The Los Angeles Lakers organization is undergoing a dramatic front-office shake-up, following the recent record $10 billion sale of the majority ownership stake to Mark Walter. Brothers Joey and Jesse Buss, children of the late Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss, have confirmed they have been fired from their executive roles after more than 20 years with the franchise (New York Post, ESPN).

The firing has intensified the long-running family feud, with Jesse Buss publicly pointing the finger at their sister, Jeanie Buss, who remains the team's Governor.

💼 The Roles and The Firings

The brothers, who retained their minority ownership stakes despite the sale, expressed disappointment over the handling of their exits, which came shortly after the NBA approved Mark Walter's acquisition of the majority share.

• Joey Buss's Role: Alternate Governor and Vice President of Research and Development. He was also President/CEO of the G League South Bay Lakers.

• Jesse Buss's Role: Assistant General Manager and Director of Scouting.

• Legacy: The brothers were praised for their work in scouting and player development, credited with finding key late-round talents like Austin Reaves, Alex Caruso, and Kyle Kuzma (The Times of India).

In a joint statement, the brothers reflected on their time with the team:

"We are extremely honored to have been part of this organization for the last 20 seasons. ... We wish things could be different with the way our time ended with the team. At times like this we wish we could ask our Dad what he would think about it all.” (New York Post)

The firings also reportedly included a broader overhaul of the scouting department that worked with the brothers (AP).

🎯 Accusations Against Jeanie Buss

The internal family tensions were brought to the forefront by Jesse Buss, who suggested the move was designed to consolidate power under his sister, Jeanie.

• Claim of Father’s Wishes: Jesse stated, “Dr. Buss’ idea was for Joey and I to run basketball operations one day. But Jeanie has effectively kept herself in place with her siblings fired” (New York Post).

• Lack of Communication: Jesse revealed he had not spoken to Jeanie or General Manager Rob Pelinka in five months and felt “siloed quite a bit” within the organization, even feeling "treated like I was working against them... like an enemy" (People Magazine, The Athletic). He also noted he was dealing with health issues during this period of estrangement (People Magazine).

🏢 The New Ownership Structure

The firings are the first major front-office shake-up under new majority owner Mark Walter, the CEO of Guggenheim Partners and co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who acquired the team at a record-breaking $10 billion valuation.

• Mark Walter's Role: Majority Owner. He has a net worth estimated around $7-13 billion (Bloomberg, Forbes).

• Jeanie Buss's Role: Remains the team's Governor and will continue to run the team's day-to-day operations and represent the Lakers on the NBA's Board of Governors for at least the next five years, a term protected under the sale agreement (AP, The Times of India).

Walter issued a statement expressing his commitment to maintaining the Lakers' legacy of excellence while working alongside Jeanie Buss in this "new era" (New York Post).

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