The Los Angeles Lakers, once the crown jewel of family-owned sports franchises, were sold to billionaire Mark Walter in a stunning $10 billion deal. It marked the end of the Buss family’s majority ownership. What began as Jerry Buss’ dream of creating a dynasty that would last through generations has ended in family feud, shocking terminations, and a sale that left some siblings feeling betrayed.
The final chapter of this iconic family’s story is shadowed by a devastating comment that Jeanie Buss made to her younger brother, Jesse, during a crucial phone call in 2019, words that would prove extremely painful for the latter.
What Did Lakers’ Jeanie Buss Say to Her Brother Jesse?
The moment that would come to define the Buss family’s unraveling occurred during what should have been a routine phone call. It was July 13, 2019, and the Lakers had just introduced superstar Anthony Davis at a press conference, pairing him with LeBron James. The duo was supposed to help the Lakers return to title contention.
Jesse Buss, one of Jerry’s two younger sons, called his sister Jeanie to ask about a curious remark made during the event. The conversation took a dark turn when Jeanie began discussing their ailing mother, JoAnn, who was in the final months of her life.
According to three sources with knowledge of the call, Jeanie revealed a long-buried family secret: JoAnn had made Jerry Buss promise never to have children with anyone else after they placed their first daughter up for adoption in 1953 due to financial constraints.
But Jerry broke that promise decades later, when he had two sons, Joey and Jesse, with his girlfriend, Karen Demel, in the 1980s.
Jeanie to her brother Jesse in 2019: “You should’ve never been born”
Baxter: “Word about this made the rounds in the organization and as one source told me that marked the beginning of the end”
😬😬😬 pic.twitter.com/3rQgq7mMoq
— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) January 21, 2026
Given the broken promise between their parents, Jeanie told her younger brother, Jesse, something heartbreaking: “You should’ve never been born,” ESPN reported.
There had always been distance between them, not just because of the 31-year age gap separating the oldest sibling, Johnny, from the youngest, Jesse. The older siblings often remarked that their father was frequently absent during their childhoods while building the L.A. empire.
By the time Joey and Jesse were born, that empire was already built, and the younger brothers enjoyed a different relationship with Jerry, one that included his joyful engagement as a father.
News of Jeanie’s shocking statement quickly spread within the Lakers organization. Multiple team sources told ESPN they were stunned by the remark. One source described it as “mind-blowing,” saying, “I don’t care who you are. You don’t say that to somebody else.”
The phone call, those close to the family say, revealed something important: a resentment that had been festering beneath the surface for years, as one person close to the family told ESPN, that moment marked “the beginning of the end” for the Buss family’s ownership of the Lakers.
