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MCA Music boss Irving Azoff may have Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s Cranberry jazz label on his roster. But rival Joe Smith at Capitol Records nabbed the Cap’n for the Lakers’ rap single “Just Say No,” an anti-drug record due shortly. Profits go to charity, to be distributed via the Forum Community, an organization of Lakers wives.
Both Smith and Azoff pay $175 per courtside seat for each Lakers game. And both are record moguls. So how come Smith got the Lakers?
Smith explained (with a chuckle): “The Lakers came to me because they know I’m a real fan, and Irving’s just a short-term fan. He still thinks (Lakers general manager) Jerry West is the name of a country-Western band.
“We’re just high-paid Lakers groupies who want to help their team.
“Neither of us would make a record with the hated Boston Celtics.”
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