Rob Pelinka is welcoming Mark Walter to the Lakers with high praise, but he doesn’t expect big changes in the team’s direction. Speaking at a recent press conference, the Lakers GM described Walter as an “incredibly exciting leader” and “visionary,” while clarifying that Jeanie Buss will remain in charge of day-to-day operations.
“Mark is an incredibly exciting leader,” Pelinka said during the Lakers’ recent press conference. “As you said, the transaction is still in process, but one thing that’s clear about Mark is that he has a strong level of belief in the operations of this place, led by Jeanie Buss, and part of our future will continue to be led by her with the day-to-day operations. But Mark is just an incredible resource and visionary, and I don’t see there being big changes.”
The Lakers were controlled by the Buss family for 46 years, and it includes some of the most prosperous stretches in history by any sports team. While Jeanie Buss was only the majority owner for roughly eight years, she was the one who built this team from the ground up.
After the retirement of Kobe Bryant, Jeanie set right to work on a rebuild, hiring Pelinka and Magic Johnson to run the team in pursuit of a championship. While that pairing never worked out, Pelinka stuck around and has carved out a permanent role in the organization.
Under the leadership of Jeanie and Pelinka, the Lakers acquired LeBron James in 2018 and then traded for Anthony Davis a year later. In 2020, they won their first championship in 10 years, cementing both Jeanie and LeBron’s places in Lakers championship history.
Of course, despite her success, Buss sold her stake in the Lakers this summer for a whopping $10 billion. While she will remain on as the team’s President and controlling figure, she no longer has the ultimate authority on the Lakers.
That role belongs to Mark Walter now, a businessman and philanthropist worth over $7.3 billion. He has taken over the Lakers during a major transition period, and how he acts over his first few years may very well determine what kind of culture his team creates.
As owner of the Dodgers, he already has experience running large market franchises, and he’s got a wallet big enough to support the Lakers on whatever they might need financially. Whether it’s upgrading their facilities, improving the staff, or simply a willingness to go into the luxury tax, Walter’s resources will give the Lakers a major boost, and there is optimism about what his tenure might bring.
For years, the franchise operated like a family business, but the standards just got higher with an experienced billionaire running the show. Under Walter, Pelinka hopes to lead his team on its best stretch yet and make amends for all those years of disappointment with Jeanie.
So while the Lakers may look different at the top, the overall mission hasn’t changed. With Walter bringing financial muscle and Jeanie Buss still guiding daily operations, the franchise believes it has the right blend of tradition and innovation to thrive. Now it’s on Pelinka, Redick, and the roster led by Luka Doncic and LeBron James to turn that stability into banners.
