know, I was a part of that. 00:15:45.765 --> 00:15:47.360 - Jerry Buss was not thrilled 00:15:47.560 --> 00:15:50.148 because it was the first time he'd ever missed the playoffs. 00:15:50.348 --> 00:15:52.131 And that hit him hard. 00:15:52.331 --> 00:15:53.915 - It was that feeling of, 00:15:54.115 --> 00:15:56.912 are we ever gonna get to the top again? 00:15:57.112 --> 00:15:58.925 Did we have so much success 00:15:59.125 --> 00:16:03.717 that we're now gonna pay for it at the bottom? 00:16:03.917 --> 00:16:07.191 The Lakers sold a lot of winning. 00:16:07.391 --> 00:16:10.438 If you're a Laker fan, you're gonna win. 00:16:10.638 --> 00:16:12.902 And when a team can't sell winning, 00:16:13.102 --> 00:16:15.207 what they sell is, is hope. 00:16:15.407 --> 00:16:19.415 And we couldn't sell hope because we were that bad. 00:16:19.615 --> 00:16:21.837 There was no hope for us to win. 00:16:35.502 --> 00:16:37.923 I like the mornings. I like the afternoons. 00:16:38.123 --> 00:16:38.725 I like the people. 00:16:38.925 --> 00:16:40.854 And I love the animals. 00:16:41.054 --> 00:16:43.852 And that's what you're surrounded with all the time. 00:16:44.052 --> 00:16:45.439 When you're dealing with horses, 00:16:45.639 --> 00:16:48.027 you are just really focused. 00:16:50.699 --> 00:16:53.955 All of a sudden, it's years later and you don't even know. 00:16:54.155 --> 00:16:56.731 So it was hard for me to sit there and go, 00:16:56.931 --> 00:16:59.308 "I wonder what's happening over at the Forum." 00:16:59.508 --> 00:17:01.971 You know, Hollywood Park was right next door to the Forum. 00:17:02.171 --> 00:17:03.358 So then I could train horses there, 00:17:03.558 --> 00:17:05.437 and then go over and eat dinner with my dad 00:17:05.637 --> 00:17:07.575 at the Forum Club. 00:17:07.775 --> 00:17:10.614 He'd get the racing form and look at my horses and say, 00:17:10.814 --> 00:17:13.160 you know, "You might wanna do this with this one." 00:17:13.360 --> 00:17:15.707 So we were just probably best friends more than 00:17:15.907 --> 00:17:17.251 father, son, maybe. 00:17:17.451 --> 00:17:18.305 It's close. 00:17:18.505 --> 00:17:21.176 I mean, my brother was a wild man, you know? 00:17:21.376 --> 00:17:23.055 I mean, he was the partier. 00:17:24.767 --> 00:17:27.314 You know, my father didn't help that. 00:17:27.514 --> 00:17:28.733 Dad's going out to this club. 00:17:28.933 --> 00:17:29.744 Let's go. 00:17:29.944 --> 00:17:32.432 He taught him how to gamble. 00:17:32.632 --> 00:17:34.921 My dad wanted that partner, 00:17:35.121 --> 00:17:37.693 and Jimmy was his partner for that. 00:17:37.893 --> 00:17:40.465 You know, the horse-racing business, 00:17:40.665 --> 00:17:42.719 it was coming off of its peak. 00:17:42.919 --> 00:17:44.723 You could see it was declining. 00:17:44.923 --> 00:17:46.527 If it was something that 00:17:46.727 --> 00:17:49.090 was raking in a lot of dough, 00:17:49.290 --> 00:17:51.454 I think we'd still have a stable. 00:17:51.654 --> 00:17:55.328 But I think my dad wanted Jimmy to find something 00:17:55.528 --> 00:17:58.417 that fit more what he wanted the family 00:17:58.617 --> 00:18:01.507 to focus on as opposed to the horses. 00:18:01.707 --> 00:18:02.601 - He said it was time for me 00:18:02.801 --> 00:18:05.524 to understand the basketball business and, 00:18:05.724 --> 00:18:08.813 "Can you come back?" And I said, "In a heartbeat." 00:18:09.013 --> 00:18:11.569 He said, "I want you to work with Jerry West 00:18:11.769 --> 00:18:12.913 so you can learn." 00:18:13.113 --> 00:18:14.458 And I said, "Well, what am I learning?" 00:18:14.658 --> 00:18:17.664 "Well, one of the most important things is scouting." 00:18:17.864 --> 00:18:20.762 If you were gonna learn how to scout, 00:18:20.962 --> 00:18:25.054 you would learn from Jerry West because he is one of the best, 00:18:25.254 --> 00:18:26.774 if not the best ever. 00:18:26.974 --> 00:18:29.438 Do you know how many people want that job? 00:18:29.638 --> 00:18:32.819 You know, Jim was chosen to learn 00:18:33.019 --> 00:18:35.157 that part of the business. 00:18:35.357 --> 00:18:37.296 Salary caps and contracts, 00:18:37.496 --> 00:18:40.443 it was kind of a whole mathematical thing. 00:18:40.643 --> 00:18:43.591 And Jimmy is really good with numbers. 00:18:43.791 --> 00:18:45.979 - I like to apply math to, 00:18:46.179 --> 00:18:49.728 you know, sports, obviously, or anything else like that. 00:18:49.928 --> 00:18:51.824 Now, was he gonna be successful? 00:18:52.024 --> 00:18:56.826 Well, that kinda comes down to individuality. 00:18:57.026 --> 00:18:58.663 The Lakers are losing. 00:18:58.863 --> 00:19:00.133 Magic's retired. 00:19:00.333 --> 00:19:04.925 So my dad wanted to bring us back together as a family 00:19:05.125 --> 00:19:07.981 because that's where he drew his strength. 00:19:08.181 --> 00:19:11.939 But at that point, my siblings and I really didn't spend 00:19:12.139 --> 00:19:13.910 all that much time together. 00:19:14.110 --> 00:19:18.243 We came together for family events, 00:19:18.443 --> 00:19:19.922 which weren't very often. 00:19:20.122 --> 00:19:24.301 We just didn't really have similar lifestyles. 00:19:24.501 --> 00:19:28.481 After my divorce, I felt such a sense of relief. 00:19:28.681 --> 00:19:32.397 I was free to pursue the things that I was interested 00:19:32.597 --> 00:19:34.410 in doing for myself. 00:19:34.610 --> 00:19:38.138 I was over 30, comfortable in who I was 00:19:38.318 --> 00:19:43.495 And I'd always admired the women who posed in Playboy. 00:19:43.495 --> 00:19:44.515 I admired the magazine. 00:19:44.915 --> 00:19:48.154 I knew Hugh Hefner through my dad. 00:19:48.354 --> 00:19:51.394 And I thought I would like to see 00:19:51.594 --> 00:19:54.726 if I would be considered for the magazine. 00:19:54.926 --> 00:19:56.487 And I didn't tell my dad 00:19:56.687 --> 00:20:00.905 because I didn't want him to call in a favor. 00:20:01.105 --> 00:20:02.992 I went through the test photoshoot, 00:20:03.192 --> 00:20:05.130 and I was accepted. 00:20:05.324 --> 00:20:08.322 As a woman in this business for all these years, 00:20:08.522 --> 00:20:10.032 I've always felt left out 00:20:10.627 --> 00:20:13.417 Finally, when I told my dad, he had no idea. 00:20:13.617 --> 00:20:14.720 He said the funniest thing. 00:20:14.920 --> 00:20:18.010 He said, "It's the first issue of Playboy magazine 00:20:18.210 --> 00:20:19.930 I haven't read in 26 years." 00:20:20.130 --> 00:20:21.651 He wouldn't look at it? 00:20:21.851 --> 00:20:24.072 - No, he would not look at it. 00:20:24.472 --> 00:20:27.103 It was something that I was very proud of. 00:20:27.184 --> 00:20:29.265 - When she posed for Playboy, 00:20:29.665 --> 00:20:32.187 I was aghast. 00:20:32.387 --> 00:20:36.003 I was concerned, would the promoters, 00:20:36.203 --> 00:20:39.819 would the agents and the managers 00:20:40.019 --> 00:20:42.207 look at her differently? 00:20:42.247 --> 00:20:44.143 My dad's attorney was like, 00:20:44.143 --> 00:20:46.239 "You're gonna hurt your chances. 00:20:46.439 --> 00:20:50.572 You know, people are not gonna accept this from you." 00:20:50.772 --> 00:20:52.794 But it wasn't a business decision I made. 00:20:52.994 --> 00:20:58.671 That was a personal decision that I wanted to do for me. 00:20:58.871 --> 00:21:01.677 Dr. Buss did exactly what he wanted to do 00:21:01.877 --> 00:21:04.483 and didn't care what you thought about it. 00:21:04.683 --> 00:21:09.485 Jeanie Buss is the same way, and she should be. 00:21:09.685 --> 00:21:11.540 - That was a time in my life. 00:21:11.740 --> 00:21:14.244 And then I was on to the next thing. 