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In a shocking turn of events, the Los Angeles Lakers are terminating executives Joey and Jesse Buss from their representative roles in the front office. In a move that sent shockwaves through the basketball world, the Los Angeles Lakers have dismissed long-time front-office executives Joey Buss and Jesse Buss, marking a dramatic turning point for the franchise and the end of an era for the storied Buss family legacy.
ESPN’s Shams Charania shared the news via X.
The Los Angeles Lakers are reorganizing their basketball operations department and terminating executives Joey and Jesse Buss from their respective front office positions, effective immediately, the brothers told ESPN.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 20, 2025
Background: The Buss Family & The Lakers
The Buss family — spearheaded by the late Jerry Buss — purchased the Lakers in 1979, laying the foundation for decades of success.
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Jerry Buss transformed the franchise into one of the most iconic in sports, collecting multiple championships.
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His children, including sister Jeanie Buss, Joey and Jesse, later became deeply involved in the organization.
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Jeanie became the Lakers’ operating governor after Jerry’s death in 2013, and for years the family’s involvement was central to the team’s identity.
What Happened: The Firings
On November 20–21, 2025, the Lakers announced that Joey and Jesse Buss would no longer work in the organization’s front office.
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Joey Buss (41) served as the alternate governor and vice president of research & development for the Lakers.
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Jesse Buss (37) was assistant general manager and director of scouting, credited with unearthing several key players.
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Both brothers will remain minority owners of the franchise, despite being removed from their operational roles.
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Their departure comes alongside a broader overhaul of the scouting department and basketball-operations structure.
In a joint statement, Joey and Jesse said:
“We are extremely honored to have been part of this organization for the last 20 seasons… Thank you to Laker Nation for embracing our family every step of the way. We wish things could be different with the way our time ended with the team.”
Jesse also made pointed comments regarding the internal dynamics:
“Dr. Buss’ idea was for Joey and I to run basketball operations one day. But Jeanie has effectively kept herself in place with her siblings fired.”
Why It Matters
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End of a Family Era
The move signals a major shift away from the Buss family’s operational control of the Lakers. For nearly half a century, the team has been identified with the Buss name—and now two of its key younger members are exiting front-office roles. -
Ownership Change & Strategic Reset
In October 2025, majority control of the Lakers was approved for Mark Walter at a historic valuation of approximately $10 billion.-
This takeover has triggered a rethinking of the basketball-operations architecture, starting with the scouting department.
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The firings of Joey and Jesse may mark the first domino in Walter’s strategic re-engineering of the franchise.
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Internal Power Dynamics & Family Tensions
Reports of longstanding friction between Jesse and Jeanie Buss, plus broader restructuring, suggest that this is more than just a normal organizational refresh.
Observers are now asking: what does this mean for Jeanie’s future role and the family’s legacy at the Lakers? -
On-Court Implications
With the scouting and talent-identification apparatus being revamped, the Lakers are signaling a desire for a new era—one potentially less anchored in legacy and more in modern basketball operations, analytics, and global strategy. How quickly this translates into team performance remains to be seen.
Joey and Jesse released this statement moments after the news broke.
“We are extremely honored to have been part of this organization for the last 20 seasons. Thank you to Laker Nation for embracing our family every step of the way. We wish things could be different with the way our time ended with the team. At times like this we wish we could ask our Dad what he would think about it all.”
What’s Next
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Front-Office Leadership: The Lakers will likely bring in new direction for scouting, player development, and analytics.
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Jeanie Buss’s Role: Although she remains governor for at least five years under the sale agreement, questions linger about how her power and influence will evolve.
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Execution on the Court: The structural changes may signal a future shift in roster construction, draft strategy, and international scouting—areas where the Lakers will need to keep pace.
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Buss Brothers’ Next Chapter: Joey and Jesse are launching their own sports-investment company, showing they were preparing for life after the Lakers.
Final Take
The firings of Joey and Jesse Buss represent a watershed moment for the Lakers—a franchise steeped in legacy, drama, and iconic moments. With the transition to Mark Walter’s ownership complete, the team is embracing change at a foundational level. While the brothers remain part-owners, their departure from operations draws a clean line under one chapter and opens the door for the next. For fans of the purple-and-gold, it’s a bye-bye to one era—and a heads-up for the next one.
This story will be updated….
