Jerry West, who died earlier this year, blames himself for what the Lakers did to his son, Ryan, in 2019.
“I almost wish,” West told ESPN, “that I never played for them or worked for them.”
The young West saw his time with the Lakers come to an end after the Clippers acquired Kawhi Leonard and then Paul George).
The other LA team got those two stars in part because of Jerry West, who worked for the organization for several years starting in 2017.
“The day after Leonard joined the Clippers, the team traded for the star skater Paul George, instantly making them title contenders.
Later that month, on July 27, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Jerry West’s son, Ryan, who had spent 10 years with the Lakers and eventually served as director of player personnel, was leaving the organization.
“The team’s sources have made it clear that Ryan was not leaving on his own accord. Two sources close to the matter said Ryan’s departure was linked to the feeling that there was no room for growth within the franchise, as ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reported.
“Jerry saw it the other way.”
A week after his son’s departure, West said, “They let him go because of me.”
Ryan was frustrated at the time, having worked there for over a decade.
“He (the elder West) viewed his son, who now serves as a pro personnel scout for the Detroit Pistons, as collateral damage when he clashed with members of the Lakers’ leadership,” Holmes wrote.
“The Lakers refused to comment on this matter.
“(Elder) West said he apologized to Ryan, who he described as ‘frustrated.'”
The former Lakers executive likened the whole situation to a TV show.
“It’s like a soap opera,” the LA executive told ESPN. “There is a fall, which hurts. Ryan, to me, looks like he paid the price for all these little things.”
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