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LOS ANGELES LAKERS DIRECTORY
TEAM DIRECTORY
Owner/Governor ....................................................................................................Dr. Jerry Buss
Co-Owner ......................................................................................................Philip F. Anschutz
Co-Owner......................................................................................................Edward P. Roski, Jr.
Co-Owner/Vice President ....................................................................................Earvin Johnson
Executive Vice President of Marketing....................................................................Frank Mariani
General Counsel and Secretary....................................................................................Jim Perzik
Executive Vice President of Business Operations........................................................Jeanie Buss
Senior Vice President of Finance ........................................................................Joe McCormack
Senior Vice President, Business Operations ................................................................Tim Harris
General Manager ................................................................................................Mitch Kupchak
Assistant General Manager ....................................................................................Ronnie Lester
Assistant General Manager ............................................................................................Jim Buss
Special Consultant ..................................................................................................Bill Sharman
Special Consultant ................................................................................................Walt Hazzard
Head Coach ............................................................................................................Phil Jackson
Assistant Coaches ................................Jim Cleamons, Frank Hamblen, Kurt Rambis, Tex Winter
Director of Scouting/Basketball Consultant..................................................................Bill Bertka
Head Scout........................................................................................................Gene Tormohlen
Scouts ......................................................................Irving Thomas, Kevin Grevey, Adam Filippi
Athletic Trainer ............................................................................................................Gary Vitti
Athletic Performance Coordinator..........................................................................Chip Schaefer
Strength and Conditioning Coach ................................................................................Jim Cotta
Director of Video Services/Scout ..........................................................................Chris Bodaken
Equipment Manager........................................................................................Rudy Garciduenas
Massage Therapist ....................................................................................................Dan Garcia
Director of Human Resources ..........................................................................Joan McLaughlin
Executive Director of Marketing ..........................................................................Mark Scoggins
Executive Director, Multimedia Marketing ................................................................Keith Harris
Director of Public Relations ........................................................................................John Black
Director of Community Relations..........................................................................Eugenia Chow
Director of Charitable Services ................................................................................Janie Drexel
Director of Laker Girls ..............................................................................................Lisa Estrada
Director of Ticket Operations ............................................................................Veronica Lawlor
Controller ..............................................................................................................Susan Matson
Assistant Public Relations Director ..............................................................Michael Uhlenkamp
Administrative Assistant....................................................................................Mary Lou Liebich
Basketball Operations Assistant ..................................................................................Tania Jolly
Executive Assistant to the Head Coach ..................................................................Kristen Luken
Executive Director, Corporate Sponsorships and Client Management ......................Ron Rockoff
Director of Corporate Sponsorships ......................................................................Eva Campbell
Director of Corporate Sponsorships ........................................................................Blain Skinner
Team Physicians:
Orthopedist ..........................................................................................Dr. Steve Lombardo
Primary Internist ............................................................................................Dr. John Moe
Dentist................................................................................................Jeffrey P. Hoy, D.D.S.
Broadcast Color Commentator ..........................................................Stu Lantz, Paul Sunderland
Information Systems Manager ............................................................................Tommy Yamada
Director of Event Production ........................................................................................Ian Levitt
Public Address Announcer ................................................................................Lawrence Tanter
Director of Camps/Assistant to the General Manager ............................................Glenn Carraro
Team Photographer..........................................................................................Andrew Bernstein
6
JERRY BUSS
OWNER/GOVERNOR
J
erry Buss purchased the Los Angeles Lakers, the Los Angeles
Kings of the National Hockey League, The Great Western Forum and a
13,000-acre Kern County ranch in June, 1979, in what was then the
largest sports transaction of all-time.
An era of success unrivaled in Southern California professional
sports followed. The success of the Lakers is attributable to the
combined efforts of great players, outstanding coaches, intelligent
management and imaginative marketing. This teamwork, under Jerry
Buss’s direction, created an enormous popularity that helped the NBA
achieve its current high level of national and international acceptance.
A graduate of the University of Wyoming with a Bachelor’s degree in
Chemistry, Buss earned his Ph. D in Physical Chemistry from the
University of Southern California. After a brief career in the aerospace
industry, Buss and Frank Mariani, an aerospace engineer, drew upon their scientific training to launch a career
in real estate. For Buss, this venture was intended only to provide income to enable him to pursue his love for
teaching. Soon, however, the real estate firm of Mariani-Buss Associates expanded so fast that its demands did
not allow time for other professions.
Buss parlayed his original $1,000 investment in a West Los Angeles apartment building into assets that
eventually enabled to him to achieve his second love, which was ownership of a major league sports team.
Since his entry into the NBA, Buss has initiated many innovative marketing changes, including a major
advertising agreement with Great Western Bank in 1988 that resulted in the Lakers’ former home being named
the Great Western Forum. Many of his marketing strategies are emulated by various NBA franchises as well as
other teams in other leagues. He recently served two terms as President of the NBA Board of Governors.
Among other accomplishments, he helped launch Prime Ticket Network (now FOX Sports Net West and
FOX Sports Net West 2) in 1985. It shortly became the nation’s premier regional sports cable network.
Of Buss’s four grown children, all are still actively involved in his business operations. Jeanie was named
Lakers Executive Vice President of Business Operations in June of 1999. Johnny is president of the Los Angeles
Sparks, a charter member and the two-time defending champion of the Women’s National Basketball
Association. Jim serves as an Assistant General Manager of the Lakers while Janie is the Director of Charitable
Services. For all of his accomplishments in business, Buss is as equally respected for his philanthropic efforts
on behalf of highly divergent causes. While he is specifically drawn to supporting education, the needs of
disadvantaged youth and the elderly, his contributions are all encompassing.
For his efforts he has been honored by such organizations as the City of Hope, Urban League, NAACP, the
B’nai B’rith , United Negro College Fund, United Indian Development Associations, American Hebrew
University, National Organization of Women, Boys and Girls Clubs of America and the Los Angeles Human
Relations Commission, among many others. Additionally, he funds scholarships at his alma maters, Wyoming
and USC, as well as having endowed the Magic Johnson Scholarship at Michigan State University. He runs an
annual celebrity golf tournament to support the YMCA-Junior Lakers and Shooting Sparks Basketball leagues
for boys and girls and a dinner in support of the Union Rescue Mission and the Skid Row Charity Fund.
LAKERS ENJOY UNPARALLELED SUCCESS DURING BUSS ERA
Since Jerry Buss purchased the Lakers prior to the 1979-80 campaign, the team has recorded the NBA’s highest
overall winning percentage (.678, 1257-597), and have captured eight NBA Championships. The following
is a list of the NBA’s most winning teams (regular season) since Buss purchased the franchise.
TEAM
W-L
Los Angeles Lakers ............................................................................................................1257 - 573
Portland Trail Blazers..........................................................................................................1095 - 759
Boston Celtics ....................................................................................................................1089 - 765
Phoenix Suns ....................................................................................................................1082 - 772
Utah Jazz ..........................................................................................................................1071 - 783
7
Pct.
.678
.591
.587
.584
.578
EARVIN JOHNSON
VICE PRESIDENT
H
is list of accomplishments is unsurpassed, if not unbelievable:
One of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, five NBA
Championships, NCAA Championship, Olympic gold-medal winner,
NBA Most Valuable Player. These are only a sample of the impressive
accolades that Earvin “Magic” Johnson boasts on his resume as he
begins his ninth season as the Vice President of the Lakers.
Not only was Earvin one of the league’s greatest players over the last
half-century, but one of the most influential ones as well. He and
former Boston Celtics’ superstar Larry Bird were almost exclusively
responsible for the NBA’s tremendous surge of growth during the
1980’s.
Johnson, 43, assumed his post-playing-career position with the
Lakers on June 27, 1994, the same day in which he purchased a
minority interest in the club from Dr. Jerry Buss. In this capacity, Earvin is actively involved in various
management areas including working with Mitch Kupchak on player-related issues, in addition to marketing
and public relations functions. His incredible understanding of the game and expertise are also valuable
resources for the Lakers.
