Bill Plaschke (LA Times) — It’s historical, it’s heartwarming, it’s the brightest of headlines for a franchise desperately in need of some good news.
But it’s not very smart. And, for two of the main people involved, it’s not very fair.
Thus a wet blanket should be tossed over the Lakers’ engineering of the most celebrated 55th overall pick in NBA draft history.
Yeah, they did it, of course they did it, they drafted an untested 19-year-old kid named Bronny James Thursday to unite him with his father LeBron in becoming the NBA’s first father-son duo.
They did it even though Bronny was ignored by virtually every other NBA team with a chance to draft him.
They did it even though Bronny struggled last season for USC in his return from a cardiac arrest episode that cost him five months.
They did it even though most experts agreed that his game — five points, three rebounds and two assists per appearance for the Trojans — could have used at least another year of college tutoring.
They did it seemingly for the reason they do a lot of things — to keep their superstar happy. LeBron had professed a desire to play with his son, LeBron can opt out of his contract this summer, they probably figured LeBron needed to be kept satisfied at all costs.
But this is seemingly a high price to pay.
Granted, the greatest fee will not come from the Lakers, who, let’s face it, weren’t going to get a star with the 55th pick anyway. This was a no-lose selection that, personnel-wise, cost them nothing.
The steepest cost will also not be affixed to LeBron, who will get to make history and play with his son and where’s the downside in that?
No, the highest price here will be exacted from, sadly, Bronny himself.
All the poetic waxing by commentators about the beauty of a father-son pairing failed to look at it from what could be the son’s point of view.
Does Bronny really need this kind of pressure? Is it really fair to ask him to develop his game while sitting on the same bench as arguably the greatest player in history who also happens to be his father?
Critics will cry “nepotism” with every dribble. Experts will examine his father’s reaction with every shot. It was tough enough for Bronny to play college games with his father attracting all the attention while sitting courtside. Can you imagine the heat he will feel with his father wearing the same uniform and hanging out in a nearby locker?
LeBron James and Bronny James will be the first father-son duo to ever play in the NBA at the same time. (Gina Ferazzi / LAT) (John Locher / AP)
There will be the one shining moment when they initially take the court together in a regular-season game, probably a blowout where Bronny will enter in the final minutes and LeBron will throw him a pass for an ally-oop dunk and history will be made and everyone will weep.
But aside from that photo op, how can playing with his father feel like anything to Bronny other than constant controlled chaos?
Rare will be the interview where he’s not asked about his father. Even rarer will be the accomplishment that isn’t judged in relation to his father.
Late second-round draft picks are seldom seen and infrequently heard. But because of his proximity to his father, everything Bronny does will be videoed and everything he utters will go viral.
This would be one thing if he was a top draft pick and had the game to endure the scrutiny. But he was the fourth-from-the-last pick in the draft who will essentially still be in basketball school.
He just won’t be learning on the job. He will be learning on the fire.
Even if Bronny spends much of his time with the minor-league South Bay Lakers, the circus will follow him there. Having bravely overcome a frightening medical challenge, this young man deserves a chance to regain his footing on his own time, in his own space. Instead, he has now been stuck under the brightest of lights amid the most aggressive of timetables, obstacle upon obstacle, and how fair is that?
A couple of months ago, when asked about the pre-draft hype in the spring, Bronny acknowledged that, “Yeah, it’s a lot.”
Now, it’s even more.
During the same news conference, Bronny also said, “My dream has always been just to put my name out, make a name for myself, and of course, you know, get to the NBA. I never thought about just playing with my Dad …”
His dream. His name. One name. Not two names. But for now that appears to be a dream impossible.
If this plays out like it appears, for his first act as a Laker, seriously, Bronny might be wise to ask for a trade to Utah or Oklahoma City.
And he’s not mired in this madness alone, as Bronny could be joined in his discomfort by new coach JJ Redick.
Think about it. Redick is trying to connect with his stars. He’s trying to establish a culture. He’s trying to learn how to lead.
The last thing he needs to worry about is managing the overwhelming hype of a second-round draft pick. Once again, not smart and not fair.
How many pregame interview questions will involve Bronny’s progress? How much of the daily attention will be focused on a kid who will rarely play? How often will Redick have to shield his veterans from a rookie’s distraction?
And if Bronny develops quicker than imagined, how much pressure will Redick feel from LeBron’s camp to give the kid more minutes?
In the words of Bronny, for a rookie NBA head coach, yeah, it’s a lot.
By all accounts, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka means well.
He believes in the legacy of the Lakers greatness, and believes this draft pick supports that.
“That feels like something that can be magical,” Pelinka told reporters Thursday. “NBA history should be made in a Laker uniform.”
He believes in the power of this glamour franchise to endure even heightened scrutiny, and believes this move epitomizes that.
“The biggest moments in sports happen with the Lakers, and that’s how we’re built, and we’re excited to see this story unfold,” he said.
As for Bronny and the sweltering spotlight, Pelinka believes the kid can handle it, noting, “Growing up as he’s grown up, there’s a fish bowl, lots of eyes looking at everything you do, he’s been able to handle all of that with an extreme maturity.”
More than anything, it seems obvious Pelinka believes he needs to keep LeBron in a Laker uniform, and he’s betting this pick will ensure that.
It’s a safe bet, but a greatly unsettling bet.
Bronny is coming. LeBron is staying. The circus is starting.
latimes.com
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TrojanDailyBlog members — We always encourage you to add factual information, insight, divergent opinions, or new topics to the TDB that don’t necessarily pertain to any particular moderator post or member comment.
Maybe he really feels that way. Originally his comments were very positive about Riley so he didn’t hate him then. Maybe he just changed his mind. People tend to do that.
My question is, if you were a long-standing big presence in the CFB media, why in the world would you literally hate any CFB coach? There’s something fundamentally wrong with that.
