LECHER LAKER BUSS THE CONSUMATE TALENT SCOUT: I’ve lived in L.A. for seven years now, and I find myself gravitating to being a Lakers fan. How can you argue with the current stewardship of team owner Jerry Buss?

It’s no coincidence that his astute basketball acumen has lead the team back to respectability after his Italian vacation caused Shaq to leave the uncontrollable circumstances of Shaquille O’Neal’s unfortunate departure.

Of course, everyone knows that the main reason the Lakers are a model NBA franchise is because of the quality people Buss currently surrounds himself with.

His latest masterstroke (besides the offseason Vladimir Radmanovic sign) in the HR department has been to hire Bonnie-Jill Laflin away from the softcore porn industry, where she was a nude model, for a front office position.

No doubt after carefully considering hundreds of other well-qualified, deserving male and female candidates for the job, Buss reportedly installed her as Assistant General Manager of the club’s developmental team.But for some reason, the Lakers basketball operations page doesn’t include her name. It must be a careless omission, since we all know Mitch Kupchak and the rest of Lakers front office is no doubt proud of the association.

And you can bet that the brightest female basketball minds are also flush with pride, seeing one of their own land a plum basketball operations position with the legendary NBA franchise.

Arash Markazi of SI.com has more on Buss’ bold and brilliant move, as he profiles Laflin and her groundbreaking gig with the NBA club.