Buss is contesting her family\u2019s reported plan to sell its remaining 17.8% of the team to Iger and Kushner. Her lawyers issued a scathing letter saying her younger brothers are \u201cdoing harm to the Los Angeles Lakers,\u201d and that she should remain the controlling governor of the Lakers, as described in the family trust.<\/p>\n
One 47-year reign in the NBA hangs in the balance this week. Quietly, another 18-year run has already concluded.<\/p>\n
All things Lakers, all the time. <\/p>\n
Get all the Lakers news you need in Thuc Nhi Nguyen’s weekly newsletter.<\/p>\n
By continuing, you agree to our Terms of Service<\/a>, which include arbitration and a class action waiver. You agree that we and our third-party vendors may collect and use your information, including through cookies, pixels and similar technologies, for the purposes set forth in our Privacy Policy<\/a> such as personalizing your experience and ads. <\/p>\n \u2018Just a kid from inner city L.A.\u2019 Russell Westbrook with the Clippers in 2023.<\/p>\n (Matt York \/ Associated Press)<\/p>\n Reggie Morris Jr. won\u2019t just remember the way Russell Westbrook changed basketball. Even after Westbrook\u2019s retirement, his former high school coach chooses to see the way the former Lawndale Leuzinger star is changing the city that raised him. That\u2019s even more important than the NBA record 209 triple-doubles. <\/p>\n \u201cI believe that his impact on this community,\u201d Morris said, \u201cis far greater than his basketball impact.\u201d<\/p>\n Westbrook was once just a short kid with size 14 shoes and an even bigger chip on his shoulder. He grew into an electrifying guard at UCLA, where he went to two Final Fours. He blossomed into one of the most productive, yet polarizing, players in NBA history. Through it all, he remained dedicated to the community that would later fail to fully embrace his no-holds-barred playing style. <\/p>\n The L.A. native was named NBA most valuable player in 2017. The same season, when Morris was coaching at Loyola Marymount, Westbrook reached out about starting an Elite Youth Basketball League team for young players.<\/p>\n Westbrook set the NBA record for triple-doubles and averaged a season-long triple-double four times. Between the stat-stuffing performances, he launched Why Not Premier, an EYBL girls team with the same resources and investment as the boys.<\/p>\n The 2012 Olympic gold medalist was named to the NBA\u2019s 75th anniversary team in 2021 after snarling, dunking and driving with full force every play, every night. On the way, he regularly returned to his hometown.<\/p>\n \u201cBefore he was a walking headline,\u201d actor Michael B. Jordan said in a video Westbrook posted on social media last Wednesday <\/a>for his retirement announcement, \u201che was just a kid from inner city L.A. who could jump higher than anybody had a right to.\u201d<\/p>\n The video shows Westbrook walking through a museum of his basketball career then into an unfinished wing that represents \u201cthe mentorship, the foundation, the kids who are going to grow up wanting to move just like he did \u2026 [that] hasn\u2019t been built yet either.\u201d<\/p>\n Tributes to Westbrook flooded in. Fifteen-year-old highlight reels showing baggy shorts, jaw-dropping athleticism and a crossover that nearly shook defenders out of their shoes popped up on social media again. Even his own high school coach had forgotten just how dynamic Westbrook was in his prime.<\/p>\n \u201cHe didn\u2019t back down from anybody,\u201d said Morris, now the director of Westbrook\u2019s Team Why Not EYBL team and the boys\u2019 basketball head coach at Redondo Union. \u201cHe was fearless. He was relentless. There\u2019s never really been a player quite like him. I would say he kind of has, like, a Charles Barkley, a young Charles Barkley spirit, where he was just passionate and fiery. He wasn\u2019t PC. He wore his emotions on his sleeves, and he didn\u2019t really apologize to anyone for how he felt or what he was there to do.\u201d<\/p>\n Westbrook\u2019s unapologetic attitude became a defining characteristic of his game. He was defiant. He was dynamic. He was exciting and explosive, but exhausting. <\/p>\n After 11 seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder, where the Thunder went to the playoffs nine times with one NBA Finals appearance, Westbrook was traded to the Houston Rockets. When he got to the Lakers in 2021, it was his fourth team in as many seasons.<\/p>\n Russell Westbrook brings the ball upcourt for the Lakers.<\/p>\n (Michael Conroy \/ Associated Press)<\/p>\n Westbrook\u2019s two-year run with the Lakers was \u201cbittersweet\u201d for Westbrook, Morris said. Returning to the community that raised him was expected to be a triumphant homecoming. But the team struggled, his efficiency waned and fans turned on him. He became a punch line and a negative example of LeBron James\u2019 potential influence after the superstar lobbied for the trade that brought Westbrook to L.A. He sparred with reporters.<\/p>\n The public feuds started to overshadow what those close to Westbrook know him to be in private: a maniacal hard worker with a competitive streak that demands respect.