One thing I like about SC’s recruiting is that they are not rushing to fill up their class with 3 stars. There is plenty of time before the recruiting deadlines hit and a lot of uncommitted 4 and 5 stars out there. And opinions are going to be a lot different at the end of 2024 if SC has an outstanding season. You do want to have a lot of places open at the end of the season. You can always fill your roster with high quality 3 stars at the end if necessary and they are out there. We… Read more »
Big Ten Recruiting Thoughts: USC Is Lagging After Horrible June USC National rank: 23 Number of commits: 13 Average player rating: 90.24 Antonio Morales (The Athletic) — No program suffered more high-profile recruiting setbacks over the past six weeks than the Trojans, who lost commitments from three top-100 pledges since mid-June — four-star safety Hylton Stubbs, four-star defensive lineman Isaiah Gibson and five-star defensive lineman Justus Terry. USC has landed two blue-chip commitments in that time, from four-star wideout Corey Simms from St. Louis and four-star corner Shamar Arnoux out of Georgia, but that’s not enough to make up for the decommitments and the lack… Read more »
We’re at a point where it is silly putting a ton of energy into figuring out what is going wrong with USC recruiting. It is Riley’s job to understand exactly what the problem is and fix it. I am past the point of putting personal energy into stuff like this. Does this mean I am going from a die-hard USC fan to a casual USC fan? I think maybe so. If it’s an NIL problem primarily to blame, get noisier about that right now so something can be done before it is too late for this cycle. A miss with… Read more »
Rock — That’s a very interesting concluding linkage you made referencing Lincoln Riley not being a “brawler.” I’d never before thought of coaches in terms of being brawlers vs non-brawlers, the term brawler usually applied as a player characteristic. But I see how coaches can also fall into either side of that label, and I would agree with you about Riley. Your insight about Riley also made me think of a very competitive West Coast coach who would probably be regarded by many as most definitely a brawler. That would be Dan Lanning, who seems intent on and even capable… Read more »
Great points Allen – yeah, agree — Lanning would be a good example of a “brawler” mentality in a coach. I mean it not so much in a “meathead” brawler sense, but in the sense of someone who lives to roll up their sleeves and get knee deep in a scrum for a player. Riley is going to play somewhat nice, and try to win with a sophistication pitch. Try to win with “likability.” Ego stroking. He’s going to count on the player to connect the dots on things he doesn’t have the guts to say with a stern look.… Read more »
Rock — When I see various clips of coaches like Dan Lanning and Jim Harbaugh, it makes me want “to go to war with them“. As you say, it has nothing whatsoever to do with a “meathead” quality. They just seem to me more like they don’t overlook things, they aren’t afraid, and they take no prisoners. In that respect, both remind me of Pete Carroll and Nick Saban, who also fielded tough, incredibly physical teams. In fact, what I like about both Lanning and Harbaugh is that they are anti-meatheads. They also impress me as football intellectual types in their own ways who… Read more »
Rodney Peete Is Inducted Into the California Sports HOF
Too bad for Troy it didn’t work out this way
collegefootballdawgs.com
https://www.facebook.com/USCTrojans/posts/pfbid0JusHA6pUeRCABX9fgXEt357ZsYp7wW6ybARh7YzwFL1PgqSEnwuk1ZCapJTUNFRtl
Here’s a hot question (based on the TDB lately) just submitted to The Athletic’s Antonio Morales. I’ll print Morales’ answer here if he gives one, especially since so many subscribers at The Athletic want it answered. Question from The Athletic — “Hey Antonio, I think you probably had an idea what this mailbag would look like. My question revolves around the terrible recruiting (by SC standards) that we continue to see in year three of Lincoln Riley, even with the brand new defensive staff. “I have to admit that I am a Lincoln Riley skeptic and have been from the… Read more »
All this talk is it Riley or USC’s NIL strategy? Well how about it’s both. Riley will show us what he is by December. That will affect recruiting and NIL. 11 of Rivals Top 25 players are still uncommitted. Let’s see who has a good senior season and who doesn’t. Then we will see who is worth the money. There is still time to get a good 2025 class. Can we just get through July and August already and see what we got?!
I’ve always argued it’s both. Seems obvious to me, and I’m sure that’s what most people believe.
USC is losing some prospects because of reasons that have absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with NIL, but USC is still winning some recruiting battles, so we’re still making significant, successful NIL offers to prospects the staff really wants.
Many of us simply argue that the overuse of NIL as a quick, easy go-to excuse for USC’s recruiting failures doesn’t tell the complete story.
5 days ago I posted a comment, “What will Yogi Roth do now?”. Is it just a coincidence that I just got this email yoption+podcast@substack.com?
Some Message Board Perspective On NIL “The new default response these days when a recruit doesn’t choose your school is ‘he chose the bag’. “It’s the laziest and most misinformed assumption fans are making in the new environment. “NIL is obviously a conversation of every recruitment, but the vast majority of these kids are choosing a school based on relationships, fit, opportunity and development. As long as you have a coherent vision of NIL and can competently articulate its structure to the families, that’s the important factor. “These top recruits know they’ll have opportunities anywhere they go, so it’s rarely… Read more »
It’s human nature. Almost every professional, which these kids are, take the offer with the most money. Money = value. If a school offers more money, they value you more. It’s disingenuous to say it’s not 1 or 2 on the list for making a decision. If two schools are equal in opportunity, take the school offering the most money. The NFL is far from a guarantee, the NIL is. If it were development, Iowa and Utah would grab 5 star kids over Oregon and Texas A&M all day. Their hats are never even on the table.
Obviously, many disagree with your premise about top dollar winning every single recruiting battle, which I why I reposted this alternate point of view here.
USC has lost many prospects recently since the Trojans were simply outrecruited by programs that win a lot more now, or look like they are poised to, and have better recruiters on their staff. While some will never accept that, many of us do.
Unfortunately, Lincoln Riley has turned out to be a very divisive, alumni-distant coach at USC as he approaches season three looking for a massive rebound.
never said top dollar wins them all, but it is a massive factor. What has Oregon, Miami, Texas A&M, or Auburn won lately? Answer is nothing. But they have huge collectives.
So you’re saying USC only got its commitments so far from kids because they offered the most $$$. No kids chose to commit to USC for any significant reasons except for money? BS. That would be laughable. ORE hasn’t won a NC, but it’s been the dominant program on the west coast for a long time now. The loaded, elite-ranked Ducks have beaten USC seven out of the last nine times and currently have a HC in Dan Lanning who many think is superior to Lincoln Riley. There’s plenty of reasons to pick ORE football over USC now that have… Read more »
Oregon has been a bigger winner than us for a decade. I hate it, but good for them. They spend huge dollars, good for them, it’s within the rules. But let’s not pretend they are some sort of NFL pipeline, or crazy developer of talent. They are putting about the same number of guys into the league as we are. W that are the other factors? They aren’t in the playoffs. They haven’t won any more conference titles than Utah or Washington. They’ve been a good not elite team. Where they excel is having a booster with a unique company… Read more »
Everyone also knows USC football has been on shaky ground and inferior ever since Pete Carroll left and the NCAA imposed what I believe were unlawful sanctions. So the Trojans are much easier to pick on nowadays, regardless of Phil Knight, and plenty of other teams do it as well. USC doesn’t win enough anymore on the field to attract the most elite talent countrywide these days, regardless of NIL, especially in the all-important trenches. That’s exactly one of the reasons why USC just lost Texas LB Riley Pettijohn to OHIO ST, who remarked after he chose OHIO ST over… Read more »
I have noticed that Alabama, a pretty consistent winner is having problems recruiting, especially in their own back yard.