Johnson’s illustrious playing career, which consisted of literally hundreds of highlights, is most accurately
summarized with a single word – winner. He was the guiding force behind championship-winning teams at
every conceivable level, including high school, college, and the professional ranks, in addition to capturing the
Olympic Gold Medal. In fact, the Lansing, MI. native is one of only seven players in the history of the sport to
capture an NCAA championship, NBA championship, and an Olympic Gold Medal. On September 27, 2002,
Earvin received the highest honor a basketball player can receive as he was inducted into the Naismith
Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
During his illustrious 13-year career, he led the Lakers to five NBA championships (1980, ’82, ‘85, ‘87, ‘88)
and nine appearances in the NBA Finals. The Lakers averaged 59 wins per season during the Magic Era, posting
a combined .710 winning percentage in regular season and playoff competition (893-364). He was named the
NBA’s Most Valuable Player on three occasions (1987, ‘89, ‘90), NBA Finals MVP three times (1980, ‘82, ‘87),
earned All-NBA First Team honors nine times, participated in 11 All-Star Games (MVP in 1990, 92), and
concluded his career as the league’s all-time assist leader (9,921). In January of 1996, Johnson briefly ended
his retirement following a 4-_ year absence, leading the Lakers to a 29-11 record over the final 40 games of
the 1995-96 season. During his brief return, he surpassed the 10,000 assist plateau (March 7, 1996 at
Sacramento), joining John Stockton as the only other player to eclipse this total.
Johnson was the Lakers first round choice (first overall) in the 1979 NBA Draft, becoming the club’s firstever overall number one selection. The Lakers acquired the pick as compensation from New Orleans when
the Jazz signed away free agent guard Gail Goodrich prior the 1976-77 campaign (won coin flip with Chicago).
The Lakers posted the NBA’s second-best regular season record during Johnson’s rookie season in 1979-80
(60-22) and proceeded to win the NBA championship, beginning a journey that would eventually earn the
organization “Professional Sports Franchise of the Decade” honors from the Associated Press. Johnson’s
brilliant 42-point, 15-rebound, seven-assist performance in the absence of injured center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
in the title clinching game at Philadelphia on May 16, 1980 remains one of the greatest feats by a first-year
player in league history. Additionally, his 42 points represents the highest scoring output for a rookie in NBA
Finals history. For his scintillating performance, Magic became the first – and only – rookie to win MVP honors
in the Finals.
ALL-TIME ASSIST LEADERS
One of the game’s greatest passers who had a flair for the
dramatic, Magic orchestrated the Lakers’ famous “Showtime” John Stockton ............................15,177
offense. At 6’9”, Johnson revolutionized the point guard position. MAGIC JOHNSON ....................10,141
He paced the NBA in assists four separate seasons highlighted by Oscar Robertson ..........................9,887
a career-best of 13.1 during the 1983-84 campaign. On
Mark Jackson................................9,840
November 17, 1989 vs. Denver, Johnson established a club
Isiah Thomas ................................9,061
record with 24 assists, the seventh-highest single-game total in
NBA history. That performance was one of 31 occasions in which Rod Strickland ..............................7,489
he registered 20-plus assists during his career. He became the Maurice Cheeks............................7,392
NBA’s all-time assist leader on April 15, 1991 vs. Dallas,
Lenny Wilkens ..............................7,211
recording his 9,888th career assist on a feed to Terry Teagle Terry Porter ..................................7,160
(eclipsing Oscar Robertson’s 17-year mark). Although that mark Tim Hardaway ..............................7,061
has since been eclipsed by Stockton, he still remains the league’s
8
EARVIN JOHNSON CONTINUED
all-time leader in playoff assists (2,346), shares the NBA single-game playoff record for assists (24 assists vs. the
Phoenix Suns on May 15, 1984) and averaged an NBA Finals record 14.0 assists in a six game series vs. Boston
in 1985.
Earvin enjoyed his finest all-around campaign in 1986-87, averaging a career-high 23.9 points and adding
12.2 assists en route to his first NBA Most Valuable Player award and the first of back-to-back NBA titles for the
Lakers. He scored a career-best 46 points on December 23, 1986 vs. Sacramento, and topped the 40-point
plateau 10 times overall. He concluded his career with a NBA record 138 triple-doubles and led the Lakers
in scoring three seasons and in assists nine times. Additionally, he paced the NBA in steals during both the
1980-81 (3.43) and 1981-82 (2.67) campaigns. He became the only player in club history to lead the NBA in
free throw percentage during the 1988-89 season (.911).
After his initial retirement from the NBA on November 7, 1991 due to the HIV virus, Johnson’s immense
popularity resulted in his being voted as a starter in the 1992 All-Star Game. After a 25-point, nine-assist
performance in Orlando, Johnson was named the game’s MVP. Later that year, he was a member of the 1992
United States gold medal-winning Olympic Basketball team in Barcelona. Following his second retirement in
1996, he ended his career ranked among the Lakers’ all-time leaders in virtually every statistical category,
averaging 19.5 points, 11.2 assists, and 7.2 rebounds in 906 regular season contests.
Johnson starred for two seasons at Michigan State University, where he led the Spartans to the Big Ten title
as a freshman and to the NCAA Championship as a sophomore. He earned MVP accolades of the 1979 Final
Four as MSU defeated Indiana State and Larry Bird in the title game, and is one of only four players to capture
NCAA and NBA Championships in consecutive seasons.
Often considered a “coach on the floor” during his playing days, Earvin spent a brief tenure as head coach
of the Lakers late in the 1993-94 campaign. Assuming those duties on March 27, 1994, he guided the Lakers
to a 5-11 mark over the final 16 games of the season.
Born August 14, 1959 in Lansing, MI., Johnson received the nickname “Magic” from Lansing sportswriter
Fred Stabley, Jr. following a 36-point, 18-rebound, 16-assist performance for Everett High School, which he led
to a state championship in 1977.
Johnson is at heart a businessman who focuses his efforts on revitalizing neglected communities, and
providing quality entertainment and services. As founder and CEO of Magic Johnson Enterprises (MJE), Johnson
overseas the strategic direction of the company while exploring additional partnership opportunities and new
business ventures.
Today, Johnson has become known for his efforts in improving the quality of life for underserved urban
areas. He has revitalized neglected communities by bringing Magic Johnson Theaters, Starbucks, T.G.I.Fridays
and retail centers into the inner city. Most recently, Johnson has teamed up with 24-Hour Fitness to create a
chain of new concept clubs called 24-Hour Fitness Magic Johnson Sport Clubs. He launched his first platinum
recording artist, Avant, on the Magic Johnson Music Label in 2000 and just released the debut album for female
artist Yasmeen. Johnson, through Magic Johnson Productions, continues to bring entertainment to millions of
fans by promoting events and concert tours including Bow Wow and Maxwell’s recently completed tour.
An avid believer in philanthropy, Johnson continually finds time to lend his support to worthy causes. The
Magic Johnson Foundation raises money to fund community based organizations serving the educational,
health and social needs of children residing in inner city communities and HIV/AIDS organizations specializing
in education, prevention and care geared toward young people. As an Ambassador of Peace for the United
Nations, Johnson speaks out in support of the UN and its collective initiatives. Johnson has also worked with
the Make A Wish Foundation, the United Negro College Fund, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the
Starlight Foundation, the American Heart Association, and the Urban League.
Earvin, his wife Cookie, sons Andre (21), Earvin III (10) and daughter Elisa (8) reside in Beverly Hills.
SEASON
THE EARVIR ERA (1979-1991)
RECORD
ACCOMPLISHMENT
1979-80 ............................................60-22
1980-81 ............................................54-28
1981-82 ............................................57-25
1982-83 ............................................58-24
1983-84 ............................................54-28
1984-85 ............................................62-20
1985-86 ............................................62-20
1986-87 ............................................65-17
1987-88 ............................................62-20
1988-89 ............................................57-25
1989-90 ............................................63-19
1990-91 ............................................58-24
..........................................NBA CHAMPIONS
..........................................Pacific Division Champions
..........................................NBA CHAMPIONS
..........................................Western Conference Champions
..........................................Western Conference Champions
..........................................NBA CHAMPIONS
..........................................Pacific Division Champions
..........................................NBA Champions
..........................................NBA CHAMPIONS
..........................................Western Conference Champions
..........................................Pacific Division Champions
..........................................Western Conference Champions
9
MITCH KUPCHAK
GENERAL MANAGER
I
f the sports maxim that a player’s true greatness is judged by the
number of championships won can also be applied to member of team
management, Mitch Kupchak’s tenure as the General Manager and head
of the Lakers basketball operations looks to be off to a remarkable start.
Kupchak has filled in admirably as the successor to Jerry West, as the
Lakers have been crowned NBA Champions in each of the first two years
of his stewardship. Kupchak has acquired players like Horace Grant,
Samaki Walker and Lindsey Hunter, all important members of Los
Angeles’ last two championship runs. The acquisition of Grant was a
trade that involved four teams (the Lakers, New York Knicks, Seattle
SuperSonics and the Phoenix Suns), as well as 12 players and is the
largest such transaction in league history.
Kupchak enters his 16th season as a club executive and his third as the
head of the team’s basketball operations. Although his job description includes a variety of responsibilities which
keep him thoroughly active 12 months a year, Mitch’s top priority is the day-to-day management of the team.
