The thing about the Lakers is that their owners' (the Buses) primary form of income is the Lakers, not hedge funds or Microsoft like most of the other owners. So it is in the Bus family's best interest to never have a tank year because that means less money that year for Jimmy and Jeanie and good ol' Phil "Am I an In-Law Yet" Jackson. That's why resigning Kobe for so much wasn't as big a deal as it should have been for them. Kobe is a guy who will play out the bad years, carry the team's marketing, and then retire as things (in theory) start to get good. He's the bridge between two winners that keeps the cash flow coming in.
