The Los Angeles Lakers worked quickly to replace Tim Harris after it was reported he would be leaving his post as president of business operations at the end of the season. They went with Lon Rosen, the executive vice president and chief marketing officer of the L.A. Dodgers, in another step towards Mark Walter making the Lakers his own operation.
Rosen has been in his position with the Dodgers since 2012, and has overseen successful operations on the business side as the team has seen unprecedented success on the field. They have routinely increased year-to-year revenue while being the MLB leaders in attendance in nearly every year of his tenure.
Now, the newest top decision-maker for the Lakers’ business operations side gave his statement on joining the purple and gold, expressing his thanks while outlining his goals.
“I’m beyond grateful to Jeanie and Mark for trusting me with this incredible opportunity,” said Rosen. “As everyone knows, the economics of the sports business are constantly changing – and they will continue to do so.
“But, at root, my job is a simple one: figuring out how to do right by our employees and our partners while ensuring that the Lakers continue to provide an unparalleled experience for our fans in Los Angeles and around the world. I look forward to working alongside Jeanie, Rob and the whole front-office team to make that happen.”
Walter took over as the majority owner of the Lakers earlier this season and has already begun making changes to try and replicate the Dodgers’ success in downtown L.A. However, it is clear that — at least for the near future — Jeanie Buss and Rob Pelinka are going to remain heavily involved.
Rosen thanked both Pelinka, the general manager, and Buss, the team governor, in his statement. This is yet another indication that Walter is sticking with the two of them as primary figureheads in the organization.
Jeanie Buss believes her father would approve of Lakers sale to Walter
There has been significant drama within the Buss family and the Lakers organization over the decision to sell the team to Walter. All reports claim that Jeanie was the tie-breaking vote to sell after years of being reluctant to do so.
But she believes that her father, the late legend Dr. Jerry Buss, would have approved of selling the team to Walter. That allowed her to feel okay about changing her vote and letting the team be sold for a record $10 billion valuation.
If you love our reporting, choose LakersNation.com as a preferred source on Google.