You must be joking.
ALA has the #2 2025 recruiting class in the country per every service behind only OHIO ST.
No, it is the recruiting the Alabama boys they are having some problems with, I know they have a great class even without them.
True there are many factors but the main one(by a large factor) is the size of the bag.
Just another USC excuse. USC didn’t lose Riley Pettijohn to OHIO ST because of NIL. USC just got outrecruited by new 37-year-old-eight year-NFL vet Buckeye LB coach/recruiter-on-the-rise James Laurinaitis, who was brought in from Notre Dame to do exactly what he just did to USC. SI.com — “When asked about why he chose the Buckeyes over the other schools, he credited his relationship with LB Coach Laurinaitis first and foremost.” Pettijohn — “My relationship with coach Laurinaitis is top tier. With coach Laurinaitis, being an alumni from Ohio State and a Butkus winner, it’s just cool him being a position… Read more »
If I was a player and you were an coach(with great relationship skills) who was recruiting me and your school offered me $6000,000 and another school offered me $800,000 I think you would find out eventually that you got outrecruited because I’m not going to pass up $200,000 because I felt closer to you relationally.
As I’ve said here earlier, some Trojan fans will often if not always find it very convenient to blame all of USC’s problems on NIL. So apparently, all of USC’s recruiting successes are NIL-caused as well, which is obviously untrue. Many of us Trojan fans don’t buy that always convenient NIL excuse, especially when other factors also heavily favor another program. The truth is, you have no idea of the difference between NIL offers between the schools. Your example of a $200,000 diff with USC in the negative is pure speculation and guesswork on your part. For all you know,… Read more »
It’s true that what I am saying is speculation. SC is a very private school. They don’t really give out a whole lot of info about anything. But I sure am hearing a lot of football pundants who say that they have inside sources saying things like that. It also makes me wonder why such a big and successful organization like USC is struggling with NIL since so many schools have had their NIL up and running since day one and here we are, 3 years into it, and we still seem to be struggling. More people agree with you… Read more »
All these “inside sources” you refer to never come up with any numbers either, anywhere. Not from what I’ve seen. How convenient, blah, blah, blah — at least that’s what I think. That’s not much of a source in my world. There’s something wrong with that, since “sources”, generally anonymous, who are any good relay accurate, timely and detailed observations and info based on direct personal knowledge, or trustworthy hearsay. My point has always simply been that USC is losing important recruits for many reasons unrelated to NIL. It’s very obvious this is happening, actually. I’m not saying Trojan NIL… Read more »
Hi Allen, I have to ask, how do you think USC would be doing in recruiting this year if there was no NIL or pay to play involved? In other words, without a monetary influence.
Lincoln Riley has to prove to the better recruits he can field a well-coached, balanced, talented team that beats some of the nation’s other best outfits in important games. Until he does that, all bets are off, regardless of NIL.
I hope you’re right
I would not be surprised if Riley has told his agent to make sotto voce inquiries for a NFL coordinator job in 2025. I think our lack of size is going to get us beat-up in the B1G and Riley knows it. Remember, the rumors were that Riley was not thrilled about OU leaving the Big 12 for the SEC….
They weren’t just rumors, at least per OU’s AD. Oklahoma AD throws shade at Lincoln Riley as Sooners make SEC debut James Parks (SI.com) — Oklahoma enters the SEC officially this football season, and the Sooners’ AD Joe Castiglione appeared to fire a little parting shot at Lincoln Riley with his recent remarks about OU coaches and their enthusiasm about moving to the SEC this season. Castiglione — “I will tell you, without reservation, every coach that we talked to was excited about the move. And you know what? The ones that weren’t aren’t here anymore… You either gotta accept… Read more »
More Finebaum opining that LR will be out at the end of the year. Yes, we know this is click bait on PF’s part, but it doesn’t negate the fact of what has happened on the field and in recruiting lately. LR really needs to turn things around this year in a dramatic fashion. Paul Finebaum Predicting Massive College Football Coach Firing In 2024 – The Spun And even if PF’s prediction comes true, it still begs the question of, “Ok, then who do we replace him with?” We’d be right back where we were in the last days of… Read more »
I don’t think LR is going anywhere. I doubt Jen Cohen has the stomach for a giant payout battle with a coach who can stand on his relative youth and so-called offensive genius rep. The truth is USC is stuck with LR as we enter year three of his tenure. USC looks a lot better on defense on paper, but the 2024 on-the-field results are all that matter. Just ask recruits. USC could still do a lot worse. LR has some big holes in his coaching platform, but at least he’s generally acknowledged his recently exposed weaknesses. I say LR… Read more »
I wonder if the outstanding defensive coaches hired this offseason could be a source of potential head coaching replacements? The guy from the Dakotas was a multiple national champ in Div 1-AA…. We have said that our most successful head coaches at SC definitely had more of a defensive mind set than the Kiffin-Sarkisian-Helton-Riley series we have had sine Pete Carroll took off.
That’s frankly a great question that I see raised more and more often.
Would USC stay in-house for LR’s replacement, or would Jen Cohen reach out to a presumed big-hitter or up-and-comer from somewhere else? Her call.
Another question is how long can USC expect to hold onto these new defensive coaches, especially if USC really turns a corner in 2024, and others try to raid the Trojans?
I think D’Anton Lynn could get a lot of attention from the much more sane NFL as a DC.
“…the NFL is far from a guarantee, NIL is.” Chris, that is an excellent, simple point that hadn’t occurred to me until you brought up. It especially makes when you consider that 90% of the recruited kids do not come from financial circumstances that allow for the luxury of not going for the biggest bag of loot….
Athlon has only picked one Trojan to be on its Pre-Season All-Big Ten first-team — PR/KR Zachariah Branch.
