Roland Lazenby @lazenby [rquoter]Last summer I wrote the Lakers were now Bynum's team. People got furious. Look what happened today. Folks can't handle a little foresight. All along this team has been becoming Bynum's. Lakers radio crew lit me up for it last summer. Today they said Kobe passed the torch. The changing of the guard is always a process. It begins with perception. Honest hoops folks know where this is headed. Kobe knows. The truth happens subtly around a basketball team. People want black and white answers, but it's a gray world. Things shift in process. Kobe understands Bynum is a key to the close of his career. West always talked about how important Wilt was to the end of his. You can fuss about JIm Buss, and I have, but he's been pretty singular about the development of Bynum. I am on a hellacious deadline on my MJ book. I have to write furiously for a while. Don't mistake my deadline for lack of interest. Bynum is a bright, bright guy. Too bad a veteran Bynum couldn't have played for Tex+Phil. They would have matched up a little better. I'm not going to talk about Gasol until trading deadline passes. Not fair to him. Then I'll have comment. I've learned the hard way that twitter is not social media for me. I talk about things here people quickly blow them up. It's brand new. Don't get me wrong. I love twitter. Love the interaction with hoops fans and readers. Meet great people here. But it's a loaded media gun. Deals are more complicated than ever. And the Lakers have a firm eye on the new CBA. Still, things get done somehow. Next 4 days will reveal so much about the Lakers, their future, the working relationships in the front office. Lots of stuff could clear up. As Tex Winter told me before he the stroke, this team faces a lot of tough choices over the next few years. Now they're here.I generally like to give fans some insight before or as things happen. It would be easier to wait until the press conference is called. Lakers are trying to avoid big penalties+get better all at the same time. Plus they face tough decisions. So there's some vacillating. Some of the biggest moves in Lakers history are the ones that were never made, ones that came very close. Let's just say there's more than a bit of anxiety in the Lakers' inner circle right now as the franchise's future hangs in the balance. The anxiety in the Lakers inner circle has even produced an anxiety attack or two over fear of moves. Laker fans'll find out more about what kind of owner/exec Jim Buss will be. Some say give him time. Well this is his time to act prudently. Some say the tough decision has already been made. That may well be. And the Lakers are hoping teams will make it even tougher. Gotta crash, big writing day tomorrow on my book. Cheers to all as the Lakers move forward. Thanks for your kind words+pointed feedback.[/rquoter]