Included in his management duties are personnel decisions, contract negotiations, salary cap concerns and
strategy, overseeing the Lakers’ entry in the annual Summer Pro League and the scouting of collegiate players.
Additionally, he deals with various marketing and public relations functions.
Kupchak, who joined the Lakers front office in 1986 following a 10-year NBA career, has played prominent
roles in the past success of the Lakers as well as in the club’s recent return to the upper echelon of the NBA.
Originally a first round draft choice of the Washington Bullets in 1976 (13th overall), Mitch spent the first five
years of his career with the Bullets, earning NBA All-Rookie Team honors following the 1976-77 campaign. He
posted a career-best field goal percentage during his rookie season (.572), a figure which at the time represented
the tenth highest in league history. During the 1977-78 campaign, Mitch played an important role in
Washington’s drive to the NBA championship, posting a career-high-tying 32 points against the Lakers on
November 24, 1978, and his scoring average that season (14.6) ranked second among all NBA reserves.
Following his stint with the Bullets, the Lakers acquired Kupchak from Washington on August 5, 1981 in
exchange for Jim Chones, Brad Holland and a pair of draft choices. A reserve during his five-year tenure with the
Bullets, Mitch was quickly inserted into the Lakers starting lineup during the first 26 games of the 1981-82
campaign averaging 14.3 points and 8.1 rebounds. Unfortunately, Kupchak suffered multiple injuries to his left
knee during a game at the San Diego Sports Arena on December 19, 1981, an injury which required two major
operations. It was feared – even expected - that he would never play again, and in fact he missed the entire 198283 campaign. However, he proved doctors wrong by returning to the Lakers in the early portion of the 1983-84
season after undergoing intense daily therapy for 16 months.
His persistence paid big dividends, as the reserve forward/center played a vital role in the Lakers march to the
NBA title in 1985, allowing him to join a select group of players to win an NBA championship with two different
clubs. Additionally, he remains one of only four players in club history to convert at least 10 field goals in a game
without a miss (11-11 vs. San Antonio 11/20/81, joining Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Byron
Scott).
Prior to the start of the 1986-87 campaign, after another lengthy rehabilitation following another knee injury,
Kupchak retired as a player and joined the front office. He concluded his NBA career averaging 10.2 points and
5.4 rebounds in 510 regular season games. His career field goal percentage (.523) still ranks 33rd among all-time
NBA leaders.
Due to his unfortunate injury and aware that his playing career would end prematurely, Kupchak studied for
an MBA degree at UCLA during his spare time and rehabilitation stints, and earned that degree in February of
1987. This foresight helped prepare Mitch for his present job as a professional sports executive.
A long-time Yankees fan who admired Mickey Mantle as a kid, Mitch was born in Hicksville, NY. on May 24,
1954 and starred at Brentwood High School on Long Island. He was an All-America standout at the University
of North Carolina, where he earned ACC Player of the Year honors as a senior. Kupchak was the first freshman to
play at North Carolina after the freshman eligibility rules changed prior to the 1972-73 season. He averaged a
career-high 18.5 points per game during his junior campaign, and ranked eighth overall in the NCAA in field goal
percentage that season (.602). He was one of 20 former UNC standouts to have his jersey (#21) honored and
raised to the rafters of the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill during a special ceremony in November of 1994.
Prior to his initial NBA campaign, Mitch was the starting center on the gold-medal winning United States team
in the 1976 Olympic Games.
An avid golfer, Mitch and his wife Claire live in Brentwood with their son Maxwell (5) and daughter Alina (3).
10
RONNIE LESTER
ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER
R
onnie Lester enters his second season as an Assistant General
Manager for the Los Angeles Lakers. Lester’s responsibilities include
assisting General Manager Mitch Kupchak in all basketball operations
of the club. Appointed to his role prior to the 2001-02 campaign, Lester
had spent the past 14 seasons as one of the Lakers regional scouts, and
his acumen in discovering talent is one of the driving factors in the
success of the Lakers during the past decade.
A former player, Lester enjoyed a storied collegiate career at the
University of Iowa. A two-time All-American, Lester left the university
as the Hawkeyes’ all-time leader in both points (1,675) and assists
(480). Lester was selected the team’s Most Valuable Player after his
sophomore and junior seasons, and despite a knee injury that limited
him to only 17 games as a senior, he was again named the Hawkeyes’
MVP. During that season (1980), Lester returned to lead the Hawkeyes to the Final Four for the first time in
over 20 years. Earvin Johnson, an opponent while at Big Ten rival Michigan State, once described the 6-2 Lester
as “the best guard I have ever seen.”
In the 1980 NBA Draft, the Portland Trail Blazers made the IL. native the 10th overall selection in the first
round, but on draft day traded his rights to Chicago where Lester began his career playing in his home state for
the Bulls. Despite playing in only eight games due to injury during his rookie campaign (1980-81), Lester
would play for the Bulls for three additional years, enjoying his best statistical season in 1981-82 when he
averaged career-highs in points (11.6) and rebounds (2.8) while adding 4.8 assists per game.
On November 29, 1984, Lester signed a free agent contract with the Lakers where he would play the final
two seasons of an injury-shortened six-year career. During his two-year tenure with the Lakers, Lester appeared
in 59 games and was a member of the Lakers 1985 NBA Championship team. Recurring knee injuries first
suffered while in college finally took their toll on Lester, and Ronnie retired from the NBA following the 198586 season.
A year after his retirement (1987-88), Lester accepted a position on the Lakers’ scouting staff. Since then,
and until his recent promotion, Lester served as the Lakers primary scout for the Mid-Western section of the
United States.
Lester, 42, and his wife, Rowena, have one daughter, Alexis (10). They reside in Manahatten Beach.
JIM BUSS
ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER
J
im Buss begins his fifth season as an Assistant General Manager
for the Lakers. He continues to work under the direction of General
Manager Mitch Kupchak and alongside fellow Assistant General
Manager, Ronnie Lester. His duties include the scouting of college
players and assisting in all basketball operations of the team.
Buss, who studied mathematics at the University of Southern
California, worked in several management positions at the Great
Western Forum before serving as the President and General Manager of
the Los Angeles Lazers of the Major Indoor Soccer League from 1985 to
1989. In that capacity Buss evaluated talent, had a direct hand in player
personnel decisions and was responsible for all day-to-day operations
of the team.
Before assuming his current position with the Lakers, Buss spent the
previous nine years pursuing one of his life’s passions, training thoroughbred racehorses.
Born Nov. 9, 1959, Buss is the second of Lakers’ owner Dr. Jerry Buss’ six children.
Buss resides in Del Mar, Calif. with his son Jager.
11
JEANIE BUSS
EXECUTIVE V.P. OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS
J
eanie Buss enters her fourth season as the Lakers Executive Vice
President of Business Operations. In her position, Buss works closely
with Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak and Assistant General
Managers Ronnie Lester and Jim Buss. She is responsible for overseeing
all of the Lakers business operations including relationships with the
team’s broadcast partners, FOX Sports Net West, KCAL-TV and KLAC
Radio. Buss is also involved with the team’s marketing, sponsorships
and other business dealings.
Buss began her career at the age of 19, as general manager of the Los
Angeles Strings of World Team Tennis. While guiding the team to two
league titles, she also created the Forum Tennis Challenge Series which
was a regular part of the Great Western Forum calendar for years. Buss
was responsible for bringing in players such as John McEnroe, Pete
Sampras, Andre Agassi, Jimmy Connors, Steffi Graff, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova and many other top
professionals.
In 1993, Buss brought professional roller hockey to Los Angeles as the owner of the Los Angeles Blades.
Her outstanding leadership and dedication earned her Executive of the Year honors by Roller Hockey
International.
Prior to assuming her current position with the Lakers, Jeanie spent four years serving as the President of the
Great Western Forum. Throughout her tenure with the Forum, Buss’ involvement with the Lakers continued to
increase and she has served as an Alternate Governor on the NBA Board of Governors since 1995.
Buss graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in business. She currently resides
in Playa del Rey.
BILL SHARMAN
SPECIAL CONSULTANT
B
ill Sharman begins his 13th year as a Special Consultant with the
Lakers providing the front office with a tremendous amount of
basketball experience and a history of unparalleled success. Selected
as one of the 50 Greatest Players Players in NBA History during the
league’s 50th anniversary season (1996-97), Sharman began his
basketball career in 1950 and has been an integral member of 15
different championship teams as either a player, coach or executive.
The 15 titles, including 13 in the NBA, have been captured with four
different teams, in three respective leagues and in four different
capacities. Sharman began his championship odyssey with the Boston
Celtics, winning the first of four NBA titles as an active player in 1957.