ORE placed six players on the team. OHIO ST has nine. UCLA has none.
Athlon projects USC to play in the Alamo Bowl vs KSU.
Athlon also predicts OHIO ST will play GA for the 2024 CFB NC.
Athlon’s 2024 B1G predicted order of finish
1. Ohio State
2. Oregon
3. Michigan
4. Penn State
5. USC
6. Iowa
7. Nebraska
8. Wisconsin
9. Rutgers
10. Washington
11. Maryland
12. Minnesota
13. Michigan State
14. UCLA
15. Illinois
16. Northwestern
17. Indiana
18. Purdue
The guy from ‘Trojan Blade’ was saying that the problem with SC’s NIL program was a guy named Dave Emerick. It must be frustrating to knock yourself out(as a coach) with all the traveling and everything else involved to have a key player in your grips and then at the last moment have another school come along and put a lot more in the bag than your schools is willing to put in and all that hard work is wasted.
This guy’s bio reads like he was a follower of Mike Leach and thus a disciple of Lincoln Riley. Not sure why he would be a road block for NIL program. Dave Emerick: Senior Associate Athletic Director for Football / General Manager Dave Emerick, who has spent almost 25 years working in college football, enters his second season as the Senior Associate Athletic Director for Football/General Manager. He joined the USC staff in July of 2022. Emerick, 43, spent the previous two years working at Mississippi State with the late head coach Mike Leach serving as the Bulldogs’ Senior Associate… Read more »
Right John, he would seem to be the guy the staff tells to tell the collectives who they want and how much it will take to get him. He would be a coordinator not a road block.
007 I see 6 reasons USC is not yet getting 5* commitments. One reason is it seems the collectives and LR/staff do not want to promise hundreds of thousands if not a $million to HS juniors the summer before their senior season. The others USC has to show results on the field this fall. Things will hopefully change by December.
Why would the Lakers spend such a high draft pick on Bronny? No dis-respect to Bronny but he never even averaged 5 points a game and shot 27% from the 3-point line.
Coveted Texas 4/5-star LB Riley Pettijohn (McKinney, 6-1.5, 215) has just committed to OHIO ST over USC, A&M and TEXAS. The Buckeyes are now #1 in 247Sports.com’s 2025 recruiting rankings with 23 commits (four 5-stars, 15 4-stars). USC is at #22 (13 commits: one 5-star, 5 4-stars) Pettijohn on OHIO ST– “It feels like home and I’m ready to compete for a national championship and Butkus Award. The culture of the program is strong and it’s like a true brotherhood there, especially in the linebacker room. Being able to talk ball with coach (James) Laurianitis and coach (Jim) Knowles was… Read more »
It would have been nice to get him
What the addition of 5-star LB Riley Pettijohn does for the Buckeyes… Cameron Teague Robinson (The Athletic) — Is it time to call James Laurinaitis the most valuable addition to Ohio State’s coaching staff this offseason? Laurinaitis was hired in February for this exact reason — to kill it on the recruiting trail. He is turning a position that has had massive depth concerns into a strength. Pettijohn is the third linebacker in the Buckeyes’ class, joining top-50 national prospect Tarvos Alford and four-star Ohio native Eli Lee. Pettijohn is an athletic, ball-hawking linebacker with outstanding speed. He ran… Read more »
USC Football 2024 Schedule: Most Critical Matchup A look at USC’s Most Critical game on the 2024 schedule. Chris Trevino (USCFootball.com) — USC’s 2024 season is right around the corner, one of the most highly anticipated seasons in recent memory with the joining of the Big Ten schedule and a new defensive staff for Lincoln Riley. We decided to focus on several specific categories regarding this schedule, moving onto the Most Critical Matchup on the 2024 slate. Most Critical Matchup: Penn State (Week 7, Coliseum) Rationale Yes, I hear you saying that “every game is critical!” I get that, but… Read more »
With new new NCAA rule about advisory or analyst coaches being able to be more than just advisors, and can coach players. It also left room for expanded staffs. I would think that the big programs will expand staffs to include a full scouting department. One thing we do know for certain, our administration will spend money on football staff and facilities. We are building a monster football only facility, and you don’t get guys like Lynn, Entz, Henderson without writing checks. If our collective is not where the top schools are, let’s build the best staff and scouting dept… Read more »
Which college football teams are most helped — and hurt — by conference realignment? Stewart Mandel (The Athletic) — So what about your school? Does its chances of success increase, decrease or remain the same in the sport’s new world order? To assess, I’ve given all 67 power-conference schools a score between minus-5 and positive-5. The score is solely about a team’s ability to win, and does not take into account the team’s current coaching staff or roster. Scoring a 0 means the school is neither better nor worse off. A score from 1 to 5 ranges from mildly better to… Read more »
SI.com’s Ranking of the B1G coaches now that Jim Harbaugh is coaching the Chargers 1. Ryan Day (Ohio State) Last year, I had Day ranked second behind Jim Harbaugh, but even with another loss to the Wolverines, I now have Day in the one spot. Look, Ohio State wins under Ryan Day. The Buckeyes are 56-8 overall and 39-3 against Big Ten schools. The only issue Day has right now is beating his archrival. The Buckeyes have dropped the past three games to Michigan – the only three losses of Day’s career against in-conference foes – and that’s not acceptable in… Read more »
Chris Hassel to Brady Quinn (CBS Sports) — “Brady, If you could combine Lincoln Riley with Kirk Ferentz, you’d have a great program, wouldn’t you?”
Judging by the next post it would seem to be true. Riley needs just an average defense to go with his offense and Ferentz is just the opposite. Of course what would you have with Riley’s defense and Ferentz’s offense?! Whew! Ugly!
Here’s another’s interpretation
“If you could combine Lincoln Riley and Kirk Ferentz,
You’d have Dan Lanning.”