00:21:15.831 --> 00:21:18.921 And by then, my dad wanted me to move into 00:21:19.121 --> 00:21:21.133 the basketball side of things. 00:21:21.333 --> 00:21:24.733 And in 1995, I was named 00:21:24.933 --> 00:21:28.673 an alternate governor of the Lakers. 00:21:28.873 --> 00:21:32.414 Joining the board was a huge step 00:21:32.614 --> 00:21:36.464 to really understanding how this business works. 00:21:36.664 --> 00:21:39.754 Jeanie and I and the guys from Sacramento 00:21:39.954 --> 00:21:41.800 were the only ones that, you know, 00:21:42.000 --> 00:21:43.616 felt like we were under 80 years old. 00:21:43.816 --> 00:21:45.432 That generation didn't take kindly 00:21:45.632 --> 00:21:46.955 to women in the boardroom. 00:21:47.155 --> 00:21:48.279 - In a room of 100 people, 00:21:48.479 --> 00:21:52.571 there might have been 2 other women besides me. 00:21:52.771 --> 00:21:55.243 I was in line at the buffet, 00:21:56.284 --> 00:21:59.879 - You feel violated, 00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:03.674 like...a piece of dirt. 00:22:05.010 --> 00:22:08.433 I remember when it happened to me like it was yesterday, 00:22:08.633 --> 00:22:11.865 and it's gotta be 35 years ago. 00:22:12.065 --> 00:22:15.823 I didn't take it so much as a * advance, 00:22:16.023 --> 00:22:19.956 but more like a, putting me in my place. 00:22:20.156 --> 00:22:22.336 You don't get a seat at the table. 00:22:22.536 --> 00:22:25.947 You're just a piece of *. 00:22:26.147 --> 00:22:29.559 - I didn't know about that. 00:22:29.759 --> 00:22:32.293 - Holy crap. Really? 00:22:32.493 --> 00:22:35.184 - That's horrible. 00:22:35.384 --> 00:22:37.876 - Did my dad know? 00:22:38.076 --> 00:22:39.750 I think it would've hurt him 00:22:39.950 --> 00:22:41.425 too much for me to tell him. 00:22:41.625 --> 00:22:44.046 I didn't really wanna tell anybody. 00:22:44.246 --> 00:22:46.759 - That's what happens to you. 00:22:46.959 --> 00:22:49.306 You're ashamed that it happened. 00:22:49.506 --> 00:22:51.653 But as time went on, 00:22:51.853 --> 00:22:54.576 I realized that... 00:22:54.776 --> 00:22:58.684 You know, it's not my shame to carry. 00:22:58.884 --> 00:23:01.886 It made me more determined than ever 00:23:02.086 --> 00:23:05.088 to be successful in the business. 00:23:05.288 --> 00:23:08.324 - I saw this woman 00:23:08.524 --> 00:23:11.360 emerge in confidence, 00:23:11.560 --> 00:23:13.944 so I started to think about leaving. 00:23:14.144 --> 00:23:16.328 And so now, her position 00:23:16.528 --> 00:23:20.201 as the general manager of the Forum was available. 00:23:20.401 --> 00:23:22.130 My dad said, "As your boss, 00:23:22.330 --> 00:23:25.170 "I would like to offer you the job. 00:23:25.370 --> 00:23:26.431 "As your father, 00:23:26.631 --> 00:23:28.677 "I'm recommending you don't take it. 00:23:28.877 --> 00:23:31.190 You will have no social life." 00:23:31.390 --> 00:23:35.440 Running the building was a huge responsibility. 00:23:35.640 --> 00:23:39.156 It's 200+ nights a year, 00:23:39.356 --> 00:23:42.872 long days, and... 00:23:43.072 --> 00:23:46.388 that was challenging. 00:23:46.588 --> 00:23:49.101 It was a lot of work. 00:23:49.301 --> 00:23:53.146 But the thing that I gravitated to the most was 00:23:53.346 --> 00:23:57.192 creating success for myself in the family business. 00:24:00.741 --> 00:24:01.952 And my father was taking a little bit 00:24:02.152 --> 00:24:03.547 more time off at that time, 00:24:03.747 --> 00:24:06.549 so he just wanted everything in place. 00:24:06.749 --> 00:24:09.351 He called me in and said, "Hey, John, 00:24:09.551 --> 00:24:12.557 do you know anything about women's basketball?" 00:24:12.757 --> 00:24:16.573 And I go, "Uh, not a thing." 00:24:16.773 --> 00:24:18.869 And he says, "Well, me neither." 00:24:19.069 --> 00:24:20.831 I am pleased to announce 00:24:21.031 --> 00:24:23.603 that the Board of Governors approves 00:24:23.803 --> 00:24:26.175 the concept of the NBA establishing 00:24:26.375 --> 00:24:28.717 a Women's National Basketball Association. 00:24:28.917 --> 00:24:31.060 And he said, "David Stern called 00:24:31.260 --> 00:24:34.876 "and they're starting a women's league. 00:24:35.076 --> 00:24:38.492 "And it would be great if I knew that 00:24:38.692 --> 00:24:42.458 you would be okay heading up a WNBA team." 00:24:42.658 --> 00:24:46.290 I mean, I just felt like should I even do this? 00:24:46.490 --> 00:24:48.335 Everything that had happened. 00:24:48.535 --> 00:24:50.381 The fallout of the Lasers. 00:24:50.581 --> 00:24:51.810 I was racing. 00:24:52.010 --> 00:24:53.642 I was doing music. 00:24:53.842 --> 00:24:55.275 I had gotten married. 00:24:55.475 --> 00:24:57.530 I was, you know, trying to find my way. 00:24:57.730 --> 00:25:00.151 I just liked the enjoyment of a nice quiet life. 00:25:00.351 --> 00:25:03.082 I didn't like being in the limelight. 00:25:03.282 --> 00:25:07.708 But, you know, I missed being involved in something big. 00:25:07.908 --> 00:25:08.886 I was ready. 00:25:09.086 --> 00:25:13.970 I was ready to commit myself to women's basketball. 00:25:14.170 --> 00:25:16.776 David Stern said to my dad, 00:25:16.976 --> 00:25:20.400 "I assume Jeanie is gonna run the WNBA team." 00:25:20.600 --> 00:25:21.703 But my dad said, 00:25:21.903 --> 00:25:25.493 "I'm gonna have my son Johnny run the team." 00:25:25.693 --> 00:25:27.205 So that kinda surprised David. 00:25:27.405 --> 00:25:28.884 - You know, you'd hear, 00:25:29.084 --> 00:25:30.721 "Why wasn't Jeanie the one to- 00:25:30.921 --> 00:25:32.508 you know, she's the woman in the business." 00:25:32.708 --> 00:25:34.407 To have a woman run a women's team 00:25:34.607 --> 00:25:36.025 really would have been special. 00:25:36.225 --> 00:25:37.443 - I didn't sit there and say, 00:25:37.643 --> 00:25:39.129 "Oh, well, why don't you give it to Jeanie? 00:25:39.329 --> 00:25:40.816 You know, why are you picking me to do it?" 00:25:41.016 --> 00:25:42.611 And I just jumped at the chance, 00:25:42.811 --> 00:25:45.053 not even thinking about who else 00:25:45.253 --> 00:25:47.192 might have been chosen for the WNBA. 00:25:47.392 --> 00:25:48.909 You could tell when there was, 00:25:49.109 --> 00:25:50.427 you know, a little tension. 00:25:50.627 --> 00:25:53.596 But the end goal was to create sports 00:25:53.796 --> 00:25:56.411 and, you know, make the most money, 00:25:56.611 --> 00:25:59.027 bring championships to Los Angeles. 00:25:59.227 --> 00:26:02.358 Are you gonna sit there and hold a grudge forever? 00:26:02.558 --> 00:26:04.404 I hope not. 00:26:07.870 --> 00:26:08.922 Hey, Tupac. 00:26:09.122 --> 00:26:10.149 A little disappointed in the Lakers today? 00:26:10.349 --> 00:26:11.347 No, not at all. They played they best. 00:26:11.547 --> 00:26:12.593 It was a good game. Yeah? 00:26:12.793 --> 00:26:13.905 - Happy Magic's back? - Yeah. 00:26:14.105 --> 00:26:15.018 When they lost in '94, 00:26:15.218 --> 00:26:17.388 I think people kinda sat down and thought, 00:26:17.588 --> 00:26:18.567 "This could be a long haul. 00:26:18.767 --> 00:26:20.487 "The Lakers could just be another team, 00:26:20.687 --> 00:26:22.650 "although it's hard to envision after living 00:26:22.850 --> 00:26:23.702 through Showtime." 00:26:23.902 --> 00:26:27.033 I mean, for me, it was an exercise 00:26:27.233 --> 00:26:28.954 in how the other half lives, 00:26:29.154 --> 00:26:31.459 - It wasn't exciting. 00:26:31.659 --> 00:26:34.339 It wasn't the same. 00:26:34.539 --> 00:26:37.020 Ticket sales dropped. 