The Los Angeles Lakers have almost always operated as a family business, but that will be changing after Jeanie Buss and her family sold a majority stake to Mark Walter.
Walter, who is already the owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, brings much more financial might with him and a proven track record of overseeing championship teams. Vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka detailed a recent conversation with Walter about modeling the Lakers after the Dodgers, lining up with reports that changes will be coming in the offseason.
While the sale seems like a good thing for the health of the franchise, members within the Buss family did not agree with the decision.
In an intervierw with Alex Sherman of CNBC, Jeanie defended the decision and believes her father, the legendary Dr. Jerry Buss, would have been supportive of the sale:
“What was important to him was that the Lakers stay at the top of the NBA, and to stay at the top of the NBA, you need to have the resources,” Buss said. “You need to have everybody pulling together. And he would want [that for] the Lakers, because the Lakers are his legacy.”
Jeanie added that all the Buss siblings were involved in the decision to sell and emphasized that she believes this is the best direction for the team due to the resources Walter can provide:
“My siblings were involved in the decision that was made,” Jeanie Buss said. “It’s about the Lakers and the greatness and what the fans expect, and you need resources and you need a direction. I think it’s fair to say that my family — we all have our different opinions and [are] living our lives, choosing what we want to do with our time, and this was the best decision for all six of us.”
The infighting between the Buss siblings over the organization is well-documented, so selling the team allows for someone like Walter to come in and revamp the operation. Jeanie will remain as governor working with Walter for the foreseeable future, but a new era of purple and gold basketball appears to be on the way.
Jeanie Buss discusses Lakers building around Luka Doncic and LeBron James’ uncertain future
The sale of the franchise comes just when the Lakers landed their next superstar in Luka Doncic. Jeanie Buss discussed how excited she is for the team to build around Doncic while simultaneously acknowledging that LeBron James’ future with the organization is uncertain.
If you love our reporting, choose LakersNation.com as a preferred source on Google.
