In October of 2025, the Los Angeles Lakers were officially sold to billionaire Mark Walter, marking the end of an era for this historic franchise. The deal, valued at roughly a record-breaking $10 billion, meant the Buss family was no longer the team’s majority owner for the first time since 1979.
A recent report disclosed the fallout from this sale, shedding further light on the dysfunction within the Buss family. This includes a shocking quote from a family member about her sudden firing after the transaction.
Janie Buss’ Reaction Highlights the Internal Struggle Around the Lakers’ Ownership
When legendary owner Jerry Buss passed away in 2013, his controlling share of the Lakers passed into a family trust shared equally among his six children.
His daughter, Jeanie Buss, was designated under his succession plan to become the team’s governor and represent the franchise on NBA matters. She eventually became the controlling owner and president, overseeing basketball and business operations.
Jeanie’s older brother Jim Buss initially ran basketball operations as executive vice president, but he was relieved of his duties in 2017 after a string of poor seasons. Meanwhile, the younger siblings, Joey and Jesse Buss, held front-office positions and gradually ascended to the roles of Lakers’ Alternate Governor, VP of Research and Development, and Assistant General Manager.
Lastly, in addition to being part-owners, Janie and Johnny Buss were less involved basketball-wise but held positions, including as Director of Charitable Services and Executive Vice President of Corporate/Strategic Development.
This team’s sale, however, led Jeanie to fire her siblings from their Lakers roles as part of a post-sale reorganization. The move removed Janie, Johnny, Jim, Jesse, and Joey from operational roles, leaving Jeanie, who is still a minority owner and governor, as the sole Buss sibling with an official position in the organization.
In a recent piece, Senior NBA Writer Baxter Holmes disclosed Janie’s reaction to being fired by her sister after the sale.
“The Lakers were 15 games into the season and playing well, with an 11-4 record. The team’s sale to Mark Walter — at a $10 billion valuation — had closed nearly three weeks prior, in late October.
While leadership changes are often a given in any such transaction, this timing seemed off: Why now? What had they done? Janie pleaded not to be fired: “Please, let me resign.” She was out but would be paid through the end of the calendar year. She told ESPN that she felt like a crumpled-up piece of paper thrown into the trash.
The report offers an in-depth look at the tussle within this family for control of their beloved franchise, with Jeanie’s cutthroat decision highlighting the fallout from this dysfunction.
There were other bombshells within the article, such as Jeanie’s strained relationship with LeBron James, that the Lakers will need to move on from as they look to contend for an 18th NBA championship. This roster certainly has the potential to make a deep run, but it will need to avoid any kind of off-the-court drama to compete in a loaded Western Conference.