During his 10-year stint with the Celtics, Boston won four NBA
Championships (1857, 1959, 1960 and 1961), finished in first place in
the Eastern Conference five times and never suffered through a losing season. He earned All-NBA honors on
seven occasions, and participated in eight NBA All-Star Games, earning the Most Valuable Player award for the
1955 contest. Arguably the greatest shooter of his era and one of the most deadly free throw shooters in the
history of the game, Sharman was the first NBA guard to post a field goal percentage above .400 for a season
(.436, 1952-53) and his career free throw percentage (.883) still ranks sixth among the NBA’s all-time leaders.
He led the NBA in free throw percentage seven times, including a league-record five consecutive seasons from
1952-53 through 1956-57. Sharman spent the majority of his career with the Celtics, except for a brief stint
with the Washington Capitols, the team that drafted him, during his rookie campaign.
Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975, Sharman averaged 17.8 points and 3.0 assists in 711
career regular season games.
Bill and his wife Joyce live in Playa del Rey. He has two daughters, Nancy and Janice, and two sons Tom
and Jerry, from a previous marriage.
12
BILL BERTKA
DIRECTOR OF SCOUTING/BASKETBALL CONSULTANT
L
ong-time assistant coach Bill Bertka returns to the Lakers for his 22nd
consecutive season with the club and his second as the team’s Director of
Scouting/Basketball Consultant.
Bertka brings a wealth of experience to the position as he has previously served
as an assistant coach under the past seven Lakers head coaches dating back to
1981. Additionally, Bertka’s talent as a scout and his experience in player personnel
matters make him an excellent resource for Mitch Kupchak, Ronnie Lester and the
rest of the team’s basketball operations staff.
Bertka was first employed by the Lakers in 1968, serving as a scout, assistant
coach and director of player personnel. He served in those roles until 1974 when
he left the Lakers to join the expansion New Orleans Jazz as the team’s general
manager.
Bertka rejoined the Lakers in 1981 as an assistant coach and for the next 20 years
was a key member on the staffs of Pat Riley, Mike Dunleavy, Randy Pfund, Earvin
“Magic” Johnson, Del Harris, Kurt Rambis and Phil Jackson.
In 1999, after Del Harris was relieved of his head coaching duties, Bertka served
as the head coach of the Lakers for one game, earning a victory over the Los Angeles
Clippers on February 25th. In that game, at the age of 71, Bertka became the oldest person to ever serve as head coach in an
NBA contest. He also coached the team to a 1-1 record immediately prior to Earvin Johnson’s 16-game tenure in 1994, and is
the only person to serve as the team’s head coach on two different occasions.
The Santa Barbara native is well known as the founder of Bertka Views, one of the most successful college scouting services
in the country, which was operated with his wife, Solveig, from 1961-1995. Many of the nation’s premier college basketball
programs utilized Bertka Views as their sole scouting service.
During the summer of 1992, Bertka added another feather to his cap, serving as a scout for the United States’ Olympic
basketball team at the European Qualifying Tournament in Zaragoza, Spain.
In 1989, Bertka had the dual distinction being inducted into the Hall of Fame in each of his hometowns. In May, he was
inducted into the Santa Barbara Sports Hall of Fame, and in October, he was inducted into the Summit County (Ohio) Sports Hall
of Fame, where he grew up as a child.
Bill and Solveig have two married daughters, Britt (wife of former Lakers’ assistant coach Jim Eyen) and Kris, and make their
home on a 50-acre avocado ranch in Santa Barbara.
WALT HAZZARD
SPECIAL CONSULTANT
P
recisely thirty years after being selected by the Lakers in the first round of
the 1964 NBA Draft, Walt Hazzard was reunited with the organization and the
NBA, joining the front office staff prior to the 1994-95 season. Entering his ninth
year with the team, Hazzard’s duties will focus primarily on various community
relations functions as his workload – and scouting responsibilities – have been
reduced and curtailed as he continues to recover from a stroke suffered in 1996.
Prior to his setback, Hazzard was the Lakers’ primary West Coast advance NBA
scout during his initial season with the club.
Hazzard, 60, has established a strong basketball foundation in the Southland,
starring for both the Lakers and UCLA as a player, and serving as head coach of the
Bruins for four seasons (1984-1988). He first received accolades as a player at
Overbrook High School in Philadelphia, PA. where he led Wilt Chamberlain’s
former school to a pair of city championships and an 89-3 record during his three
years as a member of the varsity squad. He was named Philadelphia’s Player of the
Year as a high school senior (1960), when he also served as the captain for
Overbrook’s baseball and track teams.
Hazzard elected to travel west to Los Angeles following high school, where he attended Santa Monica College for one year
(1960-61) before transferring to UCLA prior to the 1961-62 season. His initial season at UCLA proved extremely rewarding, as
coach John Wooden and the Bruins advanced to the NCAA Final Four for the first time in school history. The playmaking guard
earned First Team All-America honors his junior year, leading UCLA to 20 victories while pacing the Bruins in scoring with 16.3
points per game.
However, it was Hazzard’s senior season on the Westwood campus that will long be remembered. The Bruins compiled an
undefeated 30-0 record that year (1963-64) and captured the first NCAA title in UCLA history. Individually, Hazzard enjoyed a
splendid season as well, averaging a career-high 18.6 points and earning college basketball’s Player of the Year honors.
Seeking a point guard to complement sharpshooter Jerry West in the club’s backcourt, the Lakers selected Hazzard with their
first round pick in the 1964 NBA Draft (#1 territorial choice). Hazzard played three seasons in Los Angeles (1964-67), producing
his best statistical year during the 1965-66 campaign (13.7 points and 4.9 assists). The Lakers lost Hazzard’s rights when he was
claimed by Seattle in the 1967 expansion draft, after which he promptly led the SuperSonics in scoring (23.9) during their
inaugural season (1967-68). He was a member of the NBA All-Star team (Western Conference) in 1968.
Walt and his wife Jaleesa live in Los Angeles, and are proud parents of four adult children – Yakub, Jalal, Khalil and Rasheed.
13
PHIL JACKSON
HEAD COACH
T
hough his tenure in Los Angeles has been relatively brief, Phil
Jackson’s results as Head Coach of the Los Angeles Lakers have been
nothing short of amazing. Jackson has led the Lakers to three
consecutive NBA Championships (2000-02) for the first time in
franchise history. First with the Chicago Bulls (1991-1993 and 199698), and now with Los Angeles (2000-2002), Jackson has been at the
helm of nine of the last 12 NBA Champions. After the Lakers four-game
sweep of the New Jersey Nets in the 2002 NBA Finals, Jackson became
the first person to lead a team to three consecutive championships three
different times.
In three seasons in Los Angeles, Jackson has led the Lakers to victories
in 74 percent of the team’s contests and has compiled a regular season
mark of 181-65. In 12 seasons as an NBA head coach, Jackson has a
tally of 726-258 (.738) which is the best winning percentage of any
coach in NBA annals. Additionally his total of 726 regular season wins
ranks 12th all-time. During the 1999-2000 campaign, his first in Los
Angeles, Jackson led the Lakers to a 67-15 record which represents the second-best mark in franchise history.
His postseason resume is even more impressive. Jackson has led the Lakers to a 45-13 mark in the playoffs
including the team’s 15-1 (.938) run during the 2001 NBA playoffs, which is the highest winning percentage
for any club in a single postseason. With a career postseason record of 156-54, Jackson has the highest playoff
winning percentage on any coach in NBA history and his 156 wins is the highest postseason victory total for
any head coach. His nine NBA Championships as a head coach tie him for the all-time mark with Boston’s
Red Auerbach. Dating back to 1996, he has led his teams (Bulls and Lakers) to victory in 25 consecutive
postseason series, another NBA record.
During the 1995-96 season, Jackson led the Bulls to the NBA’s best-ever regular season record at 72-10, and
a year later he led Chicago to the second-best-ever NBA regular season mark at 69-13, which tied the mark of
the 1971-72 Lakers. On Dec. 7, 1996 he was named one of the 10 greatest head coaches in NBA history and
also garnered 1996 NBA Coach of the Year honors.
Jackson was named the 15th head coach in Los Angeles Lakers history on June 16th, 1999 at a press
conference held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA. Jackson joined the Lakers after a one-year
sabbatical which followed 12 incredibly successful seasons with the Chicago Bulls, the last nine (1990-1998)
coming as Chicago’s head coach. In his nine years as the head coach of the Bulls Jackson led Chicago to
championships in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997 and 1998 and compiled a regular-season record of 545-193.
In his first campaign as the Bulls head coach his team finished with a 55-27 record, the best mark posted by a
first-year Bulls head coach. He reached 200 career victories faster than any coach in NBA history,
accomplishing the feat after only 270 games.