00:26:37.220 --> 00:26:39.149 The '94 in terms of attendance, 00:26:39.349 --> 00:26:43.315 it was the lowest since Jerry Buss bought the team. 00:26:43.515 --> 00:26:45.621 The building did not sell out. 00:26:45.821 --> 00:26:49.077 I would say it was, you know, 70% capacity 00:26:49.277 --> 00:26:50.589 and a lot of empty seats. 00:26:50.789 --> 00:26:53.757 I wasn't struck by its emptiness 00:26:53.957 --> 00:26:57.283 so much as its lack of energy 00:26:57.483 --> 00:27:00.609 and way reduced star power. 00:27:00.809 --> 00:27:03.022 And I remember a lot of people fell off, you know? 00:27:03.222 --> 00:27:04.409 People didn't care as much. 00:27:04.609 --> 00:27:05.782 You know, it wasn't like when the Lakers- 00:27:05.982 --> 00:27:07.155 when they repeated in '88, or whatever. 00:27:07.355 --> 00:27:08.708 You know what I mean? 00:27:08.908 --> 00:27:10.854 Who wants to come and watch, 00:27:11.054 --> 00:27:12.800 you know, guys lose ballgames? 00:27:13.000 --> 00:27:15.756 In the minds of the public, they're spoiled. 00:27:15.956 --> 00:27:17.142 They had seen so much success. 00:27:17.342 --> 00:27:19.722 And if they didn't win a championship, 00:27:19.922 --> 00:27:20.941 it was a bad year. 00:27:21.141 --> 00:27:23.488 Every other owner had businesses, 00:27:23.688 --> 00:27:26.151 you know, cruise lines, you know, that kinda thing. 00:27:26.351 --> 00:27:28.155 My dad didn't. This was it. 00:27:28.355 --> 00:27:29.834 This was the only one. 00:27:30.034 --> 00:27:31.963 When you have everything leveraged, 00:27:32.163 --> 00:27:35.086 every game was so important because we needed to win 00:27:35.286 --> 00:27:37.256 and we needed to keep this up. 00:27:37.456 --> 00:27:39.227 We weren't selling tickets. 00:27:39.427 --> 00:27:42.568 We couldn't raise ticket prices. 00:27:42.768 --> 00:27:47.360 That was not the model that my dad wanted to operate under. 00:27:47.560 --> 00:27:50.709 We were gonna have to figure it out. 00:27:50.909 --> 00:27:54.754 Jerry West sees this really young team, 00:27:54.954 --> 00:27:58.600 and so he brings in a brilliant coach 00:27:58.800 --> 00:28:03.396 to teach these young guys how to actually play the game. 00:28:03.596 --> 00:28:08.193 Coaching is the most exciting thing you can do legally. 00:28:08.393 --> 00:28:12.745 I was really glad to be able to take a young team. 00:28:12.945 --> 00:28:15.583 I was a teacher first, coach second. 00:28:15.783 --> 00:28:18.222 Him being my friend and someone 00:28:18.422 --> 00:28:21.219 I've known a long time really had nothing to do with it. 00:28:21.419 --> 00:28:23.912 He's one of the smartest basketball minds 00:28:24.112 --> 00:28:26.606 I have ever been involved with in my life, 00:28:26.806 --> 00:28:28.075 incredibly smart. 00:28:28.275 --> 00:28:29.657 He's probably known as the most 00:28:29.857 --> 00:28:31.039 intellectual of the coaches. 00:28:31.239 --> 00:28:34.120 So I find that easy to relate to. 00:28:34.320 --> 00:28:35.632 And I enjoy talking to him. 00:28:35.832 --> 00:28:38.546 You know, he was just a old school kinda guy. 00:28:38.746 --> 00:28:40.851 And I was like, "Who is this guy?" 00:28:41.051 --> 00:28:43.440 I'm Lieutenant Frank Drebin, police squad. 00:28:43.640 --> 00:28:46.729 Leslie Nielsen, that was my first impression. 00:28:46.929 --> 00:28:48.073 - He's a little weird dude. 00:28:48.273 --> 00:28:52.073 You're talking about coaching during the cultural change. 00:28:52.273 --> 00:28:54.662 Del Harris, underneath his left shoulder, 00:28:54.862 --> 00:28:55.747 he showed it to us today. 00:28:55.947 --> 00:28:56.674 Thank you very much. 00:28:56.874 --> 00:28:58.218 He even got a tattoo, 00:28:58.418 --> 00:28:59.680 trying to be cool with the guys. 00:28:59.880 --> 00:29:03.428 I just like to think I'm an adjustable person. 00:29:03.628 --> 00:29:05.107 You know, you roll with it. 00:29:05.307 --> 00:29:09.298 As my career was ending at that point in time, 00:29:09.498 --> 00:29:13.490 Del created this position to kinda keep me around 00:29:13.690 --> 00:29:16.296 a special assistant coach. 00:29:16.496 --> 00:29:19.920 He was a great teacher and a tremendous basketball mind, 00:29:20.120 --> 00:29:22.016 but he wanted control. 00:29:22.216 --> 00:29:25.599 Del was up all the time, you know, conducting. 00:29:25.799 --> 00:29:27.026 Del was old school, 00:29:27.226 --> 00:29:28.796 so he was all about the Xs and Os 00:29:28.996 --> 00:29:30.996 and doing things the right way. 00:29:31.196 --> 00:29:32.680 He wanted real structured 00:29:32.880 --> 00:29:34.165 organization out there. 00:29:34.365 --> 00:29:36.077 And that's not how Nick wanted to play. 00:29:36.277 --> 00:29:37.726 He wanted his freedom. 00:29:37.926 --> 00:29:39.175 They bumped heads. 00:29:39.375 --> 00:29:42.140 Like, you can see it was a disconnect there. 00:29:42.340 --> 00:29:44.974 There were times where I may do something on the court... 00:29:45.174 --> 00:29:47.809 Van Exel winds it up and in a masterful feat. 00:29:48.009 --> 00:29:49.112 Up and under his arm. 00:29:49.312 --> 00:29:50.532 Do a little dance or somethin', 00:29:50.732 --> 00:29:52.360 and he's, "Oh, no, get back on defense. 00:29:52.560 --> 00:29:53.580 Get back on defense." 00:29:53.780 --> 00:29:57.086 We have a really talented, competitive, 00:29:57.286 --> 00:30:02.338 gritty point guard that doesn't like to be told what to do. 00:30:03.967 --> 00:30:08.401 Well, that's what the head coach does. 00:30:08.601 --> 00:30:10.772 When you're young and you go into sports, 00:30:10.972 --> 00:30:12.107 you don't know shit. 00:30:12.307 --> 00:30:13.243 You're just playing. 00:30:13.443 --> 00:30:16.834 I was just out there hoopin'. 00:30:17.034 --> 00:30:19.130 He probably felt we was playin' more, 00:30:19.330 --> 00:30:21.251 you know, bad basketball than good basketball. 00:30:21.451 --> 00:30:23.046 And he's just tryin' to hone it in. 00:30:23.246 --> 00:30:24.800 Just calm down. Calm down. 00:30:29.142 --> 00:30:30.729 He got labelled as having a bad attitude. 00:30:30.929 --> 00:30:31.572 Yeah? 00:30:31.772 --> 00:30:33.576 I think it's a bunch of bullshit. 00:30:33.776 --> 00:30:35.413 You know, stereotype people give you. 00:30:35.613 --> 00:30:38.243 People just see, you know, through the camera lens, 00:30:38.443 --> 00:30:40.582 through the TV, you just goin' crazy, 00:30:40.782 --> 00:30:42.678 always jabbin' at the referee. 00:30:42.878 --> 00:30:44.348 Be careful. There's the team. 00:30:44.548 --> 00:30:46.853 Boy, this guy's got a short temper. 00:30:47.053 --> 00:30:49.683 Baby-* temper tantrums, that's what they see. 00:30:52.814 --> 00:30:55.286 You ever clash on the court with Del? 00:30:55.486 --> 00:30:56.831 He said he was trying to get my attention. 00:30:57.031 --> 00:30:59.368 But he said I ignored him, and he pulled me out of the game, 00:30:59.568 --> 00:31:00.746 like, in the first quarter. 00:31:00.946 --> 00:31:01.924 And we got into this argument. 00:31:02.124 --> 00:31:04.638 And of course, the media blew it up. 00:31:04.838 --> 00:31:08.266 It was blown up being bigger than it was. 00:31:08.466 --> 00:31:11.694 You know, my stubbornness would always 00:31:11.894 --> 00:31:15.150 be, like, say something first and then shut up, you know, 00:31:15.350 --> 00:31:19.450 as opposed to just don't say anything. 00:31:19.650 --> 00:31:20.837 I didn't like authority. 00:31:21.037 --> 00:31:24.043 I didn't like authority because I never had that. 00:31:24.243 --> 00:31:25.964 I never had nobody say, "Sit yo' * down." 00:31:26.164 --> 00:31:27.551 I didn't have that. 00:31:32.143 --> 00:31:34.230 I grew up in a single-parent home. 00:31:34.430 --> 00:31:35.659 My mom worked second shift. 