OH, you mean like a complete head coach with all the skills?! 😎
Stewart Mandel’s Mailbag (The Athletic): Brian Kelly or Lincoln Riley, whose seat is hotter after Week 1? Q — Hey Stew, in Week 1, LSU and USC meet in a game that is interesting in multiple ways. One is that both coaches have underwhelmed in their own ways (Lincoln Riley more so) but were handed monster contracts that would be tough to move on from. If one of these coaches ended up fired at the end of the year (considering buyouts, fan expectations, etc.), which one would you think it would be? Mandel — I’m very much looking forward to LSU-USC, both because… Read more »
Other big time HC on da Hot Seat, per what fans think and said. Dave Aranda, Baylor Billy Napier, Florida Ryan Day, Ohio St Mario Cristobal, Miami Brent Venables, OU Dabo Swinney, Clemson I think if Dan Lanning, Oregon has a 9-3 record fans would be unhappy and he would be on da Hot Seat as well. There’s high expectations at Oregon with their loaded and deep Blue Chip players. Uncle Phil is up there in age and wants a NC badly, ASAP. Also, if C.Deboer at Bama has a 9-3 type… Read more »
Lincoln Riley leaving was “best thing ever” for Oklahoma: analyst Oklahoma is headed to the SEC as college football’s realignment becomes official, and one analyst thinks Lincoln Riley leaving the program was a big help. James Parks (SI.com) — “I think it might be the best thing that ever happened to Oklahoma football,” analyst Eddie Radosevich told On3 Sports of Riley’s departure. “Revisionist history, obviously. “In terms of where this was heading (at OU) under Lincoln Riley, there [were] a lot of holes that I think were covered up in terms of roster management, or, obviously, the defensive side… Read more »
Happy Independence Day Trojans. Raise your hand if you ever thought (growing up) you would see the NCAA becoming the NCPAA? The National College Professional Athletic Association? The NCAA is probably on its last legs. I wonder how long it will be before all pretense is dropped and the NCAA calls itself the SEC governing board? Will one good season erase the memories of our most recent “bad” season? If so what is the minimum for a good season? Someone mentioned the John Robinson second era as not being very good. I seem to remember the team having been decimated… Read more »
After USC, John Robinson went a miserable 28-42 at UNLV and only had one winning season in six years in Vegas. From there he went to another failure as DC at San Marcos HS.
When he returned to USC for stint #2 in ’93, JR had lost his stomach for recruiting and coached as if on auto-pilot waiting for lunchtime, sadly ending his time at USC.
The highly combative but totally-dedicated-to-USC Mike Garrett was correct to let JR go.
Unfortunately, Garrett then hired JR’s old friend, Paul Hackett. Crushing ineptitude on that call.
Ranking college football’s 50 all-time best playmaking duos A collection of QBs, RBs, WRs and defensive stars make up the comprehensive ranking. 1. MATT LEINART, QB; REGGIE BUSH, RB (USC) — Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush combo edged out the Bush-Lendale White pairing for this ranking, but each tandem is worthy of merit. Bush won the Heisman in 2005 after he ran for 1,740 yds and 16 TDs on 200 carries. He was one of the key players — along with Leinart — who led USC to the BCS National Championship, where the Trojans fell just short to the Texas Longhorns. Leinart threw for 10,693… Read more »
Happy 4th everyone ! We’ve been all over the map as to why we are not getting our desired recruits and losing ones we had, at minimum as a soft commitment. Theories range from poor recruiting systems by LR or we’ve heard HOV is not funding competitive like other notable programs. A new one, which is interesting, is HOV is employing a filtering model that doesn’t necessarily pursue high dollar 4-5* recruits, at least competitively, focusing more on lower, perhaps more achievable recruits. If that’s the case, at least we have strategy. The ongoing fear is we can’t exactly figure… Read more »
Happy 4th to all da Bruddah’s and Sista’s at TDB. Have a great BBQ with family and friends & see a spectacular firework show in your town. Be safe and grind Ono Kau Kau. Oh, don’t drink and drive, be safe. Peace & Aloha
Highly regarded LB Riley Pettijohn set to announce commitment on 247Sports Mike Roach — Top247 McKinney (TX) LB Riley Pettijohn (6-1.5, 215) will announce on July 6 live with 247Sports, which ranks Pettijohn as the nation’s No. 5 LB and No. 10 overall prospect in Texas. Finalists OHIO ST, USC, A&M and TEXAS are the schools that Pettijohn visited. The Longhorns seem to be fading here with Pettijohn rumored to want to leave the state. Pettijohn has family on his mother’s side in the Cincinnati area, and OHIO ST LB coach James Laurinaitis has struck up a strong bond with him. It’s fair to say there’s also… Read more »
Hah, I’m buying drinks if he verbals to USC and sticks in December. All indicators shows he is a heavy Ohio St lean… Cheers.
Correction: Ohio St & Texas is in the lead for LB-Pettijohn.
You cannot convince me that our largest re recruiting deficiency is Collective related. Let’s not pretend Texas A&M, Miami, or Oregon have won anything that makes them an elite destination. They have huge collectives and boosters that write checks. They are kicking our butt in pay for play and it’s not a secret.
