The Los Angeles Lakers are entering a new ownership era, but several people closely connected to the franchise think that something important has already been lost: the family culture established by Jerry Buss.
During an appearance on Byron Scott’s Fast Break podcast, former NBA players Olden Polynice and Byron Scott joined celebrity jeweler and longtime Lakers fan Ben Baller in discussing the franchise’s latest ownership change.
Olden Polynice: “The Lakers were the last bastion of hope. And it’s done now. The Lakers used to be a mom-and-pop operation. All of a sudden, they’ve become entity and property. And that’s what it’s become.”
Byron Scott: “And the Buss family was all about winning, all about culture, all about family. That’s gone now.”
Ben Baller: “Is Bob gonna have a relationship with Austin Reaves or whoever it may be? I don’t think so.”
“AP was like, ‘Let’s go to Vegas. Playing, gambling.’ Anthony Peeler lost some money. I was like, ‘What you gonna do?’ He’s like, ‘I’m gonna call Jerry.’ And I was like, ‘You gonna what?’ He’s gonna call Jerry Buss.”
“I was like, ‘For real?’ He’s like, ‘Yeah.’ He called Dr. Jerry Buss. Sure enough. I don’t know if it was Western Union or how the f**k it came through the hotel, the marker, but like 25 bands was sent very fast.”
“He’s like, ‘Yo, we good.’ And I was like, ‘What?’ He’s like, ‘Man, about to order lobster, some oysters, and this will be good. We gonna go back home tomorrow.’ And I was like, ‘Dr. Buss like that?’ He’s like, ‘Bro, man, he cool as hell, man. Don’t trip.'”
“That’s the kind of relationship that these players had with Dr. Jerry Buss. So it’s like, now it’s like Google or Apple or some s**t. It’s different.”
These comments come after a dramatic change at the top of the organization. Josh Kushner and Bob Iger reportedly led a group that purchased the Lakers at a $12.5 billion valuation, shortly after Mark Walter had purchased majority control at a $10 billion valuation last year.
The Buss family’s association with the franchise could also be nearing its end. Five of the six Buss siblings reportedly voted in favor of selling the remaining 17.8% stake, although Jeanie Buss has questioned the validity of that decision and has initiated legal action.
Whatever happens with the remaining shares, Ben Baller thinks that Jerry Buss’s personal relationship with the players will be difficult to replace.
Jerry Buss purchased the Lakers in 1979 and transformed them into arguably one of basketball’s most famous and glamorous franchises. Yet his impact went far beyond the championships and superstar acquisitions.
Players frequently spoke of the personal relationships that Buss maintained throughout the organization. The Lakers won 10 championships during Jerry Buss’s ownership before his death in 2013, while the family added another championship under Jeanie Buss in 2020.
New ownership could provide immediate financial resources, business expertise, and a different vision for the future. Kushner and Iger have already stated their intention to build upon the foundation established by Jerry and the Buss family.
But Scott and Polynice are talking about something that money cannot purchase.
The Lakers will be one of the sport’s most valuable and recognizable franchises, despite who the owners are. But to those who experienced the organization under Jerry Buss, the concern is that the Los Angeles Lakers have transformed from being a family business that happened to be worth billions into a multibillion-dollar corporate asset that happens to be a basketball team.