00:31:35.859 --> 00:31:39.700 Didn't have a father figure and pretty much raised myself. 00:31:46.254 --> 00:31:48.476 We see Van Exel building up. 00:31:48.676 --> 00:31:50.355 I've always been a shy person. 00:31:50.555 --> 00:31:53.185 So I don't know if me playing on the basketball court 00:31:53.385 --> 00:31:57.076 was a way for me to let my hair down. 00:31:57.276 --> 00:31:59.740 Maybe I was hiding something when I got on the court. 00:31:59.940 --> 00:32:01.544 You know, where I grew up, 00:32:01.744 --> 00:32:03.956 we played against the older guys 00:32:04.156 --> 00:32:05.217 all the time. 00:32:05.417 --> 00:32:08.428 In Kenosha, you know, those guys, they'd kick your *. 00:32:08.628 --> 00:32:11.639 And they weren't playin', and so you had to get tough quick 00:32:11.839 --> 00:32:13.914 or you was gonna get dominated. 00:32:14.114 --> 00:32:17.055 And basketball, I'm just emotional. 00:32:17.255 --> 00:32:19.997 I'm like, "Rrr," like, "let's go." 00:32:20.197 --> 00:32:22.711 I'm telling you, he was so intense. 00:32:22.911 --> 00:32:25.123 He would bring everyone in all the time like, 00:32:25.323 --> 00:32:27.336 "You with me? We going hard." 00:32:27.536 --> 00:32:29.549 And it was all about just tryin' 00:32:29.749 --> 00:32:31.812 to come together and win. 00:32:32.012 --> 00:32:33.524 Nick, Eddie, and Cedric, 00:32:33.724 --> 00:32:36.822 that was the nucleus of the team. 00:32:37.022 --> 00:32:39.243 It was a great roster, I'm telling ya. 00:32:39.443 --> 00:32:42.784 The second year in L. A., we were a tight bunch. 00:32:42.984 --> 00:32:45.038 Guys, you know, looked out for each other 00:32:45.238 --> 00:32:46.174 on and out of the court. 00:32:46.374 --> 00:32:49.005 We played a lot better that second year. 00:32:49.205 --> 00:32:50.558 In '94, '95, the Lakers came back 00:32:50.758 --> 00:32:53.138 with the best record they'd had since the Showtime days. 00:32:53.338 --> 00:32:55.100 Our team was trending upward at the time. 00:32:55.300 --> 00:32:57.271 We were trying to build something. 00:32:57.471 --> 00:32:58.866 A capacity crowd. 00:32:59.066 --> 00:33:01.404 The Lakers in the playoffs for the first time in two years. 00:33:01.604 --> 00:33:03.250 They're making the most of it. 00:33:03.450 --> 00:33:04.995 They made it to the second round 00:33:05.195 --> 00:33:05.922 of the playoffs. 00:33:06.122 --> 00:33:07.775 But the Lakers went on to lose. 00:33:07.975 --> 00:33:09.429 But that was definitely progress, 00:33:09.629 --> 00:33:12.243 coming back after not even being in the playoffs. 00:33:12.443 --> 00:33:14.735 He led the Lakers to their fourth largest 00:33:14.935 --> 00:33:16.941 improvement from one season to the next. 00:33:17.141 --> 00:33:18.948 The Coach of the Year award goes to- 00:33:19.148 --> 00:33:20.818 Why do you think he got Coach of the Year? 00:33:21.018 --> 00:33:22.121 Pretty simple. 00:33:22.321 --> 00:33:24.585 We played our *es off that year. 00:33:24.785 --> 00:33:27.707 I mean, we all felt like we had something to prove. 00:33:27.907 --> 00:33:29.377 And we were winning, but not winning 00:33:29.577 --> 00:33:31.348 like we thought we should. 00:33:31.548 --> 00:33:34.099 Jerry said, "It's been a long time, 00:33:34.299 --> 00:33:36.310 "and I really need a championship. 00:33:36.510 --> 00:33:38.521 You know, I just gotta have it." 00:33:38.721 --> 00:33:41.744 Well, so did we. 00:33:41.944 --> 00:33:43.246 A buddy of mine would say, 00:33:43.446 --> 00:33:46.252 "Man, y'all nice. Y'all athletic. 00:33:46.452 --> 00:33:49.258 But y'all ain't gonna win shit." 00:33:49.458 --> 00:33:51.672 Because he was like, "Y'all gotta have some veterans. 00:33:51.872 --> 00:33:53.843 Y'all gotta have some veterans." 00:34:00.355 --> 00:34:01.992 Good. 00:34:02.192 --> 00:34:03.496 Go back. Go back. 00:34:03.696 --> 00:34:06.476 We played with Magic all summer long at UCLA. 00:34:06.676 --> 00:34:09.457 And it was like, "Man, Magic still can play." 00:34:09.657 --> 00:34:11.177 - You know, he came out in '79. 00:34:11.377 --> 00:34:15.260 There's no way that this dude can do this at that age. 00:34:15.460 --> 00:34:17.014 He was still running the pros outta there. 00:34:17.214 --> 00:34:17.857 - I had been working out. 00:34:18.057 --> 00:34:20.395 And I worked out every day at UCLA. 00:34:20.595 --> 00:34:23.213 And I played pickup games. 00:34:23.413 --> 00:34:26.032 And I'm playing like Magic. 00:34:28.244 --> 00:34:30.750 Even though Earvin has retired from the NBA, 00:34:30.950 --> 00:34:33.263 he's still dazzling fans. 00:34:33.463 --> 00:34:34.891 The fans gave a big welcome home 00:34:35.091 --> 00:34:36.720 to Magic as he hosted an All-Star game 00:34:36.920 --> 00:34:37.722 in Santa Barbara. 00:34:37.922 --> 00:34:39.943 Magic! 00:34:40.143 --> 00:34:41.939 Magic! Magic! 00:34:43.567 --> 00:34:44.911 None of us from the beginning 00:34:45.111 --> 00:34:47.282 understood that there was a difference 00:34:47.482 --> 00:34:48.711 between HIV and AIDS. 00:34:48.911 --> 00:34:50.877 We thought it was the same thing. 00:34:51.077 --> 00:34:52.844 We thought this was a death sentence. 00:34:53.044 --> 00:34:55.090 And he admitted to me later that he thought the same thing. 00:34:55.290 --> 00:34:57.102 It was a lot going on back then. 00:34:57.302 --> 00:35:02.145 HIV and AIDS, people were not educated enough. 00:35:02.345 --> 00:35:05.202 But finally, they got educated. 00:35:05.402 --> 00:35:07.164 All the medications came along. 00:35:07.364 --> 00:35:09.744 And so he began to think, "Well, you know, 00:35:09.944 --> 00:35:12.709 I can do this. I can come back." 00:35:12.909 --> 00:35:13.803 Magic. 00:35:14.003 --> 00:35:16.140 Johnson pulls up from 40 feet. 00:35:16.340 --> 00:35:18.390 And that's the way you're supposed to end it! 00:35:18.590 --> 00:35:20.641 It was like, "Yeah, he can teach us some shit. 00:35:20.841 --> 00:35:22.520 He definitely can teach us some shit." 00:35:22.720 --> 00:35:24.156 - Why is he playing with us? 00:35:24.356 --> 00:35:26.277 We went to him and were like, "Hey, dude. 00:35:26.477 --> 00:35:27.580 Jump on. Let's go." 00:35:27.780 --> 00:35:29.366 What about that phone call you and Nick made? 00:35:29.566 --> 00:35:30.912 What was that all about? 00:35:31.112 --> 00:35:32.382 - Hey, it worked. 00:35:32.582 --> 00:35:34.966 We got him back, and everybody's happy. 00:35:35.166 --> 00:35:37.550 But I mean, we wanna make a run at it. 00:35:37.750 --> 00:35:40.055 I love Eddie and Nick. 00:35:40.255 --> 00:35:42.360 Those were my young guys. 00:35:42.560 --> 00:35:45.194 For Magic's first practice at LMU, 00:35:45.394 --> 00:35:47.829 there were cameras all over the place. 00:35:48.029 --> 00:35:50.283 Is this gonna be like a Showtime 2 out there? 00:35:50.483 --> 00:35:52.045 - Well, this is the Lake Show, 00:35:52.245 --> 00:35:55.043 so we better stick with that. 00:35:55.243 --> 00:35:57.432 Lake Show Part 2. 00:35:57.632 --> 00:35:59.268 We all wanted him- you know what I mean- 00:35:59.468 --> 00:36:01.974 'cause we knew he was gonna take us to another level. 00:36:02.174 --> 00:36:03.497 - I've been there five times. 00:36:03.697 --> 00:36:05.344 I know what it tastes like. 00:36:05.544 --> 00:36:06.992 I'd like to go one more time. 00:36:07.192 --> 00:36:09.531 Even though he hadn't played for five years, 00:36:09.731 --> 00:36:12.879 here was a guy that we thought 00:36:13.079 --> 00:36:16.670 would add to the maturity of the team. 00:36:16.870 --> 00:36:19.551 - Now, I come in at 36. 