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of people looked at the emotions on the court and thought Russ was loud,\u201d Durant wrote in a poignant note<\/a> on X. \u201cNah to me, he was quiet and methodical. He [led] by example and once the lights were bright, he let everything out and experienced pure freedom. It was inspiring as his teammate and everywhere I went, I seen it inspire people from all walks of life.\u201d<\/p>\n Westbrook will now inspire away from the court. When Nike reached out to Westbrook about starting an EYBL team, he knew where to go with the idea. He hadn\u2019t been part of the regular travel ball circuit growing up and instead stuck closely with his local coaches, including Morris. He wanted that same loyal experience for his youth team.<\/p>\n Westbrook\u2019s Team Why Not expanded to include a girls program Why Not Premier in 2022. His wife, Nina, also played basketball at UCLA, and the couple has been a strong supporter of the UCLA women\u2019s basketball program.<\/p>\n Westbrook, who often trained at UCLA\u2019s basketball facility that the men\u2019s and women\u2019s programs share, would readily share knowledge with UCLA\u2019s women\u2019s players, UCLA women\u2019s basketball coach Cori Close said. He welcomed them in workouts, showed them what food he had packed in Tupperware containers to stay on a healthy diet and encouraged them to train for long, productive careers.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s so much bad press about, \u2018Oh, college athletes or pro athletes are just a bunch of takers, they all are about money first,\u201d Close said, \u201cand the Westbrooks, and specifically Russ and Nina, they\u2019re about giving back and they\u2019re about making a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n Even during the season, Westbrook made himself available to players on his EYBL teams as often as possible, visiting between playoff runs or at least supporting them through social media.<\/p>\n \u201cThey feel his presence when he\u2019s there, and he\u2019s hands-on in the situation,\u201d Morris said. \u201cHe\u2019s not just giving money; he\u2019s trying to help the kids, give them a different aspect or a different take on what he knows and give it back to them.\u201d<\/p>\n Jared McCain is one of Team Why Not\u2019s most prominent alumni. The 22-year-old Oklahoma City guard posted a picture from his EYBL days to his Instagram story last week showing Westbrook with his arm wrapped around McCain\u2019s waist.<\/p>\n \u201cLegend!!\u201d wrote McCain, who graduated from Corona Centennial. \u201cThank you for everything.\u201d<\/p>\n Morris and Westbrook had talked about the end more often lately. They knew if not this year, it would have probably been next year. Morris could never have envisioned the career was going to be this decorated, but the longtime coach knew it was going to be successful. If he hadn\u2019t become a future Hall of Famer, Westbrook would have easily become a president of a successful company, Morris said.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t rule it out for his second act.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you have a work ethic like his, it\u2019s just part of who he is,\u201d Morris said. \u201cIt\u2019s not gonna go anywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n Best thing I ate this week Signature beef udon at Azuki in Seattle.<\/p>\n (Thuc Nhi Nguyen \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n This technically isn\u2019t the best thing from this week, but I needed to share this extra food gem from my hometown. Azuki\u2019s unassuming storefront in Seattle\u2019s Capital Hill neighborhood is easy to miss but the homemade udon noodles should not be overlooked. The signature beef udon noodles had a simple, light broth that leaves the perfect amount of salty coating on your tongue. The thin slices of beef are perfect with the chewy udon noodles. The only way the meal would have been better was if it was on a cold winter day.<\/p>\n In case you missed it<\/p>\n Jeanie Buss contests family sale of Lakers ownership stake to Bob Iger, Joshua Kushner<\/a><\/p>\n Inside Lakers mega-deal: Mark Walter made a shocking decision. Bob Iger, Joshua Kushner jumped at the chance<\/a><\/p>\n Lakers again have most nationally televised games on their schedule<\/a><\/p>\n Shaikin: Some questions (and answers) about Mark Walter selling the Lakers<\/a><\/p>\n Swanson: Bob Iger could be the Imagineer to lead the Lakers back to glory<\/a><\/p>\n $12.5 billion deal: Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner agree to buy Lakers<\/a><\/p>\n New Lakers co-owner Joshua Kushner is a lifelong Democrat with deep interest in sports<\/a><\/p>\n Plaschke: Too many questions, not enough answers. Lakers sale doesn\u2019t pass smell test<\/a><\/p>\n LeBron James set to return to L.A. on Christmas Day for Lakers-76ers matchup<\/a><\/p>\n Until next time…<\/p>\n As always, pass along your thoughts to me at thucnhi.nguyen@latimes.com<\/a>, and please consider subscribing<\/a> if you like our work!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Welcome back to this week\u2019s Lakers newsletter, where we\u2019ve apparently never heard of an offseason. 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