In my book, John Black was and will always be a bright spot for the Los Angeles Lakers.
As a long-time spokesperson for the storied NBA franchise, I found Black to be a creature of predictable rhythm when spreading information and responding to questions from Inquirer Sports.
In busier or in more tranquil times, Black always replied to queries in both oral and written fashion. The publicist hardly kept up with media outlets big and small the world over, but he was on the ball and on point, most of the time.
I chatted with Black as recently as two months ago. He was his usual responsive self, I had no sense of the turmoil swirling in the upper echelons of the Lakers and the guy’s impending departure as the team’s communications chief after 27 years.
Black’s run as an effective, professional public relations manager has yielded superlative results. The Lakers organization, including Filipino-American player Jordan Clarkson, is the better for it and remains the Southland’s crown jewel of sports franchises while it rebuilds for the long haul.
Last Tuesday, in characteristic Hollywood fashion, the team dramatically lowered the wrecking ball and smashed it through the front office, firing a trio of long-tenured executives—general manager Mitch Kupchak, team executive vice president Jim Buss, brother of president Jeanie Buss, and Black.
The “massacre” came when Jeanie named Lakers great Magic Johnson as the team’s chief of basketball operations.
The swift action is “a huge risk for Johnson but an even bigger risk” for Ms. Buss, said Los Angeles Times columnist Bill Plaschke.
“With the exception of Black, who was beloved by the Lakers community and may have paid the price for his close ties with Kupchak, the other firings were understandable considering the Lakers have just endured the two worst seasons in franchise history,” according to Plaschke.
Under the leadership of Ms. Buss, “the greatest Laker ever must save the worst Lakers ever,” said Plaschke.
The team was 17-65 last year—the worst season in its history. Currently, LA is second to last in the Western Conference at 19-39.
If Johnson succeeds, it will put him atop the list of Los Angeles sports greats.
If he can’t, “it could forever paint him… as an inspiring entertainer who nonetheless couldn’t do the hard work of running Los Angeles’ favorite basketball team,” said Plaschke.
LA has won 16 NBA titles; the last two were back to back in 2009 and 2010 under Kupchak’s watch.