I had dinner last night with someone who works in close proximity to the Lakers front office, and we were chuckling about how the NBA franchise is known as a model organization in the pro sports industry.

What many don’t know is that because of Jerry Buss’ general lack of funds, the organization is run on a shoestring. There’s essentially five full-timers in the entire front office. Five. That said, many NBA teams are learning that perhaps that isn’t such a bad business model. Especially in the current economic climate.

Because Buss isn’t as financially fit as most pro sports owners, it’s safe to say that if the Lakers hadn’t had their remarkable run of championships during his tenure, he probably would’ve lost control of the franchise long ago. In other words, if he ran the team the way Donald Sterling has run the Clippers, the Lakers wouldn’t have been such a cash-generating machine, and Buss probably would’ve had to sell at some point.

What also makes the Lakers so wonderfully unique is the way septugenerian Buss galivants around in the company of females 50 years his junior. And of course his daughter Jeanie posing for Playboy and *dating* 61-year-old Phil Jackson. It really can’t get any better than that, can it?

Actually, it can.

How about the club hiring a nude model, Bonnie-Jill Laflin (above), as a scout? You might remember our previous reportage on her somewhere among those dusty SbB back issues in your basement - right next to the nudie mags you saw her splayed out in.

I’m happy to report that thanks to the kooks at PETA, Laflin she has freshened up her nude modeling resume. New pic after the jump. Read more…

Attention, ladies of Southern California! Think you have what it takes to entertain Jack Nicholson & other only-there-to-be-seen celebrity fans at Staples Center this season? Well, now’s your chance to dance!

The Los Angeles Lakers will be holding tryouts this Saturday for their 2008 edition of the Laker Girls. Hopeful honeys willing to shake it like a Polaroid picture in front of Kobe & crew need to report to the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, CA, at 9 a.m. sharp.

However, any ogling Laker fans looking to get a sneak-peek preview of this season’s squad are out of luck. Read more…

• Remember when Lakers owner Jerry Buss couldn’t be bothered to come to Boston because of a poker tournament? WICKED CHOPS POKER now deals up photos of the good Doctor hitting the tables - under the watchful eye of a much younger, very interested spectator.

• 950 ESPN in Philadelphia bounces along word that Doug Christie wants Congress to investigate NBA officiating - if that’s okay with his wife.

• MR. IRRELEVANT concludes their broadcasting day, as “Blog Show” is heading off the airwaves.

• DC SPORTS BOG strikes a pose, as the 9-year-old daughter of Redskins lineman Kedric Golston is turning into quite the model child.

Read more…

I’m happy to report that I’m back in Los Angeles for the summer, after five delightful days driving from Miami. First day back, I was at Game 5 of the NBA Finals, which extended the inevitable Boston series triumph by at least one more 48-minute epoch (has a team ever looked worse in a win than Sunday @ Staples?)

Before the game, I waited for Jerry Buss to pull up with a limo-full of teenie strippers drank in the *electric* atmosphere outside the arena, which featured a chance to admire an embarrassingly outdated display of ABC NBA broadcasters. Best part: Getting to let Stephen A. know how the vast majority of respirating, bipedal NBA fans felt about his past on-air contribution.

The fan photo-op broadcast desk was part of an RV-display that featured cutouts of ABC’s NBA broadcast team, which as you can imagine had passing fans bursting with excitement. One small detail: Smith and Bill Walton aren’t on ABC’s coverage of the NBA Finals.

It’s also nice to see the (Celtics-operated?) Staples-area parking guys weren’t in a mood to gouge Game 5 attendees. Let’s see, buy a quarter-tank of gas, or park for the game?

I traveled around Los Angeles (Pasadena down to Venice) quite a bit yesterday to acquaint myself with how my town was feeling before the game. I was surprised. No car flags, no lines outside of sports bars, no buzz. I know it was Father’s Day, and the Lakers were down 3-1, but I expected at least some excitement around town. But it’s been exceedingly flaccid, especially compared to the early ’90s championship Shaq-n-Kobe era.

Apparently, the country is similarly laissez-faire. The ratings have been better than last year’s putrid numbers, but as Barry Horn of the DALLAS MORNING NEWS wrote, “(ESPN/ABC and the NBA) dreamed of a return to double-digit ratings with Lakers-Celtics, but the numbers have been a disappointment. America knew Michael Jordan. Apparently, Kobe Bryant is no Michael Jordan.”

