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Jeanie Buss was not involved in firing Byron Scott

The latest news contradicts prior reports about Buss' involvement.

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Leigh Vogel/Getty Images

When the Los Angeles Lakers parted ways with Byron Scott on Sunday night, there was some thought that it meant Jeanie Buss had been overruled. The Lakers president has previously claimed that while she technically had final say over all decisions, she would stay hands off with basketball operations. However, Ken Berger of CBS Sports contradicted Buss' statement when he reported earlier this month that "Jeanie Buss is said to be pushing for Scott behind the scenes."

So did Jeanie lose a struggle for Scott's job with her brother Jim? Not according to Sam Amick of USA Today, who reported that Jeanie stayed away from the process.

"Jeanie Buss did not take part in the decision to part ways with Scott," wrote Amick in his report on Scott's firing. "While she has final say within the organization, Jim Buss and Kupchak were given full authority to make this basketball choice."

While this information is obviously less ripe for conspiracy theories about Jeanie wanting to bring her fiancee Phil Jackson back next summer should her brother fail to meet his deadline for contention and step down, it is more indicative of a healthily functioning organization.

If Buss had been pushing for a placeholder coach to set her brother up for failure and make things easier on his replacement, it would be illustrative of a larger problem in the organization. That she's allowing the basketball side to do their jobs is much more encouraging for the franchise's future.

You can follow this author on Twitter at @hmfaigen.

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