House of Victory has ample funds. But, I’m beginning to believe the people running HOV have collectively said we are not going into bidding wars paying for 5* and 4+* players. They see that big spenders: Ohio St, Oregon, Texas AM, Texas, OU, ND, Miami have not produced NC and even conference championships. And, have come to a conclusion dat spending big bucks for 5* players are a bad model. If I were in their shoes, hell I would not spend big bucks for 5* players too. I think by going after the top 4* and 3+* players is… Read more »
It definitely isn’t free willing in its spending like the more aggressive programs. Nobody is pointing fingers what the hold up is in matching some of these bags being offered. Don’t know if it is a mutual understanding with the coaches, the administration & the HOV people of being very tight on the spending. On the other hand, we are talking about HS seniors and a few juniors in this legal payola and it could turn out some of these other spendthrift programs are going to be burned big time when it is all said and done. It’s July not… Read more »
USC has six headwinds to recruiting the 2025 class, a bad 2023 season record, a horrid 2023 defense, plays a soft finesse style of play, a new D staff that is not proven, collectives that are unwilling to offer HS juniors a million dollars and a still to be decided program for university pay for athletes. All this can change by December. If USC has a good season, shows it can run the ball as well as pass, has a physical shut down defense and recruits will come knocking. Let these HS juniors show us a great senior season before… Read more »
You wrote: We have been told by some knowledgeable sources, HOV is playing this situation very smartly right now. We may be very thankful we are using our head and not our emotion. Xlent points Bruddah Jamaica; I think you got it right with USC & HOV. Hell why spend mucho bucks on 5* players looking out for their financial gain vs playing football? Let the other high paying schools pay for these type of money hungry players. So far it has not pan out for them. Let’s go out find players looking for a small payout and want to… Read more »
OHIO ST’s probably gonna play for the 2024 NC. I’d say whatever they’re doing is working out just fine for them. Just because some other teams are committing four and five-star prospects like nobody’s business, is no reason to assume they won’t end up dominant. Many will. USC needs to start winning consistently on the field. Until that happens against big-time competition, recruiting will always be second-level at some positions. Lincoln Riley needs a big year. He started digging his grave. Now he’s living in it. Hopefully, he puts together a great 2024 season, though I believe 2025 is a… Read more »
You wrote. OHIO ST’s probably gonna play for the 2024 NC. I’d say whatever they’re doing is working out just fine for them. Huh? I’ve been reading mucho disgruntel fans wanting C.Ryan Day out cause he has not produce a NC with all their elite talent. Ohio St has the most 5* and 4* talent in da nation. I do not know how you can say dat Bruddah Allen. If I was one of their money man or fan I would be unhappy with him too. For his job sake, C.R.Day better deliver a NC dis year. C.Day is… Read more »
Ryan Day’s record at OHIO ST is 56-8. In five years he’s finished #3, 2, 6, 4 and 10 in the nation. Three separate seasons he’s won 11 games, and in 2019, he went 13-1. Geez, what a failure. ð ð I call that performing just fine. OHIO ST fans are upset because Jim Harbaugh, now one of the NFL’s highest-paid coaches, beat them three times straight. This season, they have a solid shot at winning it all again. When you are as good as OHIO ST has been under Day, literally not finishing #1 is of course a big… Read more »
I responded to your post and wrote what I’ve read at the Ohio St board. C.Ryan Day is on the Hot Seat. Sure, those records you’ve posted are good for many schools & HC. But, Ohio St has the best talent in da nation, 2 to 3 deep at every position (UGA and Bama is right up there as well) and yet C.Day has not won a NC. Maybe it’s unfair for C.Day, but he’s the HC for a high profile team. Their Bag Men have spent mucho $1 on elite talent. If you were one of them or… Read more »
The W/L and final ranking numbers I posted about Ryan Day speak for themselves as viewed by any objective observor.
Compared to Lincoln Riley’s ridiculously misguided and subpar coaching lately, Ryan Day looks like a true coaching genius.
Think what you want of Ryan Day. I wholeheartedly have a much higher opinion of him than you do, especially compared to massively disappointing Lincoln Riley, who only just discovered last season that “defense”, “special teams” and “strength/conditioning” are actually important parts of the game. Shocker! 😂
I replied to this tread stating what I read at the Ohio St board of many unhappy fans that C.R.Day has not won a NC with all the elite talent. I never once said dis is what I thought. Could care less about Ohio St, I’m not a fan. Got an idea, maybe you can convince Ohio St fans dat C.Day is doing a good job. Also, I never made any reference and comparison with C.Day vs C.LR job results. Where did dat come from? 1st post, I made a comment on several schools spending mucho $1 on blue chip… Read more »
You asked if I would be happy with Ryan Day if he was our coach? I’d be elated, and would take him over Lincoln Riley in a heartbeat, hence the comparison. Hope that’s finally clear. Every single good team in the country has hordes of fans who are unhappy with the HC if they don’t win the national championship. So what? You think that’s some big deal. I couldn’t care less, just as I don’t care what’s on Buckeye message boards. Never seen one actually. OHIO ST’s doing just fine, as I said earlier. USC fans would kill for a… Read more »
Sorry Bruddah, I did not ask you this question: You asked if I would be happy if Ryan Day was our coach? I asked you if you were Ohio St bag men or fan, would you be happy with C.Day’s results (No NC)? Kool, you responded giving C.Day your full approval. As for me, I would not want C.Day as USC HC. I’ve watched him over the years at Ohio St, I do not think he’s a top HC. Heck, if C.Day can not win a NC at Ohio St with all dat elite talent, he would die at USC & the 3* roster. … Read more »
Makes me wonder who the disgruntled fans would select (realistically) to replace Day that would have better results. Any names thrown out there on the buckeye boards? (I’ve no interest in going there myself.)
Great question.
Upset fans usually overlook the toughest and most important part of the dismissal — the replacement! Make that the “realistic replacement”.
Remember not long ago when we Trojan fans were stewing through another bad 4-8 season in 2021 while wondering who would be our new coaching savior?
Suddenly, out of the football-crazy Land of Oklahoma Red, came “the great Lincoln Riley.” As it turns out, his greatness is yet to be determined.
I don’t think LR attracts anybody except QBs and perhaps WRs. He better show results in ’24 or he needs to go elsewhere. These recruiting losses are most concerning….
The End
The Pac-12 Network officially went dark on Sunday night, June 30, 2024, at 11:59 pm PST.
The owner of pac12.com is offering it for sale for an asking price of 50000 USD!
If a tree falls in the forest and nobody hears it….. What will Yogi Roth do now?
whozat?
Surfer Yogi
Dam, pose pics cracks me up. Yogi looking to add this shot into his model portfolio, lol. Dang, what are those, 6″ waves? Wipe out Brah. He should have picked a day when the waves were at least 5 feet. Or, go to Hawaii on a day with 15 feet waves. Cheers.
I live out of state, so I had no issues getting it. It was fine, but clearly 2nd rate compared to Big10 network.
A&M, ALA and ORE are all destroying USC in the recruiting of elite California prospects so far… The Aggies already have commitments from three of the state’s top five 2025 recruits, all from southern Calif, and four of the top 11. Amazing. The Tide has Calif’s #2 recruit, Mission Viejo LB Dijon Lee, and four of the top 13. The Ducks have two of the top eight, and four of the top 17. The Trojans only have two of the top 20, and a paltry three of the top 100 per 247Sports. Even UW has seven of the top 100.… Read more »
USC has to prove they are serious about Strength and Conditioning, not just speed but also strength, toughness and endurance. They are seen as soft till proven otherwise.
Agree Bruddah Golden Trojan, C.LR teams from OU to USC have been soft and about finesse. Also not in good FB condition. Whereas, C.McKay & C.PC teams were very physical, pound you, OL great pan cake blocking, gang tackling-LB & DB, mean Fullback, hard running RB’s, man eating DL. DC DA Lynn D’s are very physical (his UCLA 2023 D was awesome). I just hope C.LR leaves him alone and allow him to run his D and condtioning program his way. If dat happens I think there is a good chance for a 10-2 season? And, HS players should take… Read more »
Another USC recruiting loss on a big-time California prospect
Four-star Danville San Ramon Valley (CA) pass rusher Marco Jones (6-5, 240) has just announced his commitment to A&M over USC, MICH and TEXAS, all of whom he officially visited.