00:36:19.751 --> 00:36:20.686 I'm a leader. 00:36:20.886 --> 00:36:22.682 I'm making sure that the locker room is straight. 00:36:22.882 --> 00:36:24.727 I'm making sure that our heads are straight. 00:36:24.927 --> 00:36:26.573 I'm making sure that we're prepared and ready 00:36:26.773 --> 00:36:30.280 for the game, and then add what I can on the court. 00:36:30.480 --> 00:36:31.500 He's just gonna help us out a lot. 00:36:31.700 --> 00:36:33.937 And I think the most important thing is his experience 00:36:34.137 --> 00:36:36.375 and his knowledge of teaching to help other players be, 00:36:36.575 --> 00:36:37.753 you know, what they should be. 00:36:37.953 --> 00:36:38.931 As a shooting guard, 00:36:39.131 --> 00:36:41.102 who wouldn't want Magic on his team? 00:36:41.302 --> 00:36:44.893 From top to bottom, I think every guy was so excited. 00:36:45.093 --> 00:36:46.363 I'm sure a guy like Earvin 00:36:46.563 --> 00:36:50.153 would be able to fit in just about any position. 00:36:50.353 --> 00:36:53.535 I talked to the kids and I said, "Now look, 00:36:53.735 --> 00:36:55.423 "I'm bringing him in as a big man. 00:36:55.623 --> 00:36:57.877 "He's not gonna be the point guard, Nick. 00:36:58.077 --> 00:36:59.723 "He won't be the off guard, Eddie. 00:36:59.923 --> 00:37:02.970 "And he's not gonna be the small forward, Ced. 00:37:03.170 --> 00:37:04.431 But he'll be a great teammate." 00:37:06.435 --> 00:37:09.576 Put me in. 00:37:09.776 --> 00:37:13.241 Here comes Magic. Magic's coming in right now. 00:37:13.441 --> 00:37:14.744 Listen to this crowd. 00:37:17.332 --> 00:37:18.719 The Magic is back. 00:37:18.919 --> 00:37:20.881 Van Exel makes a good pass to Magic. 00:37:21.081 --> 00:37:23.354 Underneath Floyd! 00:37:23.554 --> 00:37:25.691 Whatever the '80s Showtime felt like, 00:37:25.891 --> 00:37:27.645 that's what the Lake Show was feeling like. 00:37:27.845 --> 00:37:30.441 Rebound Divac, to Magic. 00:37:30.641 --> 00:37:31.912 Four points! 00:37:32.112 --> 00:37:34.074 This is what the fans have come to see. 00:37:34.274 --> 00:37:35.586 It was pandemonium. 00:37:35.786 --> 00:37:38.166 We felt like we were stars- you know what I mean- 00:37:38.366 --> 00:37:39.731 seeing everybody there yelling 00:37:39.931 --> 00:37:41.297 and screaming and so excited. 00:37:41.497 --> 00:37:43.560 Magic running. 00:37:43.760 --> 00:37:46.358 Finding Eddie Jones! 00:37:46.558 --> 00:37:49.296 That was the first time I ever seen 00:37:49.496 --> 00:37:52.035 the Forum packed before the game. 00:37:52.235 --> 00:37:54.181 Los Angeles, over the past four years, 00:37:54.381 --> 00:37:56.736 hasn't had a whole lot to smile about. 00:37:56.936 --> 00:37:59.291 This city is absolutely rejuvenated. 00:37:59.491 --> 00:38:01.295 - I welcome back Magic. 00:38:01.495 --> 00:38:03.299 Whoo, it's Showtime, baby. 00:38:03.499 --> 00:38:04.310 - It was sold out. 00:38:04.510 --> 00:38:06.063 And it was because of Magic. 00:38:06.263 --> 00:38:09.562 Immediately, ticket sales are through the roof. 00:38:09.762 --> 00:38:10.698 - Magic is great. 00:38:10.898 --> 00:38:12.359 I don't give a damn how old he is, what he got, 00:38:12.559 --> 00:38:13.704 what he been through. 00:38:13.904 --> 00:38:15.908 That's * Earvin "Magic" Johnson. 00:38:16.108 --> 00:38:17.085 They've won 11 of their last 13, 00:38:17.285 --> 00:38:19.206 and Magic's been largely responsible. 00:38:19.406 --> 00:38:20.509 - And talking to Magic, 00:38:20.709 --> 00:38:22.462 it was, "Instead of sitting on the bench talking about it, 00:38:22.662 --> 00:38:25.051 I can be in the game and show you how to do it." 00:38:25.251 --> 00:38:26.345 I'll say this about his teammates. 00:38:26.545 --> 00:38:27.597 Boy, even though Magic's gettin' 00:38:27.797 --> 00:38:28.808 all the headlines right now, 00:38:29.008 --> 00:38:29.819 the others aren't saying a word. 00:38:30.019 --> 00:38:31.490 They're just applauding, going along, 00:38:31.690 --> 00:38:33.902 and still playing even better than before. 00:38:34.102 --> 00:38:35.467 - We started out pretty hot. 00:38:35.667 --> 00:38:36.833 Like, we was really rollin'. 00:38:37.033 --> 00:38:42.503 And then, you know, things just kinda went south pretty quick. 00:38:42.703 --> 00:38:43.922 You know, the young kids, 00:38:44.122 --> 00:38:45.141 the young guns are coming up. 00:38:45.341 --> 00:38:47.345 And here, you have the old veteran marshal 00:38:47.545 --> 00:38:48.398 that's like, "Okay, no. 00:38:48.598 --> 00:38:50.101 Now, we gonna do it this way." 00:38:50.301 --> 00:38:51.947 It was a rift. 00:38:52.147 --> 00:38:54.243 You're talkin' 'bout the greatest 00:38:54.443 --> 00:38:56.698 point guard in the history of the game. 00:38:56.898 --> 00:38:59.211 Whatever Magic says is gonna go. 00:38:59.411 --> 00:39:01.879 Of course, Del had to be the one to mesh it. 00:39:02.079 --> 00:39:04.547 He had to be the guy to try to figure it out. 00:39:04.747 --> 00:39:06.843 So I'm sure it was really tough on him. 00:39:07.043 --> 00:39:08.951 And then, you know, Magic, you know, 00:39:09.151 --> 00:39:10.860 started sayin' he wanted the ball more. 00:39:11.060 --> 00:39:13.481 And I'm like, "Well, shit, if he got the ball more, 00:39:13.681 --> 00:39:15.902 then it won't be in my hands no more." 00:39:16.102 --> 00:39:18.324 But I'm not gonna lie, it was tough. 00:39:18.524 --> 00:39:19.335 You know, I was being 00:39:19.535 --> 00:39:20.871 a little selfish about it, of course. 00:39:21.071 --> 00:39:22.132 I think we all were. 00:39:22.332 --> 00:39:23.677 I'm not gonna tell Magic, 00:39:23.877 --> 00:39:25.296 "No, you can't have the rock." 00:39:25.496 --> 00:39:26.600 I'm not gonna do that. 00:39:26.800 --> 00:39:28.937 They were 29 and 11 after his return 00:39:29.137 --> 00:39:32.102 and, for a while, looked every bit the team to beat out West. 00:39:32.302 --> 00:39:34.147 We just fightin' each other so much. 00:39:34.347 --> 00:39:36.193 Little things like who got the points, 00:39:36.393 --> 00:39:38.415 whose name was in the paper. 00:39:38.615 --> 00:39:41.078 You know, I'm arguin' with the referees more. 00:39:41.278 --> 00:39:42.757 I'm arguin' with Del more. 00:39:42.957 --> 00:39:44.836 And there was a lot of frustration. 00:39:45.036 --> 00:39:46.138 - Nick was very hard to watch 00:39:46.338 --> 00:39:48.175 and very hard to be around at times. 00:39:48.375 --> 00:39:49.771 Nick Van Exel won't play 00:39:49.971 --> 00:39:51.708 for the rest of the regular season. 00:39:51.908 --> 00:39:53.445 That's his punishment for shoving 00:39:53.645 --> 00:39:55.941 referee Ron Garretson in last night's game with Denver. 00:39:56.141 --> 00:39:58.362 What's up? Man, yeah. 00:39:58.562 --> 00:39:59.289 Yeah. 00:39:59.489 --> 00:40:01.786 I should have stayed retired, I guess. 00:40:01.986 --> 00:40:03.582 It just sends a bad message. 00:40:03.782 --> 00:40:04.759 You know, it's bad. 00:40:04.959 --> 00:40:08.550 And I want him to know that you just don't do it. 00:40:11.013 --> 00:40:12.232 Even more disheartening 00:40:12.432 --> 00:40:14.236 was the way Magic himself lost his cool. 00:40:14.436 --> 00:40:15.489 Technical foul. Technical foul. 00:40:15.689 --> 00:40:17.150 And now, he just bumped the official. 