Michael Jordan.
08-23-2013, 06:02 PM
"It's disappointing that Dwight isn't here. I feel like we failed him. This is the mother part of me. When you become a Laker, I feel I become your mama. Maybe I get to sentimental for the basketball side of things. But when we got Dwight my phone lit up with people wanting to see him play. I told them, 'If you're only going to come to one game, come in January' because I wasn't sure Dwight was going to play until then because of his back. I was so impressed that from Day One, he threw himself out there. He took the risk to play as many games as he could."
There are those in Dwight's camp who now say that was the Lakers' first mistake: playing him early and then not defending him from criticism when he didn't play as well as hoped or anticipated.
Rather, the Lakers joined the fray in questioning his effort. Jeanie also feels the Lakers did not spend enough time cultivating a relationship with Dwight over the course of the season: "I asked Dwight to visit my father at the end of September or early October. That was the only time they got to spend together. I know my dad would've spent a lot more time with him if he hadn't been sick. He was once the age of these players and he had to work his way up. My dad was able to do that and he could identify with them in that way. My dad's first job ever was as a teacher. He had a way to articulate and explain things in a way people could understand."
A source from Dwight's camp says "there wasn't a lot of communication" during the course of the season. In the Lakers' final meeting before Howard made his decision to go to Houston, Jim apparently acknowledged he did not spend as much time with Dwight as he would've liked but gave a very touching explanation attributing it to his struggles with his father's illness and ultimate passing.
All that aside, asked point-blank if she trusted her brother's decision-making, Jeanie said, "I trust that my dad set things up for us to be successful."
Jim, for his part, was more supportive of Jeanie: "I have 100 percent confidence in Jeanie. I communicate with my sister constantly. She's not privy to the daily operations of the basketball side but I keep her informed."
http://sulia.com/channel/basketball/f/0ed7b067-ac1b-4299-b3f5-65ce912f76a2/?source=twitter
There are those in Dwight's camp who now say that was the Lakers' first mistake: playing him early and then not defending him from criticism when he didn't play as well as hoped or anticipated.
Rather, the Lakers joined the fray in questioning his effort. Jeanie also feels the Lakers did not spend enough time cultivating a relationship with Dwight over the course of the season: "I asked Dwight to visit my father at the end of September or early October. That was the only time they got to spend together. I know my dad would've spent a lot more time with him if he hadn't been sick. He was once the age of these players and he had to work his way up. My dad was able to do that and he could identify with them in that way. My dad's first job ever was as a teacher. He had a way to articulate and explain things in a way people could understand."
A source from Dwight's camp says "there wasn't a lot of communication" during the course of the season. In the Lakers' final meeting before Howard made his decision to go to Houston, Jim apparently acknowledged he did not spend as much time with Dwight as he would've liked but gave a very touching explanation attributing it to his struggles with his father's illness and ultimate passing.
All that aside, asked point-blank if she trusted her brother's decision-making, Jeanie said, "I trust that my dad set things up for us to be successful."
Jim, for his part, was more supportive of Jeanie: "I have 100 percent confidence in Jeanie. I communicate with my sister constantly. She's not privy to the daily operations of the basketball side but I keep her informed."
http://sulia.com/channel/basketball/f/0ed7b067-ac1b-4299-b3f5-65ce912f76a2/?source=twitter