Rocco Mediate as a poker player, from WICKED CHOPS POKER:

More golf coverage after the jump … Read more…

When Hugh Hefner makes his way to Staples Center on Tuesday, there’s one Lakers front-office employee the Playboy purveyor will most certainly have his eye on - Bonnie-Jill Laflin.

Laflin is a former model-slash-actress-slash-TV reporter who serves as a scout for the L.A. b-ball squad. But when she sits herself down at courtside to watch prospective players, who’s checking out who?

Read more…

If you travel this space regularly, you know I’m going to be moving from South Beach to L.A. shortly. Now if I’m able to make it back home by this weekend, I’ll goto Game Five of the NBA Finals at Staples between the C’s and Lakers. And have coverage on SbB.

(We’d rather have poker pro Lacey Jones play with our stack too, ol’ Doc Buss)

I didn’t make it to the first two games of the Finals in Boston, which isn’t all that surprising. But what may have left some Boston fans befuddled is that Lakers Owner Jerry Buss and daughter Jeanie Buss (also Phil Jax’s GF) didn’t go either.

Jeanie stayed back in her Marina home, ordering in (C & O?) for the games. Meanwhile, her father decided a poker tournament in Vegas was a higher priority, which means “double-down” is now taking on a whole new meaning for ol’ Doc Buss.

Now, anyone who follows the Lakers is in no way surprised at this revelation. In the case of elder Buss, this is the same guy who refused to come home from a vacation in Italy to attend to the final, fateful Shaq-Kobe blowup - which eventually led to O’Neal’s ouster (hindsight: that was Buss’ plan all along).

(Jeanie’s priority #2 - after Phil’s Doan’s pills - score Hef courtside seats)

The only thing surprising regarding Jerry passing on Game 1 & 2 in The Bean is that he didn’t do it from the O.G. in Vegas.

Wait a minute, who said he didn’t?

And of course, Jeanie has her priorities too, like setting up Hef for his Game 3 digs on 1111 South Fig. Playboy’s Hugh Hefner will make a rare appearance at a Lakers game on Tuesday. More importantly, he’s bringing his three fake girlfriends with him.

(Yes, the old goat will be courtside too)

So, I think I might be able to make it out of Miami by Tuesday night. If I do, I’ll be filing from the road. Hopefully I’ll be able to scare up something interesting along the way but don’t hold your breath. Read more…

Lakers TV announcer John Ireland sent over a note today that gave us a smile:

“I just checked www.linesmaker.com and for what it’s worth, the Lakers are now the favorites to win the NBA Championship at 2-1. The Celtics are 5-2; the Spurs 6-1 and Pistons 15-2. Suns are 7-1 for now. How crazy is that?”

Yes, for Lakers fans, like us, that’s good news. But not necessarily for the reasons you may think.

Read more…

The LOS ANGELES TIMES points out news that Kobe Bryant has a torn ligament in his finger. But the Lakers leader will forgo surgery for now.

Bryant hurt his right pinkie in a Feb. 5 game against New Jersey, and happened to re-aggravate the injury in Wednesday’s win against Minnesota. Originally diagnosed as a dislocation, further examination on Thursday revealed much more digital damage. Read more…

• Hot dog! FOX SPORTS grills up news that the Cleveland Indians have signed Kobayashi to a 2-year deal:

No, not that Kobayashi, you wiener.
• SPIRIT OF JAKE PLUMMER tries to help Jerry Buss by offering these Kobe trade proposals.• CNBC’s Darren Rovell follows the loon-acy of the currency exchange rate and its effect on the Toronto Blue Jays.

• SAMMY’S SPORTS SERMONS circles the wagons to present their photo essay of Sunday night’s Bills tailgating:

• LION IN OIL is all abuzz about official MLB playoff game-used bug spray on the auction block.• PANTHER RANTS isn’t so bullish about South Florida’s upcoming visit to Pittsburgh.

LAKERS CAN DRIVE KOBE CRAZY, BUT CAN’T DRIVE CARS: For the Los Angeles Lakers, driving the lane is an easier concept than driving on the street:

As Lamar Odom had his head examined after a car collision Tuesday, owner Jerry Buss is in the middle of a two-game suspension stemming from drunk driving charges.The LOS ANGELES TIMES drinks in the news that Buss was fined $25,000 by the NBA and forced to stay away for the first two games of the Lakers’ season.

Because of his September DUI arrest, Buss didn’t hold court during Tuesday’s loss to Houston, and he’ll be out of sight for Friday’s contest against Phoenix.If Kobe’s going to be driven out of town, he may want to get a chauffeur.