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Jeanie Buss isn’t leaving the Lakers for quite some time.
The team’s governor, Buss, will continue in the position for the next five seasons despite selling the majority stake to businessman Mark Walter for $10 billion. This information comes from a report by The Athletic.
That timeline would keep Buss in a prominent role through at least the 2029-30 season.
Initial details revealed that Buss would remain with the team for at least several years, according to ESPN, a plan that Walter “fully endorsed.”
This recent development sheds light on the timeline regarding the involvement of the Buss family with the team, dating back to its acquisition by Jerry Buss, Jeanie Buss’s father, in 1979.
Jeanie and her five siblings received the majority stake in the franchise upon Jerry’s death in 2013 and she has served in the governor’s role.
Mark Walter, who already owns the Dodgers and serves as the CEO of Guggenheim Partners, is the individual investing the substantial $10 billion, marking the highest amount paid for a sports team in the United States.
The sale is expected to be finalized between July and December.
“The Buss family is deeply honored to have looked after this incredible organization for almost half a century,” Jeanie said in a June statement. “From the day our father purchased the Lakers, we have been determined to deliver what the City of Los Angeles deserves and demands: a team that is committed to winning – relentlessly – and to doing so with passion and with style.
“I have gotten to know Mark very well over time and been delighted to learn how he shares those same values. For the last four years, Mark has been an excellent partner to us, and we are thrilled to keep working with him to continue the Lakers’ extraordinary legacy.”
As Buss remains aboard for the next five years, she will help define the franchise’s course.
LeBron James opted into his player option and is currently set to play a full season alongside Luka Doncic, but there are questions about the team’s ability to contend for a title.