When people hear the name Buss, nine times out of 10 the Los Angeles Lakers are the first thing that comes to mind. The Lakers are one of the biggest franchises in sports history and have a legacy that dates all the way back to the beginning of the NBA. The Buss family has been involved with the Lakers for the past 47 years, dating back to 1979 when Dr. Jerry Buss purchased the Lakers, the Kings and the Forum for $67.5 million.
The culture that he created for the Lakers was all about winning and being the best basketball team in the NBA. When he passed away in 2013, Dr. Buss left the legacy he created in the hands of his children. His daughter Jeanie Buss took it upon herself to carry this legacy forward for her family.
“It was always about family. It was about continuing the vision he had and what he wanted for the team,” she said. “And what he wanted for the team was always for the Lakers to be at the top.”
In 2013, she took over the team as president and controlling governor. She helped the Lakers transition out of one of their toughest stretches in history, during which they missed the playoffs six times, but eventually helped build a team that won the NBA Championship in 2020.
In June 2025, Buss and her siblings decided to sell a majority stake of the Lakers to Mark Walter, the current owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, for $10 billion. To Buss’ surprise, Walter resold the Lakers’ majority stake in August 2026 to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger for a record $12.5 billion. “I didn’t see the resale coming, and that’s still playing out,” Buss said.
What we know now is that her five siblings want to sell the remaining 17.8% of the Lakers stock to the current majority holders. This agreement is currently being tested in court, putting Buss’ current position as controlling governor on hold. NBA rules state that to be controlling governor, you must own at least 15% of the team's stock.
Buss has been involved with the Lakers since she was 17 years old and has been in the sports industry professionally since she was 19 years old. Though she eventually became owner of the Lakers in 2017, to her, the Lakers always belonged to the fans. “It was never ‘oh, I’m the owner,’” she said, “The fans own the team.”
Prior to her father buying the Lakers, Dr. Buss was a real estate investor. Jeanie Buss had originally thought that real estate was going to be her career as well, until her father bought the Forum and gave her the role of filling up the venue for different events outside of Lakers and Kings games. While promoting the Forum, she was the general manager of the Los Angeles Strings, a tennis team in the World Team Tennis league. Buss never imagined she would become the controlling governor of the Lakers, but she always intended to help the family business.
“It was never a plotted career path that I would end up being controlling governor of the Lakers,” she said. “I just kept continuing to do whatever the family needed.”
Buss’ position could potentially be taken away from her, leaving some fans worried about new ownership being more tailored to the money, and not the team’s ability to win championships for their respected fans.
Students and professors at Santa Monica College had their own opinions on Buss and her time with the Lakers, but all expressed their resentment toward new owners in the NBA, who are perceived to prioritize money over their team's success.
“New owners in the NBA don’t really care about the team, and it’s all about money,” Jesse Tweneboah said, a student at SMC. He also felt that with Buss and her family being involved for so long, it’s not just about money to them.
Cavaliers fan and SMC professor Tristan Shaw agreed with Tweneboah. “When I think about what is wrong with sports, it’s getting away from what the fans want and more about the business,” Shaw said. Shaw has lived in Los Angeles for the past eight years and believes that the Lakers' legacy is what it is today because of the Buss family. He doesn’t believe the team is the same without them.
“From what I can tell, she does love the team,” Shaw said “Her wanting to even hold on to it and that legacy of the Buss family with the Lakers. I don't know if the Lakers is the Lakers without that.”
Hearing this made Jeanie emotional, but to her, she’s always thought just like a fan. “I’m just doing what any person in my position would do,” she said “I want the Lakers to be great. I want them to win more championships than the Celtics.”
Just like any other Lakers fan, Buss can relate to the ongoing rivalry and the desire to always outperform the Celtics and be the best NBA team of all time. She has also experienced all the ups and downs of being a fan, just like the rest of us.
One of her favorite moments is watching her father draft Magic Johnson and seeing them win a championship together in both of their first years as part of the Lakers organization. “These two people who had a vision and love for the game came together, and they were the perfect match,” Buss said. “It was like a dream.”
On the contrary, the passing of Kobe Bryant was one of the toughest moments in Lakers history, especially for Buss. Moments like those are when Buss turned to her father’s wishes of not only having the best NBA team, but also creating a community for the people of Southern California.
“He created this legacy about winning, but most importantly, what that meant to the community of Southern California,” she said. “The Lakers, in times of division, could always unite, and we can all come together under the purple and gold flag.”
Buss wants all fans to stay tuned for what the Lakers have in store, as they get ready to debut a new roster built around their star Luka Doncic. At the end of the day, Jeanie plans to stay involved with the Lakers no matter what.
“Just because I’m a fan, I will be the Lakers one way or the other,” she said. “No matter what, it’s ride or die.”