In 2012, Jeanie Buss experienced firsthand how the NBA's tough business side can even cause tensions within families. At the time, the Los Angeles Lakers, the franchise her father had built into a success, were searching for a new head coach. Jeannie's brother, Jim, was one of those responsible for the hiring process.
However, according to his sister, he wasn't managing it very well. In fact, the way it was conducted, especially the treatment of the team's former head coach, Phil Jackson, deeply affected her.
"It almost took away my passion for this job and this game. It felt like I had been stabbed in the back. It was a betrayal. I was devastated. I felt that I got played. Why did they have to do that?" Jennie wrote in her 2010 memoir Laker Girl, per the L.A. Times .
Jackson's potential return
The Purple and Gold began the 2012-13 campaign with high expectations, aiming for a championship title nearly a decade after their last win. Mike Brown was the man to lead the franchise back to glory, but after just five games in, with a disappointing 1-4 record, he was fired , and that was one of the fastest coaching changes in NBA history.
One name mentioned for the open position was Jeannie's husband at the time, Jackson . They had gotten close after the Zen Master became the Lakers' head coach in 1999, after winning six rings with the legendary Chicago Bulls . During two separate stints in California, the coaching icon added five more titles to his resume before leaving after the 2010-11 season .
Related: "Dating somebody and disclosing that, that's not against team policy." — Robert Horry on why Phil Jackson didn't get the Ime Udoka treatment for dating Jeanie Buss
From confusion to frustration
In her memoir, Jeanie noted that Phil had indeed begun talks with the Lakers' leadership upon request. This group included her ailing father, Jerry, her brother Jim, who then served as the vice president of player personnel, and Mitch Kupchak, the team's GM at the time.
The now-63-year-old also remembered that shortly after, The Zen Master was given a chance to come back. However, she was rather surprised to learn that he only had 36 hours to make his decision. Jeanie noted that although her then-husband wasn't initially interested in the job, he seriously considered it during that short timeframe. However, there was even more confusion for the couple when they were informed shortly after that the position had been awarded to Mike D'Antoni instead.
At the time, the media claimed that Jackson's unreasonable demands were the reason for the failed negotiations, something his wife strongly denied. She also found it strange that people questioned Phil's physical abilities, who was in his late 60s at the time, especially since D'Antoni himself was recovering from knee surgery. This was the final straw that led Jeanie to have an outburst in the gym, she remembered.
In the end, Jerry's daughter wished her brother had seen her as an ally to handle everything as smoothly as possible. Instead, she felt more like an opponent during that time.
Related: Jeanie Buss reveals how Jerry Buss fired Phil Jackson in 2004: "It won't matter because you're not coming back as coach either"
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