00:40:17.350 --> 00:40:19.914 And he's gone. 00:40:20.114 --> 00:40:23.580 I want to be the best example 00:40:23.780 --> 00:40:25.049 for these young guys. 00:40:25.249 --> 00:40:27.630 You know, I'm harpin' on them and I'm stayin' on 'em. 00:40:27.830 --> 00:40:31.971 And then I come up and do something like this. 00:40:32.171 --> 00:40:34.861 No place in basketball for that, 00:40:35.061 --> 00:40:38.025 as Magic clearly told us before the game. 00:40:38.225 --> 00:40:39.286 The storybook season 00:40:39.486 --> 00:40:41.703 Magic had hoped for closed dismally 00:40:41.903 --> 00:40:44.143 with a first-round playoff defeat. 00:40:44.343 --> 00:40:46.584 Houston takes on Los Angeles 00:40:46.784 --> 00:40:48.379 three games to one. 00:40:54.850 --> 00:40:56.896 We got on the plane after we lost. 00:40:57.096 --> 00:40:58.867 He was in tears. 00:40:59.067 --> 00:41:02.575 I was in tears 'cause I knew it was over. 00:41:02.775 --> 00:41:03.794 That was it. 00:41:03.994 --> 00:41:07.133 When Magic's comeback didn't work, 00:41:07.333 --> 00:41:10.172 I think that's when we finally accepted 00:41:10.372 --> 00:41:12.928 that Showtime was over. 00:41:16.853 --> 00:41:18.607 I didn't bring the championship 00:41:18.807 --> 00:41:21.237 back here in Los Angeles. 00:41:21.437 --> 00:41:23.667 I think you know that 00:41:23.867 --> 00:41:27.081 it's time to go when it's time to go. 00:41:27.281 --> 00:41:28.927 It's over. 00:41:29.127 --> 00:41:30.764 It wasn't Magic's fault. 00:41:30.964 --> 00:41:32.643 Magic was just like, you know, 00:41:32.843 --> 00:41:34.930 "I don't think I can do this anymore, you know? 00:41:35.130 --> 00:41:36.976 It's a new era." 00:41:59.145 --> 00:42:01.191 I'm 'bout to give a oral presentation 00:42:01.391 --> 00:42:03.162 for 21/2 minutes, 3 minutes. 00:42:03.362 --> 00:42:05.909 I haven't prepared anything, so I'm 'bout to wing it. 00:42:10.627 --> 00:42:12.296 My name is Kobe Bryant. 00:42:12.496 --> 00:42:13.975 I'm 17 years old. 00:42:14.175 --> 00:42:18.225 Here I am today giving a oral presentation in English class 00:42:18.425 --> 00:42:20.229 not only in front of Mr. Rigby's camera, 00:42:20.429 --> 00:42:24.446 but camera of Prism and ESPN. 00:42:26.784 --> 00:42:29.330 My father played professional basketball for eight years. 00:42:29.530 --> 00:42:31.126 Bryant hangs the building shaker. 00:42:31.326 --> 00:42:32.304 Look at this. 00:42:32.504 --> 00:42:33.923 He decided that it would be best for him 00:42:34.123 --> 00:42:35.769 to take his talent elsewhere. 00:42:35.969 --> 00:42:38.182 So we moved to Italy for eight years. 00:42:42.524 --> 00:42:44.912 My father told us that he was retiring 00:42:45.112 --> 00:42:47.074 from the game of basketball and that it was time for us 00:42:47.274 --> 00:42:50.424 to come back to America. 00:42:50.624 --> 00:42:52.761 It was very hard gettin' adjusted. 00:42:52.961 --> 00:42:56.343 So on Fridays and Saturdays, I would go into my rec room 00:42:56.543 --> 00:42:57.930 with my basketball and basically 00:42:58.130 --> 00:43:00.736 dribble myself to sleep. 00:43:00.936 --> 00:43:02.898 And I think that that was the best thing that could've ever 00:43:03.098 --> 00:43:05.654 happened to me 'cause during those lonely hours 00:43:05.854 --> 00:43:08.125 in the rec room, I discovered the hunger, 00:43:08.325 --> 00:43:12.083 the motivation, and the desire to be the best possible 00:43:12.283 --> 00:43:14.045 basketball player that I could be. 00:43:14.245 --> 00:43:15.945 Kobe is the best player by far. 00:43:16.145 --> 00:43:17.645 But if we can't continue with it, 00:43:17.845 --> 00:43:19.430 the team can't really do much, I think. 00:43:19.630 --> 00:43:20.859 - The question is if. 00:43:21.059 --> 00:43:22.813 Two of them said, "Well, you know, 00:43:23.013 --> 00:43:23.907 we think we can contain him." 00:43:24.107 --> 00:43:26.078 And I'd like to know what you think. 00:43:43.344 --> 00:43:45.232 Kobe Bryant from Philadelphia 00:43:45.432 --> 00:43:47.120 hasn't even been drafted yet, 00:43:47.320 --> 00:43:50.242 and has already lined up an endorsement deal with Adidas. 00:43:50.442 --> 00:43:51.787 I'd never seen a 17-year-old 00:43:51.987 --> 00:43:53.165 with that much hype. 00:43:54.752 --> 00:43:57.674 I mean, the fact that Kobe got a shoe deal before he even 00:43:57.874 --> 00:43:59.845 was drafted was very impressive. 00:44:00.045 --> 00:44:01.995 He was in Sports Illustrated. 00:44:02.195 --> 00:44:03.945 The hype machine was going. 00:44:04.145 --> 00:44:06.032 But there was always kind of that, 00:44:06.232 --> 00:44:08.992 "Are we building this guy up too much?" 00:44:09.192 --> 00:44:11.953 Although Jerry West was highly impressed, 00:44:12.153 --> 00:44:14.592 which counts for a lot. 00:44:14.792 --> 00:44:17.598 He came into the office glowing 00:44:17.798 --> 00:44:20.161 and said, "Mitch, I wanna have a workout. 00:44:20.361 --> 00:44:22.724 And I want you to be there and watch." 00:44:22.924 --> 00:44:23.985 I'd never heard of Kobe, 00:44:24.185 --> 00:44:26.231 but Jerry called me and said, "Coop, I want you 00:44:26.431 --> 00:44:27.409 "to come over, but bring your gear. 00:44:27.609 --> 00:44:29.220 We want you to work him out a little bit." 00:44:29.420 --> 00:44:30.832 Michael Cooper, he had just retired, 00:44:31.032 --> 00:44:33.705 so he was still in pretty good shape and athletic. 00:44:33.905 --> 00:44:36.009 We always taped our workouts. 00:44:36.209 --> 00:44:39.465 But for some reason, that tape came up missing. 00:44:40.259 --> 00:44:41.996 Testing 1, 2, 3. 00:44:42.196 --> 00:44:43.933 Testing, testing. 00:44:56.834 --> 00:44:58.053 Now I'm 40 years old, 00:44:58.253 --> 00:44:59.473 and I hadn't done basketball in a while. 00:44:59.673 --> 00:45:03.639 And it was probably one of the most intense workouts. 00:45:03.839 --> 00:45:05.944 Kobe was just a ball of energy. 00:45:06.144 --> 00:45:09.610 17 playing against an All-NBA defensive player, 00:45:09.810 --> 00:45:11.112 that takes some courage. 00:45:11.312 --> 00:45:12.783 It was impressive. 00:45:33.031 --> 00:45:35.420 The workout didn't last very long 00:45:35.620 --> 00:45:37.958 because I didn't want Michael to get any more embarrassed. 00:45:38.158 --> 00:45:40.170 Some people say Kobe kicked my *. 00:45:40.370 --> 00:45:41.798 I'm gonna disagree with that. 00:45:41.998 --> 00:45:43.226 But I'll tell you what. 00:45:43.426 --> 00:45:45.557 The young kid, he got the best of me. 00:45:48.270 --> 00:45:51.192 I don't know what happened to the tape of the workout. 00:45:51.392 --> 00:45:53.405 I don't ever want anybody to see that. 00:45:57.121 --> 00:45:58.758 I sat there and said, "Oh, my God. 00:45:58.958 --> 00:46:01.129 You know, I would like to see him in a Laker uniform." 00:46:01.329 --> 00:46:02.599 - Getting Kobe sounded great, 00:46:02.799 --> 00:46:05.638 but nobody knew that Kobe was gonna be 00:46:05.838 --> 00:46:08.319 who Kobe was at that time. 00:46:08.519 --> 00:46:11.984 And we might not be able to draft him anyway. 00:46:12.184 --> 00:46:15.073 It is so tightly kept what you see 00:46:15.273 --> 00:46:17.003 and what you know on a player. 00:46:17.203 --> 00:46:19.215 They were very secretive, you know? 00:46:19.415 --> 00:46:22.154 They don't need that to get out in any way 00:46:22.354 --> 00:46:25.093 because the guy that's one jump ahead again 00:46:25.293 --> 00:46:27.941 in the Draft could take him. 00:46:28.141 --> 00:46:30.647 We had players like Nick Van Exel 00:46:30.847 --> 00:46:33.035 and Eddie Jones. 00:46:33.235 --> 00:46:38.370 But now, it's about who's our leader gonna be on the court? 00:46:39.581 --> 00:46:41.510 For Shaquille O'Neal! 00:46:52.147 --> 00:46:54.594 Our next guest is a four-time NBA All-Star 00:46:54.794 --> 00:46:57.241 and the starting center for the Orlando Magic, 00:46:57.441 --> 00:46:59.797 Shaquille O'Neal. 00:46:59.997 --> 00:47:02.711 Are you gonna be a member of the Orlando Magic next season? 