Jim Buss was so confident in his abilities that he put a deadline on himself to bring the Lakers back. Now, he may be trying to extend that deadline, but his sister won't let him.
The Lakers' front office seems to be lacking in communication, according to USA Today Sports.
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During a lengthy interview, Buss discusses his self-imposed deadline, but adds a previously unknown twist.
"I (shared the timeline publicly to The Los Angeles Times in April of 2014) because I basically wanted people to know what timeframe I'm working on," Buss said. "It became news, but I don't want to be here if I can't turn this around. And it's not turning it around -- it's just your normal progression of teams in the NBA.
"We're ahead of (the schedule), so I'm fine with it. I think we've turned the corner, exactly like we have (planned). Get a free agent next (summer), and then I think we compete."
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But Buss' math then became a bit fuzzy in the USA Today Sports article when asked to elaborate on his deadline.
"Two more full seasons, a summer of change and then let that season go. Whatever happens in that third season, that's fine. I have no problem with that. I think we're that close."
That would push his deadline, however, to after the 2017-18 season.
A deadline his sister refutes. Jeanie Buss was described as "perplexed" by her brother's timeline, according to USA Today Sports.
"He has given me a timeline, and I have no reason to think that they won't have a competitive team by the deadline," Jeanie said.
Asked what that timeline was, she responded, "Not this season, but the end of next season, which will be the summer of 2017."
Jim and Jeanie may not have the smoothest of relationships, stemming from Jim passing over her boyfriend, Phil Jackson, when he fired coach Mike Brown at the beginning of the 2012-13 season and hired Mike D'Antoni.
Jeanie told The Los Angeles Times she was stunned. In another Times report, she said she couldn't understand why Jim revealed his timeline to the newspaper.
"It was a private conversation with our family but I understand why he said it. I mean, I don't understand why he said it but I don't think it'll be a concern," Jeanie said. "I think he presented a challenge to himself, but I don't know why he made that public.
"'We'll be contending,' that's what he said. 'We'll be in the Western Conference finals within three years.'"
Unfortunately for Jim, the math adds up to 2017, not 2018.
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