Los Angeles Lakers' minority owners Joey and Jesse Buss gave their goodbyes via ESPN's Shams Charania after they were fired from their respective front office positions on Thursday.
In their joint statement, the Buss brothers thanked the Lakers' fans for their unending support and the organization for the opportunity to serve at its pleasure. However, they also took exception to their unceremonious exit and said things would have gone differently if Dr. Jerry Buss were still alive.
"We are extremely honored to have been part of this organization for the last 20 seasons," Joey and Jesse said to Shams. "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."
Joey held the title of vice-president of research and development and was the team's alternate governor. He previously held the position of President and CEO of the South Bay Lakers, the franchise's G-League affiliate. Meanwhile, Jesse was formerly the Lakers' Director of Scouting and last held the position of assistant to General Manager Rob Pelinka.
Both Joey and Jesse were considered to be key figures in the Lakers' talent acquisition and player development. They were responsible for bringing in guys like Julius Randle , Jordan Clarkson , Larry Nance Jr. , Kyle Kuzma , Alex Caruso , Austin Reaves and Max Christie .
Aside from the Buss brothers, the Lakers also terminated multiple employees from their scouting department, including notable figures such as Sean Buss, Aaron Jackson, Moses Zapata and Can Pelister. Sean is a half-brother of Joey and Jesse, as they have the same mother. However, while the others had nothing to say about their dismissal, the Buss brothers took a dig at their older sister, Jeanie .
"It was Dr. Buss' idea for Joey and me to run basketball operations one day," Jesse told Shams. "But Jeanie has effectively kept herself in place with her siblings fired."
Jeanie acted as the Lakers' majority owner and team governor after their father died in 2013, via a family trust. Dr. Buss acquired the Lakers, the NHL's Los Angeles Kings and "The Great Western Forum" from Jack Kent Cooke in 1979 and turned it into the second-winningest franchise in NBA history. When Dr. Buss was still alive, he gave his children positions in the company, but since Jeanie took over, Jesse said that she had gotten rid of every family member working in the organization.
"She's fired everyone," Jesse said . "I kind of felt siloed quite a bit, dating back to before, I guess, the 2023 draft. And I kind of didn't think much of it, but you know, as time went on and there was a lack of communication between not only my sister and I, but you know, the organization as a whole — while I was combating various health issues. I kind of felt like the writing was on the wall."
In 2017, Jeanie also had a falling out with brothers Jim and Johnny, which led to Jim being fired as executive president of basketball operations. She then secured a court agreement naming herself as the controlling owner of the Lakers for the rest of her life. Well, that was until she sold the franchise to Mark Walter for $10 billion last June. It's worth noting here that among Dr. Buss' six children, only Joey and Jesse opposed the sale to Walter.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Nov 21, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