00:47:02.911 --> 00:47:05.265 I'll be a free agent come July 1st. 00:47:05.465 --> 00:47:08.597 He was the biggest, most dominant player in the league. 00:47:08.797 --> 00:47:09.641 Shaquille back pass Hardaway. 00:47:09.841 --> 00:47:10.902 Got it back. 00:47:11.102 --> 00:47:12.692 Even though there were other really good 00:47:12.892 --> 00:47:14.283 free agents out there, he was the one 00:47:14.483 --> 00:47:17.615 that would supply everything that the Lakers needed. 00:47:17.815 --> 00:47:19.628 You know, he's 7' 1", 300 pounds, 00:47:19.828 --> 00:47:22.834 strength, finesse, a $42 million contract, 00:47:23.034 --> 00:47:25.013 and a license to print mo' money. 00:47:30.432 --> 00:47:32.571 There was no one able to stop him. 00:47:32.771 --> 00:47:35.985 I don't care who you were, there was not one individual 00:47:36.185 --> 00:47:38.457 that could stop him alone, not even Vlade. 00:47:38.657 --> 00:47:42.916 Even though I love Vlade, but Vlade had no chance. 00:47:43.116 --> 00:47:44.428 Shaq thwarts around Divac. 00:47:44.628 --> 00:47:45.838 Back to his baseline. 00:47:46.038 --> 00:47:46.932 Playoff! 00:47:47.132 --> 00:47:48.226 I realized how strong he is. 00:47:48.426 --> 00:47:50.848 You're pushing, but he's not moving. 00:47:52.977 --> 00:47:54.740 Even if you send a double team on Shaq- 00:47:54.940 --> 00:47:57.428 I'll never forget running down to double him- 00:47:57.628 --> 00:48:00.117 he would just move you out of the way, lay it in. 00:48:00.317 --> 00:48:02.287 Here comes Teddy. To Shaq! 00:48:08.041 --> 00:48:10.513 Huge personality, 00:48:10.713 --> 00:48:11.982 big smile. 00:48:12.182 --> 00:48:15.355 He had Los Angeles written all over him. 00:48:15.555 --> 00:48:17.359 L. A. is the land of superheroes. 00:48:17.559 --> 00:48:19.488 And that's the Superman. 00:48:19.688 --> 00:48:21.418 If you have a player 00:48:21.618 --> 00:48:25.175 who wins and is charismatic, 00:48:26.957 --> 00:48:30.014 I think my dad was always looking, 00:48:30.214 --> 00:48:33.011 you know, "How am I gonna reinvent Showtime?" 00:48:33.211 --> 00:48:35.399 Landing Shaq, that was the answer. 00:48:35.599 --> 00:48:38.105 But first, we had to figure out how to afford him. 00:48:38.305 --> 00:48:39.607 What kinda money are we talking about here? 00:48:39.807 --> 00:48:41.537 - Your salary. - No. 00:48:41.737 --> 00:48:44.158 Nobody's worth that kind of money. 00:48:44.358 --> 00:48:45.294 - You know, Lakers are Lakers. 00:48:45.494 --> 00:48:47.273 They're gonna figure out, you know. 00:48:47.473 --> 00:48:49.052 And I knew they're gonna find a way. 00:48:49.252 --> 00:48:51.131 I didn't know that I'm gonna be part of it. 00:48:51.331 --> 00:48:54.888 To win in the NBA almost always 00:48:55.088 --> 00:48:57.360 takes a big 7-foot center. 00:48:57.560 --> 00:49:01.572 And we have one, of course, with Vlade Divac. 00:49:01.772 --> 00:49:05.585 We had Vlade Divac, who the fans loved. 00:49:05.785 --> 00:49:10.586 But in order to make the cap space work and afford Shaq, 00:49:10.786 --> 00:49:11.889 you know, he had to go. 00:49:12.089 --> 00:49:16.347 To get Kobe Bryant, a very bright prospect, 00:49:16.547 --> 00:49:18.360 and to get Shaquille O'Neal, 00:49:18.560 --> 00:49:22.778 we have to trade Vlade before we are sure 00:49:22.978 --> 00:49:24.990 that we can get the other two. 00:49:25.190 --> 00:49:26.931 That defines the gamble. 00:49:27.131 --> 00:49:28.673 - The risk that my dad took 00:49:28.873 --> 00:49:32.112 was similar to a high-stakes poker game. 00:49:32.312 --> 00:49:35.352 You know, you put your chips in the pot 00:49:35.552 --> 00:49:38.099 and you hope that you have the cards to win the whole thing. 00:49:38.299 --> 00:49:40.687 Jerry Buss was a massive gambler. 00:49:40.887 --> 00:49:41.877 - Stay very humble. 00:49:42.077 --> 00:49:42.868 Be very cautious. 00:49:43.068 --> 00:49:46.115 And only play when you have the best hand. 00:49:46.315 --> 00:49:48.578 Among his peers, other owners, 00:49:48.778 --> 00:49:49.965 he was the risk taker. 00:49:50.165 --> 00:49:52.419 And unless you're a risk taker, 00:49:52.619 --> 00:49:53.797 you can't get it done. 00:49:53.997 --> 00:49:54.975 - So Jerry West makes 00:49:55.175 --> 00:49:59.684 a deal to trade Vlade to the Hornets for their 13th pick. 00:49:59.884 --> 00:50:02.940 Bob Bass was the GM in Charlotte at the time. 00:50:03.140 --> 00:50:06.197 Jerry told Bob Bass when it comes time to pick, 00:50:06.397 --> 00:50:07.918 to draft Kobe. 00:50:08.118 --> 00:50:09.505 I said, "There's no way 00:50:09.705 --> 00:50:11.400 "that this guy's not gonna be drafted 00:50:11.600 --> 00:50:13.295 "in top four or five picks in the Draft. 00:50:13.495 --> 00:50:14.807 That's the problem." 00:50:15.007 --> 00:50:17.391 And we had to get past a certain date 00:50:17.591 --> 00:50:19.975 to pursue Shaquille, so we couldn't 00:50:20.175 --> 00:50:21.821 consummate the deal right away. 00:50:22.021 --> 00:50:24.075 There were several problems, actually. 00:50:24.275 --> 00:50:26.617 The best young players in the world 00:50:26.817 --> 00:50:29.160 stand at the doorstep to the big time. 00:50:29.360 --> 00:50:33.293 It is the 1996 NBA Draft. 00:50:33.493 --> 00:50:34.470 - That was intense, 00:50:34.670 --> 00:50:36.926 you know, 'cause we didn't know if Kobe would fall 00:50:37.126 --> 00:50:38.867 to where we were gonna pick at. 00:50:39.067 --> 00:50:40.608 With the first pick, 00:50:40.808 --> 00:50:44.125 the Philadelphia 76ers select Allen Iverson. 00:50:44.225 --> 00:50:46.556 With the second pick, Marcus Camby. 00:50:46.556 --> 00:50:47.617 The gamble was, 00:50:47.817 --> 00:50:49.154 "Here, I'm gonna give you $100. 00:50:49.354 --> 00:50:50.414 "You go to Las Vegas. 00:50:50.614 --> 00:50:52.410 "You go and play one-handed Blackjack. 00:50:52.610 --> 00:50:54.214 You lose it, you gamble." 00:50:54.414 --> 00:50:56.338 Shareef Abdur-Rahim. 00:50:56.738 --> 00:50:58.463 Stephon Marbury. 00:50:58.663 --> 00:50:59.665 I don't believe in gamble. 00:50:59.865 --> 00:51:00.927 I believe in risk. 00:51:01.127 --> 00:51:03.382 Ray Allen. Antoine Walker. 00:51:03.582 --> 00:51:05.311 Lorenzen Wright. 00:51:05.511 --> 00:51:07.356 People passed him. 00:51:07.556 --> 00:51:09.894 It wasn't in vogue to draft a high school kid. 00:51:10.094 --> 00:51:11.072 It was not. 00:51:11.272 --> 00:51:13.410 And I think that was probably the saving grace. 00:51:13.610 --> 00:51:17.033 With the 8th pick, the 9th pick, the 10th pick- 00:51:17.233 --> 00:51:19.047 Some teams wanted instant gratification. 00:51:19.247 --> 00:51:21.735 They thought they'd be a more finished product. 00:51:21.935 --> 00:51:24.224 With the 11th pick... With the 12th pick... 00:51:24.424 --> 00:51:27.067 The Cleveland Cavaliers select Vitaly Potapenko. 00:51:27.167 --> 00:51:28.429 Up next, the Charlotte Hornets. 00:51:28.629 --> 00:51:31.184 Back at you in a minute. 00:51:31.784 --> 00:51:34.139 I was so happy. 00:51:34.339 --> 00:51:37.805 And I called Jerry and, well, I said, "Jerry," I said, 00:51:38.005 --> 00:51:40.351 "You just got the number one pick in the Draft." 00:51:40.551 --> 00:51:41.572 With the 13th pick, 00:51:41.772 --> 00:51:45.403 the Charlotte Hornets select Kobe Bryant 00:51:45.603 --> 00:51:47.282 from Lower Merion High School. 00:51:47.482 --> 00:51:49.754 It was a shock. 00:51:49.954 --> 00:51:53.344 What were they trading Vlade for? 00:51:53.544 --> 00:51:56.142 Last question for Kobe, please. 