Jackson has a storied basketball career which began as a player at the University of North Dakota where he
was a two-time All-American under head coach Bill Fitch. He was drafted by the New York Knicks in the
second round of the 1967 NBA Draft (17th overall pick) and played 12 seasons in the NBA, missing the 196970 season due to injury. He was a key member of New York’s 1973 NBA Championship team and is one of
nine men to win an NBA Championship as both a player and a head coach. On June 8, 1978, Jackson was
traded to the New Jersey Nets where he would play his final two NBA seasons. Jackson ended his NBA career
averaging 6.7 points and 4.3 rebounds in 807 regular season games. While with the Nets, Jackson served as
a player/assistant coach for both the 1978-79 and 1979-80 seasons and joined the bench full-time for the 198081 campaign. During the 1981-82 season, Jackson also served as a Nets television analyst.
He returned to coaching, joining the Continental Basketball Association’s Albany Patroons where he would
coach from 1982-1987. Jackson led the Patroons to the 1984 CBA Championship and was also named the
CBA’s Coach of the Year in 1985. He is the first person to win championships as a head coach in both the NBA
and CBA.
Jackson lives in Playa del Rey and spends his summers in Montana. He has five grown children, Ben,
Charley, Brooke, Chelsea and Elizabeth.
YEAR
1989-90
1990-91
1991-92
1992-93
1993-94
1994-95
1995-96
1996-97
1997-98
1999-00
2000-01
2001-02
CLUB
Chicago
Chicago
Chicago
Chicago
Chicago
Chicago
Chicago
Chicago
Chicago
LAKERS
LAKERS
LAKERS
PHIL JACKSON’S COACHING RECORD
REGULAR SEASON
PLAYOFFS
W
L
PCT.
W
L
55
27
.671
10
6
61
21
.744
15
2
67
15
.817
15
7
57
25
.695
15
4
55
27
.671
6
4
47
35
.573
5
5
72
10
.878
15
3
69
13
.841
15
4
62
20
.756
15
6
67
15
.817
15
8
56
26
.683
15
1
58
24
.707
15
4
14
PCT.
.625
.882
.682
.789
.600
.500
.833
.833
.714
.652
.938
.789
NBA Champions
NBA Champions
NBA Champions
NBA Champions
NBA Champions
NBA Champions
NBA CHAMPIONS
NBA CHAMPIONS
NBA CHAMPIONS
JIM CLEAMONS
ASSISTANT COACH
A
s a rookie guard on the legendary 1971-72 Lakers team that won a
professional sports record 33 consecutive games and an NBA Championship, Jim
Cleamons served mostly an ancillary role, seeing limited playing time on a team
filled with future Hall-of-Famers the likes of Wilt Chamberlain, Gail Goodrich and
Jerry West.
However, upon his return to Los Angeles 28 years later, Cleamons’ impact has
been much more profound, serving as an assistant coach and helping guide the
Lakers to three consecutive championships in 2000, 2001 and 2002.
Cleamons rejoined the Lakers prior to the 1999-2000 season and was also reunited
with head coach Phil Jackson, whom he served as an assistant coach under for seven
seasons with the Chicago Bulls. He was a member of the Bulls coaching staff from
1990-97 and helped lead the Bulls to four NBA titles in 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1996.
In his seven years with Chicago, the Bulls compiles a record of 414-160 (.721).
In May of 1996, Cleamons left the Bulls and was named the head coach of the Dallas Mavericks where he stayed for a yearand-a-half compiling a 28-72 record. Before joining the Lakers staff, Cleamons spent the 1998-99 season as the head coach of
the Chicago Condors, professional women’s team that played in the now defunct American Basketball League.
After registering career averages of 18.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game at Ohio State University, Cleamons was selected
by the Lakers with the 13th overall pick in the first round of the 1971 NBA Draft. After one season with the Lakers, Cleamons
was traded for a future draft pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he played for five seasons. He then spent two-and-a-half
seasons with the Knicks and was a teammate of Phil Jackson in 1977-78, before finishing the 1979-80 season with Washington.
Cleamons’ teammates in the NBA have included Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West and Lenny Wilkens, and he played under
coaches such as Bill Sharman, K.C. Jones, Bill Fitch, Dick Motta and Red Holzman.
Cleamons and his wife Cheryl have two daughters, Imani (3) and Rose (2).
TEX WINTER
ASSISTANT COACH
T
ex Winter returns for his fourth season with the Lakers and his 56th
consecutive season as a coach on either the Division I collegiate or professional
level. Winter, an innovator of the “triangle offense”, the offensive system that has
won nine of the last 12 NBA Championships, is virtually a walking history book of
basketball information.
Winter came aboard the Lakers staff prior to the 1999-2000 campaign and had
spent the previous 14 seasons with the Chicago Bulls including eight under head
coach Phil Jackson. Winter was a member of the NBA Championship teams in
Chicago in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997 and 1998.
He began his coaching career in 1947 directly following graduation from the
University of Southern California. While playing at USC, Winter was a teammate
of former Lakers head coach Bill Sharman and basketball Hall of Famer Alex
Hannum. He was also one of the nation’s top pole vaulters – vaulting 14’4” with a
bamboo pole. He was the first full-time assistant coach at Kansas State under head coach Jack Gardner from 1947-1951 and
helped lead the 1951 team to the national championship game where they were defeated by Kentucky.
In 1952, Winter was named the head coach at Marquette University, which at 28 years of age, made him the youngest major
college coach in the country. After spending two years at Marquette, Winter returned to Kansas State and served as head coach
of the Wildcats for 15 seasons. During his time in Manhattan, Winter’s teams compiled a record of 261-118 (.689) and won eight
Big Eight Championships. In 1959 he was named the National UPI Coach of the Year as Kansas State was rated the No. 1 team
in the nation by both the UPI and AP.
Winter spent the next three seasons as the head coach at the University of Washington and led the Huskies to a 45-35 record.
He began his NBA career in 1971 as the head coach of the San Diego Rockets and spent the next year-and-a-half with the Rockets
before returning to the college ranks as the head coach at Northwestern University in 1973, where stayed for the next five seasons.
Prior to joining the Bulls in 1985, Winter was the head coach at California State Long Beach for five seasons and an assistant
at Louisiana State University under Dale Brown for two years.
Winter and his wife Nancy have three sons, Russell, Chris and Brian, and two grandsons.
15
FRANK HAMBLEN
ASSISTANT COACH
F
rank Hamblen returns for his fourth season as an assistant coach
with the Lakers. Currently the longest tenured assistant coach in the
NBA, Hamblen brings a wealth of experience to the team and is an
integral reason why many believe the Lakers possess one of the, if not
the best coaching staffs in the league.
After spending three seasons as an assistant coach with the Chicago
Bulls, Hamblen joined the Lakers staff prior to the 1999-2000 season.
Hamblen served as an assistant under Phil Jackson from 1996-98 and
was a member of the Bulls’ NBA Championship teams in 1997 and
1998.
This will be Hamblen’s 34th season of professional basketball
coaching experience. Before joining the Bulls in 1996, Hamblen was
the top assistant on both Del Harris’ and Mike Dunleavy’s staffs with the
Milwaukee Bucks for nine seasons.
Hamblen has also been an assistant coach and scout for the San Diego/Houston Rockets (1969-72), an
assistant coach and Director of Player Personnel for the American Basketball Association’s Denver Rockets
(1972-77) and an assistant coach for the Kansas City/Sacramento Kings (1977-1987).
Directly out of college, Hamblen first joined the NBA as a scout for the Rockets under former Lakers general
manager Pete Newell
A letterman in both baseball and basketball, Hamblen played collegiately at Syracuse University where he
was the captain of the men’s basketball team as a senior.
Frank and his wife, Uta, live in Marina Del Rey.
KURT RAMBIS
ASSISTANT COACH
T
he 2001-02 season saw the return of Kurt Rambis to the Lakers
coaching staff. After serving in the team’s front office in two different
capacities, that of advisor and assistant general manager from 19992001, Rambis returned to the bench as an assistant coach on Phil
Jackson’s staff.
Rambis previously served as an assistant on Del Harris’ staff for three
seasons (1994-1997) before being named the Lakers interim head
coach 12 games into the 1998-99 season. After tying an NBA record
with nine consecutive victories to start his head coaching career,
Rambis led the team to a 24-13 mark and into the Western Conference
Finals.
Rambis, 44, distinguished himself as one of the NBA’s most
renowned, blue-collar workers during his playing career. His
effectiveness was a key element during the Lakers’ “Showtime” era, helping spark the club to four NBA titles
during his initial stint in Los Angeles (1982, 1985, 1987, 1988). Later, Kurt’s aggressive and intense play
enabled him to extend his career several additional years, when he was asked to be a stabilizing influence for
the expansion Charlotte Hornets and the title-hungry Phoenix Suns.
