Even though the Los Angeles Lakers were sold to Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter, Jeanie Buss will continue to serve in her role as Governor for the foreseeable future. This move will allow the franchise to smoothly transition to the new owner without there being immediate massive shakeups within the Lakers, and it is a move franchise legend Magic Johnson loves.
Johnson, of course, is extremely close to Buss while also having a relationship with Walter as he is part of the group that owns the Dodgers. Magic has seen up close and personal what Walter can do for a franchise and he feels that success will carry over to the Lakers as well.
In an interview with Broderick Turner of the L.A. Times, Johnson spoke on the decision to keep Buss in her role, calling it a smart move by Walter while also noting his established track record of success and the trust Jeanie has in him taking over the Lakers:
“You saw Mark let Jeanie stay on the Board of Governors. That was smart. One thing that is smart about Jeanie is she was never going to say, ‘Oh, the Lakers are up for sale! Anybody can own them.’ That’s not who she is. She wasn’t going to put it in anybody’s hands.
“And I think because of the success of the Dodgers and how he has run the organization, now it’s easy for the fans. We already know him. We’ve seen his work already. We’ve seen what he’s been able to do, led us to a couple of World Series [wins] and going to the World Series four times. That’s success right there. That’s what Laker fans are looking for.
“He’s got a track record. This is what Laker fans would want, somebody that they can trust, just like they trusted Dr. Buss. They trusted Jeanie because of her father saying, ‘This is who I want in charge.’ So, this is beautiful for all Laker fans.”
The Lakers were the family business for the Buss family for more than 40 years, so it makes sense that Jeanie wouldn’t just sell to anyone, but only someone who she trusts will continue to carry the franchise in the right direction as the late, great Dr. Jerry Buss would have wanted.
The fact that Walter wanted Buss to remain in this role shows that he values everything she does for the Lakers and now it will be a matter of them continuing to build in order to maintain the legacy of this great franchise.
LeBron James was informed of sale of the Lakers to Mark Walter beforehand
There was a bit of controversy surrounding the sale of the Lakers as it was rumored that the team informed Luka Doncic of the incoming move, but not LeBron James. However, it was later confirmed that LeBron was in fact told about the sale beforehand.
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