00:51:56.342 --> 00:51:57.520 My agent called me to tell me. 00:51:57.720 --> 00:52:00.292 And I felt that somebody took the baseball bat 00:52:00.492 --> 00:52:03.064 and just hit me, you know, straight in the head. 00:52:03.264 --> 00:52:04.784 That was the ping. 00:52:04.984 --> 00:52:07.322 I didn't care about the business and the contracts 00:52:07.522 --> 00:52:08.374 and all that stuff. 00:52:08.574 --> 00:52:11.585 I cared about, you know, a family. 00:52:11.785 --> 00:52:14.796 Literally, I decide, "Okay, I'm done. 00:52:14.996 --> 00:52:18.311 I'm not gonna play anymore." 00:52:18.511 --> 00:52:20.231 He did not wanna leave Los Angeles. 00:52:20.431 --> 00:52:24.231 You know, he loved the city. He loved the team. 00:52:24.431 --> 00:52:27.007 If Vlade doesn't go to Charlotte 00:52:27.207 --> 00:52:29.584 and we don't get the 13th pick back, 00:52:29.784 --> 00:52:33.917 we can't afford Shaquille and we wouldn't get Kobe. 00:52:34.117 --> 00:52:35.053 It was a problem. 00:52:35.253 --> 00:52:37.967 Maybe this whole deal is gonna go south. 00:52:38.167 --> 00:52:39.741 It was pretty intense. 00:52:39.941 --> 00:52:41.651 And Jerry, he was a mess. 00:52:41.851 --> 00:52:43.796 - So my dad tells Vlade, 00:52:43.996 --> 00:52:45.741 "You'll always be family, 00:52:45.941 --> 00:52:48.696 but this is what's best for the Lakers." 00:52:48.896 --> 00:52:50.584 Vlade said, "Well, if it's gonna 00:52:50.784 --> 00:52:55.251 make the Lakers better, then it's all right." 00:52:55.451 --> 00:52:56.847 So I went there and tried. 00:52:57.047 --> 00:53:01.055 And I found something that could work. 00:53:03.309 --> 00:53:05.773 - And Kobe, this is for you. 00:53:05.973 --> 00:53:07.159 - Thank you very much. 00:53:07.359 --> 00:53:09.581 Kobe, hopefully, would pan out for us. 00:53:09.781 --> 00:53:13.689 But Shaq really was the most important piece. 00:53:13.889 --> 00:53:17.797 And now with Vlade traded, we could afford Shaq. 00:53:17.997 --> 00:53:19.153 If there is demand for a product, 00:53:19.353 --> 00:53:20.310 the price of the product goes up. 00:53:20.510 --> 00:53:22.472 If a bidding war ensues, the price of the product 00:53:22.672 --> 00:53:23.817 goes way, way up. 00:53:24.017 --> 00:53:25.566 There was a lot of twists 00:53:25.766 --> 00:53:27.025 and turns along the way. 00:53:27.225 --> 00:53:28.284 Money demands change. 00:53:28.484 --> 00:53:30.096 And every time money demand changed, 00:53:30.296 --> 00:53:32.317 that mean you had to do something else 00:53:32.517 --> 00:53:34.538 to remove a player from your roster. 00:53:34.738 --> 00:53:36.061 Dr. Buss would talk to Jerry, 00:53:36.261 --> 00:53:37.408 and Jerry would talk to Dr. Buss. 00:53:37.608 --> 00:53:38.728 He'd asked me questions 00:53:38.928 --> 00:53:39.849 about where we're going. 00:53:40.049 --> 00:53:41.660 And I said, "Well, we have to trade these players." 00:53:41.860 --> 00:53:43.860 And he's, "Oh, my God, these are pretty good players." 00:53:44.060 --> 00:53:46.061 And I said, "Yes, but look, you can trade your whole team 00:53:46.261 --> 00:53:47.857 and this guy's worth it." 00:53:49.609 --> 00:53:51.430 Now, free agents started 00:53:51.630 --> 00:53:53.251 signing with other teams. 00:53:53.451 --> 00:53:56.816 And there was really no other backup plan. 00:53:57.016 --> 00:54:00.381 My dad was trying to teach me that in poker, 00:54:00.581 --> 00:54:03.054 if you rush a hand when it's not ready, 00:54:03.254 --> 00:54:04.941 you'll probably fail. 00:54:05.141 --> 00:54:07.170 The Tampa Tribune reports the Lakers are now 00:54:07.370 --> 00:54:09.399 prepared to offer O'Neal a seven-year deal 00:54:09.599 --> 00:54:11.872 worth just over $117 million. 00:54:12.072 --> 00:54:14.952 And they could go as high as 140 mil. 00:54:15.152 --> 00:54:16.005 - I'm just waitin'. 00:54:16.205 --> 00:54:19.048 And I just want a fair, good deal. 00:54:19.248 --> 00:54:21.892 You have to be patient, 00:54:22.092 --> 00:54:26.600 and you have to wait for the right cards. 00:54:26.800 --> 00:54:28.187 - The Tampa Tribune reports 00:54:28.387 --> 00:54:30.170 Shaq turned down a seven-year 00:54:30.370 --> 00:54:31.953 $119 million deal from the Magic. 00:54:32.153 --> 00:54:34.333 But once you get the right cards, 00:54:34.533 --> 00:54:37.832 then you have to go all in and play the hand. 00:54:39.251 --> 00:54:40.674 We finally got to a point 00:54:40.874 --> 00:54:42.098 where we can do the deal. 00:54:42.298 --> 00:54:44.636 I went to Atlanta in a hotel room, 00:54:44.836 --> 00:54:46.608 the 90th floor or something. 00:54:46.808 --> 00:54:48.235 And I was looking out the window 00:54:48.435 --> 00:54:53.279 and I said, "Hmm, if he doesn't get here, that's a long fall." 00:54:53.479 --> 00:54:57.078 If we do all this, and he goes to another team 00:54:57.278 --> 00:54:59.466 or resigns with his existing team, 00:54:59.666 --> 00:55:02.530 then we've really done a lot of damage, 00:55:02.730 --> 00:55:05.595 and it may take years to get it back. 00:55:06.848 --> 00:55:08.981 We're breaking into programming right now 00:55:09.181 --> 00:55:11.115 to bring you a live news conference at which 00:55:11.315 --> 00:55:13.444 Shaquille O'Neal is expected to announce that he has 00:55:13.644 --> 00:55:17.745 signed a seven-year $120 million contract 00:55:17.945 --> 00:55:20.466 to join the L. A. Lakers. 00:55:20.666 --> 00:55:23.301 The Los Angeles Lakers have acquired 00:55:23.501 --> 00:55:25.936 a 24-year-old superstar, who we feel 00:55:26.136 --> 00:55:28.562 is going to bring us to that incredible level 00:55:28.762 --> 00:55:31.188 that this franchise has enjoyed in Los Angeles. 00:55:31.388 --> 00:55:33.660 - Jerry West always got it done. 00:55:33.860 --> 00:55:36.573 And that's the one miraculous, remarkable, 00:55:36.773 --> 00:55:38.535 fantastic thing about him. 00:55:38.735 --> 00:55:40.381 - I was excited. 00:55:40.581 --> 00:55:42.543 That whole summer, I was telling my boys, 00:55:42.743 --> 00:55:43.597 "Man, we gettin' Shaq. 00:55:43.797 --> 00:55:45.262 We gonna win the championship." 00:55:45.462 --> 00:55:46.728 - At that moment, I thought 00:55:46.928 --> 00:55:48.264 for sure I was winning the championship 00:55:48.464 --> 00:55:50.193 that following year. 00:55:50.393 --> 00:55:52.405 Right here, Shaq. 00:55:52.605 --> 00:55:54.609 That summer, I had to go to hospital 00:55:54.809 --> 00:55:55.737 for, like, four days. 00:55:55.937 --> 00:55:57.115 I was exhausted. 00:55:58.659 --> 00:56:01.540 GM job, it's incredibly stressful, 00:56:01.740 --> 00:56:02.927 so is an ownership. 00:56:03.127 --> 00:56:05.924 My dad probably was pretty stressed out too, you know, 00:56:06.124 --> 00:56:07.886 'cause he had to figure out how to pay him. 00:56:08.086 --> 00:56:09.306 Not coincidentally, the Lakers 00:56:09.506 --> 00:56:10.526 have also announced today that 00:56:10.726 --> 00:56:12.984 they're raising their ticket prices. 00:56:13.184 --> 00:56:15.443 Our ticket department went nuts, 00:56:15.643 --> 00:56:16.830 and everything sold out. 00:56:17.030 --> 00:56:19.367 I think that gives you an indication 00:56:19.567 --> 00:56:21.213 of how Dr. Buss felt. 00:56:21.413 --> 00:56:23.217 There was a juggernaut now. 00:56:23.417 --> 00:56:26.390 Not only are we gonna win games, 00:56:26.590 --> 00:56:29.637 but now you've got charismatic personalities 00:56:29.837 --> 00:56:31.641 that people will pay to see. 00:56:36.443 --> 00:56:38.072 Oh, shit. 00:56:39.784 --> 00:56:42.246 Get that camera out my face.