Raised in Cupertino, California, Rambis took the unconventional route to the NBA, earning a roster spot
with the Lakers in 1981 after playing a year in Athens, Greece. He was originally a third round choice of the
New York Knicks in the 1980 NBA Draft (58th overall), but never played with New York after being released in
training camp.
continued on page 21
16
KURT RAMBIS continued
KURT RAMBIS continued from previous page
After his brief four-month, 20-game stint in Greece playing for AEK, Kurt signed a non-guaranteed free agent
contract with the Lakers on September 13, 1981. And, although the club had recently acquired veteran power
forward Mitch Kupchak from the Washington Bullets, coach Pat Riley quickly became enamored of Rambis’
work ethic and elected to add the Forum fan-favorite to the Lakers’ 12-man roster. Less than two months into
the season, Rambis, who had played only token minutes to that point, was thrust into the club’s regular rotation
after Kupchak suffered a career-threatening knee injury. He moved into the Lakers’ starting lineup in January,
where he proceeded to start 43 of the final 45 regular season games and helped propel Los Angeles to the 1982
NBA title.
Over the next six seasons, Rambis continued to play an integral role in the astounding success of the Lakers,
joining Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy and Byron Scott in a star-studded lineup that
produced Pacific Division titles each of the his first seven years with the club. With the exception of the 198384 campaign (missed 32 games to begin that season with a sore left foot), he appeared in a minimum of 70
games each season (all 82 in 1984-85) and annually ranked among the club’s leading rebounders.
Born February 25, 1958, Rambis attended Santa Clara University (1976-1980), where he earned his B.S.
degree in psychology and still ranks among all-time school leaders in points (1,735/1st), field goals (686/2nd)
and rebounds (1.037/2nd). He earned West Coast Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year honors in 197677 (15.0 points and 11.6 rebounds) and was named WCAC Player of the Year following his senior campaign.
In addition to his position with the Lakers, Kurt has participated in several broadcast ventures, serving as a
pregame commentator on Lakers telecasts for FOX Sports Net West. Kurt has also begun a budding acting
career with appearances on several television programs.
Kurt and his wife Linda live in Manhattan Beach with their three children, Jesse (16), Jordan (15) and Ali (10).
17
GENE TORMOHLEN
SCOUT
E
ven the most ardent fans probably don’t remember watching him
play in the NBA or have any inkling that he is affiliated with the Lakers.
Nonetheless, Los Angeles fans will subliminally view the value of scout
Gene Tormohlen’s work right in front of their very eyes every night
throughout the coming season.
No, Tormohlen’s name isn’t immediately identifiable or as widelyrecognized as Kobe Bryant, but it could be argued that his contributions
are nearly as vital to the success of the Lakers as is the Lakers superstar.
If it were not for the Lakers long-time talent seeker, Bryant, and many
other great Laker players, may have never worn the purple and gold.
Tormohlen’s efficient scouting reports, which provide Mitch Kupchak
with detailed information on numerous prospective NBA draftees have
proven to be extremely valuable in the success of the Lakers. The club
boasts a rich history in acquiring impact players via the collegiate draft, and Gene’s diligent work behind the
scenes the last 18 years has played a large role in this phenomenon. He attends over 100 college and high
school games each season, with his scouting efforts concentrated primarily in the Southern portion of the
country.
Beginning his 35th season as a scout, “Bumper” has accrued a wealth of basketball experience, beginning
with his playing days and continuing into his most recent tenure as a scout. He served as an assistant
coach/scout with the Atlanta Hawks for eight years and as a scout with the Chicago Bulls for seven seasons
before joining the Lakers prior to the 1983-84 season.
The Holland, IN. native was a two-time All-SEC performer at Tennessee, serving as the Volunteers’ captain
as a senior. Gene played for the St. Louis Hawks for six years (1962-1970) before retiring shortly after the club
moved to Atlanta prior to the 1969-70 campaign. In 271 games, Tormohlen averaged 4.4 points and 4.1
rebounds. The 6’9” forward also played with the amateur Cleveland Pipers of the National Industrial Basketball
League, leading the team to league and AAU titles.
Tormohlen, 65, works out of his home in Lawrenceville, GA., where he lives with his wife, Julie. They have
two children, Gina and Tommy.
IRVING THOMAS
REGIONAL SCOUT
I
rving Thomas returns for his second season as a regional scout for
the Lakers. A former player and member of the Lakers 1990-91 Western
Conference Championship team, Thomas rejoined the team prior to the
2001-02 season. Thomas filled the vacancy left by Ronnie Lester after
Lester’s promotion to assistant general manager. He scouts primarily
East coast and Mid-East games from his home in Coral Springs, FL.
Thomas, 36, recently concluded a professional career that included
playing in the Continental Basketball Association as well as overseas in
Italy, France and Spain. He first joined the club prior to the 1990-91
campaign as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Florida State
University. In 27 games with the Lakers, Irving posted averages of 1.8
points and 1.2 rebounds in 4.2 minutes.
A native of Miami FL., Thomas’ collegiate career began at the
University of Kentucky before he transferred to Florida State where he averaged 13.3 points and 7.0 rebounds
in 61 games. Thomas’ most successful collegiate season was his senior campaign in which he averaged career
highs in both points (16.7) and rebounds (7.6). Despite playing only two seasons in Tallahassee, Thomas left
FSU as the school’s second all-time leading scorer.
Thomas and his wife, Natasha, have a four-year old daughter, Jazmine.
18
ADAM FILIPPI
INTERNATIONAL SCOUT
I
n his second season as an international scout for the Lakers,
Adam Filippi will be spanning the globe in search of the newest
young talent. Working out of Bologna, Italy, Filippi will travel
South America, Asia, Africa and throughout Europe during the
2002-03 campaign.
Filippi, 30, was born in Deerborn, Michigan but moved to Italy
when he was eight years old. Growing up in Italy, he played for
the Fortitudo junior team and in 1992, began his semi-professional
basketball career in Italy’s B division. Filippi stayed in basketball
following his playing career and gained his first scouting job with
Fortitudo at age 25. He subsequently started his own scouting
service in Italy and in 1999 was hired on by the New Jersey Nets.
Shortly thereafter, Filippi joined Global Vision, a full-time scouting
service that covered Europe and consulted with 12 NBA teams including both the Nets and the Lakers.
While having collaborated with the Lakers while at Global Vision, in the summer of 2001, Filippi joined
the Lakers scouting staff full-time.
Filippi and his wife, Gaia, reside in Bologna, Italy with their one-year-old daughter Giada.
KEVIN GREVEY
REGIONAL SCOUT
K
evin Grevey enters his second season as a regional scout for
the Lakers. A first round draft pick of the Washington Bullets and
a 10-Year NBA Veteran, Grevey was the starting guard on the 1978
Washington Bullets championship team. He primarily scouts the
east coast games from his home in Great Falls, Virgina.
Grevey, prior to attending the University of Kentucky, was a
high-school All-American and the state of Ohio’s Player of the Year.
At Kentucky, Grevey was named SEC Player of the Year in his
sophomore, junior and senior seasons. A two-time Collegiate AllAmerican, Grevey finished his career as Kentucky’s second all-time
leading scorer and currently ranks fifth on the all-time list.
Grevey and his wife, Sandy, have a 16-year old daughter,
Amanda and twin 15-year-old sons, Andrew and Kevin. He is the
owner of Grevey’s Restaurant and Sports Bar and is also a television and radio color analyst for
CBS/Westwood 1 and Home Team Sports Networks.
19
GARY VITTI
ATHLETIC TRAINER
T
he Lakers entered the 21st century with new uniforms, a new
arena and new practice facility, a new coaching staff and a host of new
players. One constant that remained however, was athletic trainer Gary
Vitti, who is widely recognized as one of the best practitioners of his
respective field.
The 2002-03 season will be Vitti’s 19th season as the team’s athletic
trainer. Vitti monitors the health of the club throughout the season using
state-of-the-art methods in conditioning, dieting, stretching and testing.
His 18 seasons with the club is the longest tenure of any athletic trainer
in Lakers history.
The 48-year old native of Stamford, CT., is responsible for the care,
prevention and treatment of injuries to Lakers players, assuring the
coaching staff that each athlete is in the best possible condition from
October through April, May, or, as in the case of the last three seasons, June. And, his job typically continues
when basketball season ends, as he spends a portion of his summer working with players during the offseason.
Vitti earned his B.S. degree from Southern Connecticut State University in 1976 and his M.S. degree in sports
medicine from the University of Utah in 1982.
