I've updated my guide here to the 'Told in Pictures' series of books by the legendary Dudley D Watkins - these are hard to find in dustjackets but a great set of books (if a little confusing to collect, hence the need for a guide!)
Context:
>“I thought I was coming back to the Lakers,” said Dudley, 36, in a phone interview. “This is crazy.”
>“Obviously LeBron and A.D. wanted me back,” said Dudley. “But we just couldn’t convince them.”
>“No one owed me anything, Rob and Kurt were honest and upfront, nothing but respect and gratitude to them and Jeanie [Buss], I will be forever thankful for the opportunity they gave me,” Dudley said. “But I did want to come back. I did think I could help the team, especially having so many new players, but I understand they wanted to get younger.”
>“I talked to Rob and Kurt, I thanked them, but I told them, you’re valuing youth more than a locker room presence guy,” Dudley said. “I said, ‘I respect you for doing that, but I think you’re wrong,’”
>Explained Dudley, “When people say I’m a locker room presence, my job was way more than a locker room presence. You’re a guidance counselor, a relationship expert. … I’m the middleman that brings it all together.”
https://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/story/2021-08-26/lakers-failure-to-retain-jared-dudley-is-a-massive-loss-for-the-franchise
