I can't say that I grew up saying, 'Someday I want to be vice president of the Lakers,' because that's not how it happened. I work for our family business, and that happens to be the Lakers.
The Lakers are really the biggest team in the world. Everybody knows the Lakers.
I know the Lakers are gonna make decisions for the Lakers.
I can't root for the Lakers. I grew up in northern California, so I spent many of my young adult years rooting against the Lakers.
I just enjoy going to the games, but if you're watching the Lakers play, it feels good to be rooting for the Lakers. You're on the winning end of things most of the time.
I've been a Lakers fan since growing up in Oklahoma. My hometown's finally got the Thunder, which is really exciting, but I've still got to stick with the Lakers.
When I grew up it was Michael Jordan and Chicago Bulls, the Lakers, the Boston Celtics, those were the teams you loved or hated and me being from San Diego, you loved the Lakers.
What I made clear to our front office is we're going to be judged by wins and losses. It isn't about having a marquee star player and coming in last place. That's not what Lakers basketball is. Lakers basketball is winning basketball.
The Lakers have figured out how to win in every era.
Even before my dad passed away, people tried to buy the Lakers. Sony tried in the 1980s. People have always wanted to buy the Lakers. They're not for sale.
The Lakers, they did a lot for me, so I like it here.
The Lakers are family. My kids don't have to switch schools. Little things like that are important. People don't think about things like that. I feel like something special is going to happen in this town.
I really like to play to squash, because it's competitive, and I like basketball. I'm friends with a guy in L.A. called Andrew Bynum, who used to play for the L.A. Lakers NBA team. We play together sometimes.
I can't tell you how many letters I get from grandmothers who say, 'It's the only thing I can talk to my 15-year-old grandson about.' The Lakers are more than just a basketball team to this city. They're part of this community.
Jerry West really helped a lot, and so did players like Magic Johnson. That's why, at the end of my career, I wanted to finish my career with the Lakers.
I'd like to think that the nature of the two teams - Boston being a championship team over the years and the Lakers, same thing - was a lot bigger than Larry Bird or Magic Johnson.