Los Angeles. – In a groundbreaking move within the organization, the Los Angeles Lakers immediately dismissed executives
Joey Buss and
Jesse Buss, who held key positions within the franchise’s basketball operations. The information was revealed by the brothers themselves to journalist Shams Charania this Thursday.
You may be interested in: Néstor “Che” García retakes command of the Dominican Republic national team for the road to the 2027 World Cup
The restructuring also included the departure of most of the team’s scouting department, as sources confirmed to ESPN, leaving behind two figures who for two decades had direct participation in the discovery and development of young talent.
A Lakers spokesperson confirmed the dismissals, without offering further details on the reasons for the measure.
Two decades of contribution to purple and gold talent
Joey and Jesse Buss have been fundamental pieces in the scouting and development area, participating in the identification of players who later became essential contributions to the team, including
Austin Reaves, Alex Caruso, Kyle Kuzma, Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr., and Max Christie.
Joey Buss served as
deputy governor and vice president of research and development, while Jesse held the position of
assistant general manager, in addition to leading the scouting department throughout the year.
In a statement to ESPN, the brothers expressed gratitude and sadness for their departure:
“We are honored to have been a part of this organization for the last 20 seasons. We thank the Lakers fans for welcoming our family every step of the way. We wish things had been different regarding the end of our time with the team.”
They also regretted not being able to have the opinion of their late father,
Jerry Buss, who, according to Jesse, wanted them both to run basketball operations in the future.
Jeanie Buss will continue to lead the team
The move comes as
Jeanie Buss, the principal governor of the Lakers, maintains operational control of the franchise, a topic that has generated family tensions in the past. In 2017, Jeanie removed her brother Jim as president of basketball operations, leading to a legal conflict that included a temporary restraining order to stop attempts to remove her from the team’s leadership.
On this occasion, Joey and Jesse, aged 41 and 37 respectively, will retain their minority stake in the franchise. Both recently launched “Buss Sports Capital”, a firm dedicated to acquiring and investing in sports projects internationally.
A New Chapter for the Lakers
The restructuring occurs months after the NBA’s board of governors approved the majority sale of the Lakers to businessman
Mark Walter, in a transaction valued at
10 billion dollars.
The Buss family’s legacy in the organization dates back to 1979, when Jerry Buss acquired the team, building a historic era that brought multiple championships to Los Angeles. With this decision, a significant change is marked in the family succession line within the purple and gold ensemble.
