Jeanie Buss Says Lakers Would Have Made Better Pitch To Dwight Howard If Her Father Had Lived

April 5, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard (12) speaks with power forward Pau Gasol (16) during a stoppage in play against the Memphis Grizzlies in the second half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

It looks like LaLa-Land just can’t get over losing out on the Dwight Howard sweepstakes. Los Angeles Lakers executive vice president Jeanie Buss stated that her father, the late Dr. Jerry Buss might have been able to change Howard’s decision of signing with the Houston Rockets.

In an interview with ESPNLA710, Jeanie Buss stated the following:

“They(Howard and Dr. Buss) would’ve probably had a better relationship if my dad hadn’t been sick. When it came time to try to convince Dwight to stay, we lost the best closer in the business in Dr. Buss. Putting up billboards maybe wasn’t the right thing. But we maybe have to learn to do things differently because Dr. Buss isn’t here anymore. People said [of the billboards], ‘Oh, that’s not the Laker way.’ Well, the Laker way isn’t the same, because Dr. Buss isn’t here.”

Howard decided to leave the Lakers after a just one season, a season in which he constantly feuded with Kobe Bryant, and didn’t have much of a relationship with head coach Mike D’Antoni.

While the Lakers continue to moan about their loss, the Rockets are very excited for the D12 era to begin.