Jesse Buss Speaks Out After Lakers Exit: ‘She’s Fired Everyone’

Former Los Angeles Lakers assistant general manager Jesse Buss publicly accused his sister, team governor Jeanie Buss, of eliminating every remaining Buss family member from meaningful roles in the organization following the team’s $10 billion sale to billionaire Mark Walter.

“She’s fired everyone,” Jesse told The Athletic, saying Jeanie has pushed out family members one by one — a process that began long before this week.

Her latest move 

ousted Jesse and Joey Buss, who served as alternate governor and vice president of research and development. Joey has not made a public statement since his firing.

This isn’t the first time Jeanie has forced out a sibling. In 2017, 

she stripped Jim Buss — their brother — of his role as Executive VP of Basketball Operations, taking control after years of internal power struggles.

Since then, Jeanie has gradually consolidated authority. Jesse and Joey’s terminations complete a process that has left no Buss family members in Lakers basketball operations for the first time in 45 years.

---

Treated as an ‘Enemy’ in the Lakers Organization

Jesse said the circumstances surrounding his firing were not a surprise. He claims that communication broke down over the past two seasons and that he was marginalized within the team’s front office.

“I kind of felt siloed… dating back to before the 2023 draft,” he said, adding that the alienation happened while he was battling private health issues.

He said the environment around Jeanie treated him as a threat rather than a collaborator.

“It kind of felt like I was being treated like I was working against them. Like an enemy.”

He insisted that his only loyalty was to the franchise, not to personal ego or credit.

“The only thing I ever wanted was the most success for this team,” he said.

---

Jesse Claims Jeanie is Breaking Their Father’s Vision

Jesse said their late father, Dr. Jerry Buss, envisioned a future where Jeanie ran business operations and Joey and Jesse ran basketball operations together after Jim retires.

“That was something discussed over 15 years ago,” he said. “Joey and I were gonna help run the basketball operations department.”

Instead, he said, Jeanie chose a path that removed the siblings entirely — just as she did with Jim Buss when she took total control of basketball operations in 2017.

---

Ownership Sale ‘Solidified’ the Family Split

The Buss family sold its controlling stake to Mark Walter earlier this year, with Jeanie negotiating to remain governor for the next five years, even as her brothers lost their jobs.

Jesse said that while sales often trigger staff changes, the real separation began long before the deal closed.

“I kind of saw the writing on the wall,” he said. “The sale of the team… just solidified it.”

Both brothers will retain minority ownership shares, but neither will hold influence over basketball operations.

---

Despite Rift, Jesse Praises Mark Walter and Lakers’ Future

Jesse emphasized that he remains a Lakers fan and said the franchise is positioned to succeed under new owner Mark Walter — the billionaire businessman who turned the 

Los Angeles Dodgers into a dominant MLB powerhouse.

“I think the Lakers are in great hands,” Jesse said, praising Walter’s track record and calling coach JJ Redick “fantastic.”

Still, his closing remarks hinted that Walter represents a necessary new direction — one that he believes Jeanie’s recent leadership has failed to deliver.

“If the vision is the same from what I’ve seen over the last 10 years, then it isn’t always going to lead to the success that Laker fans became accustomed to when my dad ran the team,” he warned.