In addition to studying at the University of Utah, he spent two years as a trainer and teacher at the university,
in addition to working as an assistant trainer with the NBA’s Utah Jazz (1981-82). Following his stint with the
Jazz, Vitti then served as head athletic trainer and an adjunct assistant professor at the University of Portland
for two years before joining the Lakers prior to the 1984-85 campaign. Since his arrival in Los Angeles, the
Lakers have won six NBA championships (1985, 1987, 1988, 2000, 2001and 2002), thanks in no small part
to the health of such players as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and
numerous others. In a much-deserved honor, Vitti was named the National Basketball Association’s Trainer of
the Year in 1991 by the NBA’s Trainers Association, partially due to his efforts in creating the annual NBATA
Superstar Sports Auction.
Having long been considered one of the top athletic trainers in the country, Vitti’s services are well in
demand. Complementing his NBA duties, he has also served as lead trainer for numerous other sporting events
since 1984, including Los Angeles Strings tennis, the Summer Pro League and several summer basketball
camps throughout the country. Additionally, he is a frequent visitor on the lecture tour, sharing his wisdom at
a number of athletic seminars and workshops each year. Six years ago, Vitti traveled to the Philippines, where
he spoke at a Coaches/Sports Medicine Clinic. The seminar was by invitation only and included some of the
top coaches, trainers, doctors and physical therapists in the world. He has also spent a portion of recent
summers working abroad, participating in clinics throughout Italy.
Vitti has also supervised physiological profile studies published in English and Japanese and has written a
monthly column for “Sports Medicine Digest.” He has also written a sports medicine column for the Los
Angeles Times syndicate and produced a conditioning video in 1992 called “Training for Excellence.”
On weekend’s Vitti enjoys riding his Harley Davidson through the canyons of the Santa Monica Mountains.
Each summer he spends time in his 400-plus year old house in Settefratti, Italy, a remote village situated in the
mountains 60 miles southeast of Rome. The rest of the year Gary lives in Manhattan Beach with his two
daughters, Rachel, 15 and Emilia, 11.
ALL-TIME L.A. LAKERS TRAINERS
NAME
YEARS
GARY VITTI ............................1984-85 thru Present (19)
Jack Curran..............................1978-79 thru 1984-85 (3)
Del Tanner ..............................1975-76 thru 1977-78 (7)
Frank O’Neill ..........................1960-61 thru 1974-75 (15)
20
CHIP SCHAEFER
ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE COORDINATOR
C
hip Schaefer begins his fourth season serving as the Lakers’
Athletic Performance Coordinator. Schaefer works with both head
athletic trainer Gary Vitti and strength and conditioning coach Jim Cotta
to ensure that the Lakers’ players remain at the peak of athletic
conditioning throughout the grueling 82-game season.
Prior to returning to Los Angeles, Schaefer spent eight years with the
Chicago Bulls from 1990-1998 and was the head trainer for the team
under Phil Jackson during the Bulls’ six championship seasons.
Preceding his tenure with the Bulls, Schaefer was on the staff of the
Kerlan Jobe Orthopedic Clinic in Los Angeles where he worked with
some of the nation’s elite professional and amateur athletes.
This is actually Schaefer’s second stint as a member of the Lakers
athletic support staff. During the 1986-87 season, Chip served in a parttime role as the team’s strength and conditioning coach.
He has also been the head trainer at Pete Newell’s Big Man Camps, and the California Summer Pro
Basketball League and served as the head trainer and strength coach at Loyola Marymount University for four
years. He is also an examiner for the National Athletic Trainers Association certification examination.
Schaefer, 41, was raised in Deerfield, Ill., and later attended the University of Utah where he received his
bachelor’s degree in physical education and sports medicine in 1983. He received his master’s degree in
counseling from Loyola Marymount in 1990. Upon his graduation from Utah, Schaefer worked as head trainer
for the U.S. Men’s Ski Team from 1984-1986.
Schaefer and his wife, Andra, have two children, Alec 16 and Emily 14.
JIM COTTA
STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING COACH
J
im Cotta enters his sixth season with the Lakers in 2002-03 after
having joined the club in 1997 as the team’s first-ever full-time strength
coach. Among Cotta’s duties are to implement and maintain a strength
and conditioning program (both in and out of season) as well as
nutritional program, including dieting and supplementation. Cotta’s
efforts and knowledge are the one of the main reasons that Lakers
players such Shaquille O’Neal and Derek Fisher have graced the pages
of various health and fitness magazines including Muscular
Development. Additionally, Cotta was instrumental in designing the
Lakers weight training facilities at the HealthSouth Training Center.
Prior to joining the Lakers, Cotta served as the strength and
conditioning coach for the University of Nevada-Las Vegas men’s
basketball team, while also assisting with the Runnin’ Rebels volleyball,
football and swim teams. Jim earned a B.S. in exercise science from Springfield College (Massachusetts), where
he was a four-year starter as a wide receiver on the Chiefs football team. He is certified by the NSCA as a
strength and conditioning specialist.
Born and raised in Darien, CT., Cotta and his wife Tracey are the parents of Sam (12) and Montana (8) and
have a newborn daughter, Greer.
21
CHRIS BODAKEN
DIRECTOR OF VIDEO SERVICES/SCOUT
I
n today’s high-tech environment of the NBA, the likes of a Chris
Bodaken on every staff is not a luxury, but a necessity. Without him, the
coaching staff would be ill-prepared when it came time to deal with the
next opponent’s strengths and weaknesses. His behind-the-scenes work
and all-night editing sessions in the office assure the coaching staff that
the Lakers will know precisely what to expect each and every game.
Beginning his 10th full-time campaign with the Lakers, and third as
director of video services, Bodaken is responsible for assembling,
organizing and updating the Lakers’ video library for use in advance
and college scouting. Additionally he is responsible for providing the
coaches with statistical analysis, written reports and scouting video
edits, which are frequently put to use on team flights and meetings.
And, on a growing number of occasions, Bodaken will edit a tape
featuring a specific player matchup for members of the team.
A 1990 graduate of USC, Bodaken has climbed the corporate ladder with the Lakers, having accepted his
first job as a team attendant during the 1985-86 season. After spending almost four years working under
athletic trainer Gary Vitti in that capacity, the 33-year-old South Pasadena native began to dabble in the team’s
video operations, working as an intern for assistant coach Jim Eyen in 1989. He served in that role until 1993,
when he was hired full-time as the Lakers’ Video Coordinator. During Magic Johnson’s brief tenure as head
coach in 1994, Bodaken was given added the responsibility of advance scouting.
Prior to joining the Lakers on a full-time basis, Bodaken was a teacher and coach at St. Francis High School
in La Canada (1990-93), where he led his team to a league championship in 1992.
A huge Bruce Springsteen fan, Chris and his wife Jessice live in Pasadena.
RUDY GARCIDUENAS
EQUIPMENT MANAGER
A
ny Laker fan who has caught a televised game or regularly
attended Lakers home games over the past 18 years should be able to
recognize him. Most times he’s got a one-of-a kind seat right behind
the team’s bench. But, if anybody deserves such a privilege, it’s the
Lakers’ hard-working equipment manager, Rudy Garciduenas, who
begins his 18th season in that capacity in 2002-03.
Garciduenas’ surplus of responsibilities include the ordering and
maintaining of game uniforms, practice gear and equipment, making
certain the items are ready to go when the players are, in whatever city,
state or country that the team may be playing. Additionally, he assists
trainer Gary Vitti in several other areas, including the accommodations
of the team (practice sites, times, locations, on-ground transportation,
etc.) on road trips.
Garciduenas, who initially joined the Lakers as a team attendant and volunteer assistant, worked part-time
as the club’s equipment manager during this same period and was eventually hired full-time in 1985. In
addition to his in-season duties with the Lakers, he also performs his duties during the annual Summer Pro
League and has worked as an administrative director of Magic Johnson’s Youth Camps for the last decade.
Prior to landing his full-time position with the Lakers, Garciduenas was a Student Facility Manager at Loyola
Marymount University.
Garciduenas, 40, is single and lives in Westchester.
22
STU LANTZ
COLOR COMMENTATOR
S
tu Lantz begins his 16th season as the color commentator for the
Los Angeles Lakers radio and television broadcasts. He provides each
broadcast with his expert analysis and unique insight, garnered through
his 30-plus years associated with the NBA as both a player and color
commentator. Lantz has received numerous awards including being
chosen Southern California’s best radio commentator in five of the last
six years by the Southern California Sports Broadcaster’s Association,
and in the season in which he didn’t earn best radio commentator
honors (2000), Lantz was named best television commentator.
A graduate of the University of Nebraska (1968), the Cornhuskers
officially retired his uniform number (22) on October 17, 1989 during
halftime ceremonies of a Lakers’ preseason game in Lincoln.
