The Los Angeles Lakers are shaking up their scouting department, and the biggest moves involve jettisoning two members of the Buss family who still serve as part-owners of the team.
The Lakers suddenly fired longtime team executives Joey and Jesse Buss from front-office positions they had held within the organization for more than a decade on Thursday, Nov. 20, according to multiple reports.
Joey Buss, 41, was the Lakers’ alternate governor and vice president of research and development, and previously worked as president and CEO of the G League’s South Bay Lakers. Jesse Buss, 37, was the Lakers’ assistant general manager and director of scouting, with his work helping guide the team’s NBA draft decisions.
They are the younger sons of late former Lakers owner Jerry Buss and the younger brothers of Jeannie Buss. She still serves as the franchise’s primary governor at NBA meetings after majority ownership of the Lakers was sold to Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter at a $10 billion valuation.
The sale was formally approved by NBA owners last month. Joey and Jesse Buss will continue to serve as minority owners of the team, according to ESPN, despite Thursday’s decision to move on from them in a reorganization of the team’s basketball operations.
Buss brothers’ new venture
After the Buss family agreed to sell back in June, Joey and Jesse Buss announced a new investment firm called Buss Sports Capital in late September.
The business will be tasked with identifying acquisitions and partnerships across the global sports landscape.
‘Our vision is to really go after strategic investments and good partners – specifically sports-related investments,’ Joey Buss told ESPN back in September. ‘Buss Sports Capital is not going to compete with our interests in the Lakers or the NBA. This is our first step towards where the future of sports is going to lead us. It is exciting to see what growth opportunities exist – particularly opportunities that we can add value to, given our skill sets.’
Lakers find success on court
Despite all the off-court business surrounding the Lakers, the team has managed to produce positive results this season.
The Lakers are 11-4 while overcoming several changes to the lineup due to injury. LeBron James just made his season debut on Tuesday after being out due to sciatica.
The team is fairly healthy now and won’t play again until traveling to play the Utah Jazz on Nov. 23.
Jeanie Buss’ history with brothers
In 2017, Jeanie Buss prevented a legal attempt her older brothers, Johnny and Jim, had made to try and remove her from her seat on the team’s board of directors and controlling ownership of the team.
Jeanie Buss had temporarily filed a restraining order and a lawsuit to force the older brothers to comply with the terms of the family’s trust after viewing their actions as hostile, according to ESPN.