What’s wrong with Trojan recruiting in California? Why the failure to land highly rated in-staters time and time again?
It’s the $$$$$$$$$. Same with the LB from Bonita high school in La Verne. That kid really wanted to come to SC. I don’t know how many times he visited SC. It’s close to home and SC got an early start with him. But the Aggies offered him a bigger bag. He had the choice of being a fairly rich Trojan and a bigtime rich Aggie. After thinking about it for about 2 seconds he said “adios Trojans, I’m off to Aggieland”.
AM has a rep for overpaying and getting little in return. TAM went 7-6 (4-4) for 7th place in the SEC last year. If I’m the kid and his parents it would be hard to turn down a high 6 figure deal or more. You can always transfer after a year if it doesn’t work and you get other offers. If I’m the SC collectives, how much do I want to pay a 17 year old? Losing a guy who just wants/needs the money is not a big loss to me.
Massive OT Elijah Vaikona (6-8, 370) commits to USC The big three-star OT from Rancho Santa Margarita chose nearby USC over UW (recruited by Brennan Carroll) and UCLA. Greg Biggins (247Sports) — “One of the largest humans we’ve ever seen on a football field,” Biggins wrote in the scouting report back in May. “He’s a legit 6-8, 370 pounds, but shows some promise. He’s a former basketball player and still learning football but is making strides. We’d love to see him continue to lean out in order to improve his foot speed and quickness and have noticed an improvement… Read more »
He will definitely be a project but promising if he can gain quickness and build muscle. Just keep him hungry in developing physically & mentally. Could be another Don Mosebar!
Don Mosebar was always one of my favorite USC OTs. Tough, athletic, and huge (listed by USC at 6-7, 270; grew to 305 in NFL) for his time out of Visalia Mt. Whitney, this fantastic unanimous Trojan All-America was a first-round ’83 pick by the Raiders. He started alongside fellow USC AAs OC Tony Slaton and OG Bruce Matthews. For 35 years from 1960 to 1994, the Raiders fielded only three starting centers if you can believe it: Mosebar, Dave Dalby (UCLA), and Hall-of-Famer Jim Otto (MIA). In 1995, the year the Raiders returned to Oakland, Mosebar suffered a career-ending injury… Read more »
Purely off my lifetime of watching USC football –
Pete is the coach which is easy call, I was too young for the other greats (Robinson II, wasn’t great). Matt Leinart, Troy Polamalu, Reggie, Chris Claiborne go up on the mountain. With 30 Or so honorable mentions.
In todays SD Union-Tribune Jon Wilner On College Football names each Pac12 teams Mt Rushmore (top 5 coach/players).
USC
Coach: John McKay
Players: RB Marcus Allen, RB Reggie Bush, S Ronnie Lott, OT Anthony Muñoz
Also considered: OG Bruce Matthews, WR Keyshawn Johnson, RB Charles White, LB Richard
Wood, OT Ron Yary
Comment: An impossible task given USC’s incredible tradition. Several Heisman winners did not make the cut; nor did coach Pete Carroll, despite his decade-long dynasty. And we should mention our standards for inclusion, while modest, leave no room on Mt.Rushmore for anyone accused of double murder.
Kinda dumb by Jon Wilder; I do not think he understands the history of USC, UCLA, Stanford, UDub. The Mt. Rushmore list for these 4 schools should be = 20 to 25. These teams had mucho AA players + Heisman’s. Top 5 is just way too small & silly to pick. OK, the other schools would apply. But, C.PC should be mentioned, #2 HC. And, QB C.Williams has got to be in the top 20-25 list. Disagree with OJ he should make da top 10 list. He was a great RB for USC and one of da greatest RB of… Read more »
It is a bit dumb. Guess the four players go on Mt Rushmore not the coach. Heisman Trophy winners and NC coaches should be at least be considered, Right?! Are these USC’s 4 best/most impactful players?
Kinda dumb, or kinda smart? Picking a top 20-25 is simply no challenge. A 9th grader could do it in an hour without even seeing the players play. The entire challenge lies in reducing it to five. I like Marcus Allen, Reggie Bush, Ronnie Lott and John McKay in my top five. I wouldn’t include incredible NFL HOFamer Anthony Munoz, because he barely played at USC and was usually hurt. He literally only played against UCLA and ND once while at USC. Not sure who I would replace Munoz with off the top of my head, which is why I… Read more »
Sorry Bruddah, gotta respectfully disagree. I’m sitting here for an hour and having a very tough time even listing a top 10 all time best players. I just can’t do it.
Yep, 100% Munoz should not be there, he hardly played due to mucho injuries. Cheers.
How about moving up Bruce Mathews or Ron Yary? Yary always seems to show up on an all star list.
I’d easily put either one of those great Trojans (flip a coin) over Munoz. Another candidate who piques my interest is the spectacular Junior Seau, who had to sit out a year due to Prop 48 but was an All-American in ’89 and the Pac-10 Defensive POY. Admittedly, I’m influenced by an Oceanside HS/Seau game I attended in person, where he was simply impossible to corral and overtook the game, as he also did at SC and in the NFL. That’s why a top-five is so ridiculously hard. It just depends on what one chooses to emphasize, and I loved… Read more »
Very good choices Golden Trojan. Close call, I say Ron Yary…
I’d also go with Yary since I’m also a Vikes fan.
Well Canyon, there are only 4 people chisled on Mt Rushmore, which I think is the point of the challenge. There have been other great presidents, but the mountain only had room for 4 at that size. You wouldn’t use a Rushmore reference for 25 people, maybe something else, like, oh, maybe Top 25. 😉
No, I understand there are only 4 on Mt.R. OK then, my response should have been, I can’t choose just 4 and that would have been a better reply… Cheers. 🙂
It’s so sad that O.J. tragically evolved into such a despicable psycho-double murderer.
“The Juice’s” bizarre transformation from truly elite racial crossover pop culture athlete/movie star/product pitchman into the dangerous murderer and criminal he became will always boggle my mind. My heart goes out to the innocent families he obliterated.
Johnnie Cochran — “If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit.”
I think it’s obvious if PC had matched McKay’s time at USC, 16 years versus 9, he would have easily passed McKay’s 140 wins. It’s just being honest about it.