Born in Uniontown, PA., Lantz was originally a third round draft pick
of the San Diego Rockets in 1968. He spent his first three seasons in
San Diego, where he enjoyed his finest pro campaign in 1970-71,
averaging career-high figures in both scoring (20.6) and rebounding (5.0). During the 1971-72 campaign,
Lantz ranked sixth overall in the NBA in free-throw percentage (.838). In the cyclical world of basketball, his
head coach that year with the Rockets was current Lakers assistant Tex Winter. Lantz also played for the Detroit
Pistons (1972-1974) and New Orleans Jazz (1974) prior to being traded to the Lakers in December of 1974.
He played less than two seasons in Los Angeles before announcing his retirement following the 1976-77
campaign due to a back injury, and still ranks forth on the Lakers’ all-time free throw percentage list (.849).
Immediately following his playing career, Lantz embarked on a broadcasting career, serving as a
commentator for the San Diego Clippers, San Diego State University and CBS.
Lantz joined the Lakers prior to the 1987-88 season and has worked as a color commentator for the NBA
Radio Network.
Each summer, Lantz works as an instructor at Pete Newell’s renowned Big Man’s Camp in Hawaii. Stu and
his wife, Linda, live in San Diego and are the proud parents of three children, Todd, Kristin and Shane.
PAUL SUNDERLAND
PLAY-BY-PLAY ANNOUNCER
P
aul Sunderland joins the Lakers broadcast booth for his first full
season as the team’s play-by-play announcer. During the 2001-02
campaign, Sunderland filled in for the late Chick Hearn for a 56-game
stint while Hearn was recovering from heart and hip surgeries. He will
team with 15-year veteran Stu Lantz on all Lakers radio and television
broadcasts.
Though he becomes only the second play-by-play announcer in
team history, Sunderland is a familiar face and voice to Southern
California sports fans. He has served as the host for the pregame shows
for the Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Dodgers. His NBA
experience includes serving as a play-by-play announcer for national
NBA telecasts on NBC from 1996-2001. Other broadcast ventures
include volleyball commentary for three Olympic games and a host of
other national and international sporting events.
A native of Malibu, CA, Sunderland played college basketball at the
University of Oregon for two years before finishing his career at Loyola Marymount University. While at
Loyola, Sunderland earned All-American honors in volleyball and was inducted into the school’s athletics Hall
of Fame in 1986. He was a 10-year member of the U.S. National Volleyball team and three times he was
named the U.S. Player of the Year (1977, 1979 and 1982).
He was a member of the United States Olympic Volleyball teams in 1976, 1980 and 1984. The latter squad
earned the first gold medal in volleyball in U.S. history and is widely considered the finest U.S. team ever
assembled.
Sunderland began his broadcasting career in 1985 when he served as a color analyst for FOX Sports Net’s
(then known as Prime Ticket) regional broadcasts of the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) Pro Beach
Volleyball Tour. In 1987, he began announcing college basketball games for ESPN and Fox.
Paul and his wife live in Malibu with their two children.
23
FERNANDO GONZALEZ
PLAY-BY-PLAY ANNOUNCER (SPANISH)
F
ernando Gonzalez begins his sixth season as a play-by-play
announcer for the Lakers. Along with partner “Pepe” Mantilla,
Gonzalez serves as the Spanish Voice of the Lakers, broadcasting
every game on KWKW 1330 AM, the Lakers Spanish language
flagship.
Gonzalez is quite familiar to the Lakers Spanish-speaking
audience as he also served as the news director for KWHY-TV and
anchored the popular sports news program “Mundo Deportivo”.
Gonzalez has received several accolades for his work including
the 1995 Golden Mike Award for best sports segment.
Not limited to basketball, Gonzalez has also broadcast a variety
of sporting events including World Cup soccer, the Olympic
Games, professional boxing, NHL hockey and Pacific-10 football.
Born in Toluca, Mexico, Fernando graduated from La Universidad Autonoma del Estado de
Mexico with a law degree. He and his wife, Maria Teresa, have two children, Luis Fernando and Tatiana
and have been residents of Los Angeles since coming to the United States in 1989.
JOSE “PEPE” MANTILLA
COLOR COMMENTATOR (SPANISH)
S
ince 1993, Jose “Pepe” Mantilla has served as a color
commentator for Lakers Spanish broadcasts. With Fernando
Gonzalez, Mantilla broadcasts every Lakers game to the team’s
large and growing Hispanic audience.
One of the most active sports journalists in Los Angeles,
Pepe hosted a daily radio program, Deportes Hoy and also serves
as a sports reporter for KMEX-TV. He is also a popular panelist for
radio and TV sports shows. He even manages to find time to
broadcast Major League Baseball, NFL and World Cup soccer
contests as well as college football and basketball for FOX.
A graduate of UNAM in Mexico, Pepe and his wife Ivonne have
one daughter, Mercedes and one son, Andres, and make their
home in Irvine.
LAWRENCE TANTER
PUBLIC ADDRESS ANNOUNCER
E
ntering his 20th season as the Public Address Announcer for
the Lakers, Lawrence Tanter is the longest-tenured PA Announcer
in franchise history. Beginning in 1982 at the Great Western Forum
and continuing to the present at STAPLES Center, he has called
over 1000 games from his familiar seat at center court.
Born in Chicago, IL, Tanter was a member of an Illinois state
championship team while at Thornton High School. He later
played at the University of Dubuque in Iowa.
A huge jazz enthusiast, Tanter is a veteran of three decades of
work at numerous radio stations throughout the Los Angeles area.
He has interviewed over 500 recording artists, written liner notes
for 20 albums, narrated several video games and has done voice
overs for nearly 6,000 commercials.
Lawrence lives in Los Angeles with his son, Miles.
24
LOS ANGELES LAKERS 2002-03 ROSTER
NO.
NAME
8
2
17
3
11
5
35
14
30
34
12
4
21
0
20
7
52
POS
Kobe Bryant
Derek Fisher
Rick Fox
Devean George
A.J. Guyton
Robert Horry
Mark Madsen
Stanislav Medvedenko
Tracy Murray
Shaquille O'Neal
Jannero Pargo
Guy Rucker
Kareem Rush
Soumaila Samake
Brian Shaw
Jefferson Sobral
Samaki Walker
G
G
F
F
G
F
F
F/C
F
C
G
C
G
C
G
F
F
HT
WT
DOB
6-6
6-1
6-7
6-8
6-2
6-10
6-9
6-10
6-7
7-1
6-1
6-11
6-6
7-0
6-6
6-8
6-9
220
205
235
240
188
240
245
250
230
338
175
265
215
245
2-5
210
255
8/23/78
8/9/74
7/24/69
8/25/70
2/13/78
8/25/70
1/28/76
4/4/79
7/25/71
3/6/72
9/22/79
7/27/77
10/30/80
3/18/78
3/22/66
4/4/80
2/25/76
SCHOOL
PRO
Lower Merion HS '96
Arkansas Little Rock '96
North Carolina '91
Augsburg (MN) '99
Indiana '00
Alabama '92
Stanford '00
Ukraine
UCLA '93
Lousiana State '92
Arkansas '02
Iowa '99
Missouri '03
Mali
UCSB '88
Brazil
Louisville '98
6
6
11
10
2
10
2
2
10
10
R
R
R
1
13
R
6
HEAD COACH
Phil Jackson (North Dakota ’67)
ASSISTANT COACHES
Jim Cleamons (Ohio State '71), Frank Hamblen (Syracuse '69), Kurt Rambis (Santa Clara '80),
Tex Winter (USC '47)
ATHLETIC TRAINER
Gary Vitti (Southern Connecticut State ’76, Utah ’82)
NUMERICAL ROSTER
0
2
3
4
5
7
Soumaila Samake
Derek Fisher
Devean George
Guy Rucker
Robert Horry
Jefferson Sobral
8
11
12
14
17
20
Kobe Bryant
A.J. Guyton
Jannero Pargo
Stanislav Medvedenko
Rick Fox
Brian Shaw
21
30
34
35
52
Kareem Rush
Tracy Murray
Shaquille O'Neal
Mark Madsen
Samaki Walker
HOW THE LAKERS WERE BUILT
YEAR
1996
DRAFT (3)
Derek Fisher (1/24)
1997
TRADE (4)
Kobe Bryant (from Charlotte)
Robert Horry (from Phoenix)
1999
Devean George (1/23)
2000
Mark Madsen (1/29)
Rick Fox
Brian Shaw
Stanislav Medvedenko
2001
2002
FREE AGENTS (11)
Shaquille O'Neal
Samaki Walker
Tracy Murray and
Kareem Rush (from Toronto)
A.J. Guyton
Jannero Pargo
Guy Rucker
Soumaila Samake
Jefferson Sobral
25