Rob is showing a great balance of big picture and fine tuning approaches to this game.

Jeanie fired her wack ass brother and they've been killing it ever since.

I was pretty hard on Kobe's last season, even suggesting they should have traded him. I still stand by my wish that they should have done more to reign him into the system.

But that contract? I think the notion that that was a message to future players, that they'll take care of their players. Even cats like Danny Green, who just got dealt, have nothing but good things to say about them.

Jeanie's making good on Jerry's legacy.
Rob is showing a deft hand.

We have plenty of things working for us- location, status as a storied franchise, timing lining up with Lebron, lottery balls giving us an edge to land AD, etc.

But all in all, this has been a stellar rebuild. I hated giving up BI and Zo to get AD. Not that AD isn't worth it, but I still like the idea of growing with our players. Skipping straight to the top with FA signings and trades doesn't have the same feel as growing with the players, but that's just a matter of sentiment.

On that note, Brawn and Brow have been outstanding as leaders in the wake of Kobe's death. That pain is muted, but will never go away, so deep is my love for him as a Laker. That we have Brawn running this show in the aftermath of that incalculable loss is a gift.

Frankly, this is the most humbling a time as I've ever had as a Lakers fan. I think I appreciate this current set of circumstances more than I have at any other time, even if I my emotional connection was deeper in years past.