But one of the reasons many of us believe Pete Carroll left USC exactly when he did was because he knew/suspected USC was going to take a massive NCAA hit because of the Reggie Bush problems. Pete left when he did to the NFL because he put the word out through channels and his agent that he was finally ready to accept an NFL offer. Since that all happened on PC’s watch and he bolted to Seattle at least in part to get out from under what Lane Kiffin was courageous enough to deal with, I’m very sure PC was… Read more »
There are reasons to believe PC was ready to leave for the NFL before the sanctions were announced. Seems after 2005/6, especially when Mark Sanchez bolted after his junior year, PC had meetings with interested owners during each summer after that if you remember. I am not saying the sanctions didn’t affect his thinking. It probably expedited his leaving. But he was entertaining offers years before the sanctions hit. He wanted to go back and conquer the NFL being the competitor he is. Now having said that, if any HC could have quickly recovered from whatever sanctions USC got hit… Read more »
We’ll just agree to disagree. When Pete suddenly split for Seattle (and it was very sudden and shortly before LOI Day), I was still in the media. My college coach sources (many of whom were very good IMO) directly told me that Pete was in some part getting out of the college game when he did because he specifically wanted to avoid coaching USC under bad sanctions, which had started to look likely after already four years of NCAA investigation. I can’t say I blame him, and I’m not accusing him of any violations. And I’m not saying he specifically… Read more »
What is USC’s Recruiting Identity? If USC isn’t landing the best players nationally or locally, it leaves one to wonder what the program’s recruiting identity is. USC’s 2025 class is exiting June in worse shape than it entered the month. Antonio Morales (The Athletic) — Lincoln Riley wants to follow something similar to the model Michigan used to win the national championship: Recruit and develop with elite coaching. Recent history hasn’t been kind to the development of Riley’s recruiting classes, though. The Athletic’s Max Olson re-ranks recruiting classes after four years. Oklahoma’s 2020 class ranked 12th, but it fell out of the top 25 in… Read more »
Yeah, it’s clear C.LR is just an average recruiter. He has deficiencies’ in many areas of recruiting listed below. At $10 million per year we should have top 3 recruiter & recruiting program. Heck, I do not know what makes a Great recruiter; but, I would think a good recruiter is like a top salesman. A top recruiter should have these qualities and traits. Likeability and wonderful personality. He must be able to relate to kids and figure out their mindset. Show self Confidence. Proficient psychology skills. Intuitive, sensitive, perceptive, understanding skills. Very persuasive and A+ communication skills. Set out individual… Read more »
Trojans add 4-star WR Corey Simms to 2025 class Antonio Morales (The Athletic) — USC received a commitment from four-star WR Corey Simms (6-3, 205, not a burner but slippery, evasive after the catch, and a strong blocker) on Sunday afternoon. It was a much-needed recruiting victory for the Trojans, who have suffered a string of setbacks on the trail recently. Simms, who plays at Christian Brothers College in St. Louis, is ranked No. 261 overall and the No. 33 WR in the Class of 2025 in the 247Sports Composite. He chose USC over PSU and MO. The Trojans hold… Read more »
Nice pickup. Gotta land Phil Bell, 4+* WR, Mission Viejo.
Classic recruiting sites list him anywhere from 6-2 to 6-5? Search da internet, found his 100 m PR = 11.7 = 10.6 100 yds. Average speed. But, if he trained with a track coach 3 to 4 times a week, he would lower his time to 11.2 to 11.1 in one year. Train harder = 11.0
Saw his photos standing next to family members, he looks more like 6-3.
Corey was All League in FB & basketball as well. We’re getting a very good athlete. Cheers.
If I were a FB coach, my pre-requisite speed would be 11.1, 100 m and faster. Also, being a very good basketball player in HS is a big plus.
Four-star Calif edge Marco Jones (Danville San Ramon, 6-5, 240) sets announcement date, names final four
Brandon Huffman (USCFootball.com) — Jones, 247’s #14 edge nationally, will decide publicly on Tuesday, July 2nd on his YouTube Channel.
MICH, TEXAS, A&M and USC (final visit last weekend) are his finalists.
247sports.com
Just a small player list dat are making verbals soon.
Marco Jones, 4* DE, Calif, experts predict Tx AM
Noah Mikhal, 4* LB, Calif, experts predict Tx AM or Ducks
Madden Faramino, 4* LB, Calif, experts predict ND
Jonah Williams, 5* LB, Tx, experts predict Tx AM
Dang, Tx AM is killing it, getting top Calif players. Sad, Calif top players are Not gonna play for USC. USC’s recruiting is in a sad state. Wonder how the USC fans dat are paying subscribers feel and think having to see bad news weekly? Gotta be pissed. Cheers.
Random but interesting. USC has played the old Big10 for 98 years. The first was a win against Iowa in 1925 and the last was a loss to Iowa in 2019. Clay Helton was 8-10 against the current BIG, while LR is 1-3. Despite recent struggles USC is 75-30 against the old BIG with a winning record against every current member, 214-117 overall. As they say on Wall Street past performance is no guarantee of future results.
Wow and both teams they were on sucked!
Interesting, and true.
So the Lakers, one of best franchises in the NBA, now have a coach who has never coached at any level and a not ready for prime time player on the payroll. It’s a statement kinda like saying the emperor has no clothes on, it obvious to everyone, but everyone seems to be afraid to point it out. I wonder how season ticket holders feel.
Correction: Reddick was the volunteer coach for his son’s 4th grade basketball team! So I don’t follow the NBA, just guessing, Lebron is the real head coach and Reddick will be Bronny’s shooting coach?
Reddick has experience working with kids!
They’ve been a mess for a while now. Lebron and AD aren’t ever healthy at same time. No shooters around them. Knecht will help with that. NBA coaches don’t do much, stars win games, always have. The biggest job for Redick will be roster construction. Not sure how it will work out, but I’m stuck with them.
Jeanie calls all the shots. GM Pelinka and now C.Redick are pawns and pretty much useless. Pelinka knows nothing about basketball and how to build a basketball team. Redick is inexperienced coach & will be learning on da job. Do you believe da players will listen to anything Redick says in practice and in games? Since C.Phil Jackson left, Jeanie must have hired what 6-7 coaches (?) and spent 150+ million? She has to be one of the worst owners in da NBA. After this draft move (Bronny James) da Lakers is FU and a lost cause . No interest… Read more »