Photo Credit: Reuben Canales/Getty Images
With the news that Kobe Bryant would be playing his last season as a Laker, it’s only fair to talk about the woman behind the man. No, not his wifeVanessa Bryant, but Jeanie Buss, the part-owner and president of the Los Angeles Lakers. Buss is not only one of the most important females on the NBA, but one who has power and uses it for what she believes is best for her team.
As the daughter of beloved former Lakers owner Jerry Buss, Jeanie has had plenty of experience in the sports world before her dad was even their owner. Starting around age 14, Buss would attend meetings with her father when he owned the Los Angeles Strings, a former tennis team; it was clear that Buss had an interest in sports. She attended USC as a business major and during her time there, she become general manager of the Los Angeles Strings before their end in 1993. After that, she would jump around jobs, such as serving as the Alternate Governor on the NBA Board of Governors, before moving to executive vice president of business operations for the Lakers.
Buss’ current job as part-owner of the Lakers is split between her and her five siblings, but that is not all she does. Buss is the president of the Lakers, oversees business operations and serves as the Lakers representative on the NBA’s Board of Governors while her brother Jim is in charge of the basketball operations.
Essentially, she has the power to be able to fire Jim and has talked about it previously, giving him the deadline of 2017 before she would go looking for his replacement, “My brother understands that we have to continue to strive for greatness, and I think he would be the first one to feel that he would need to step down if he can’t get us to that point.” From a business standpoint, Jeanie is completely right in what she says. If Jim can’t get them to the playoffs, then why keep him around? As a female and his sister, she holds the key to the rest of his career and if the Lakers don’t succeed, he will be out of a job.
That is not to say that Buss has no compassion as an owner. Since the announcement of Kobe Bryant’s retirement, Buss has spoken out about him and she seems happy with his choice, “What I see is, I see someone at peace. Someone who is following his heart and his mind. He knows that this is right for him and I’ve always been clear that it’s hard for me to imagine the Lakers without Kobe Bryant. We have a more clear vision of when that day will be, and for me that’s sad.”
Buss has also spoken out previously about former Laker, Lamar Odom, “He knows where to find us, though. He knows that I’m always there for him — now, 10 years from now. He knows I’ve always been in his corner.” which was before his hospitalization but most definitely still holds true.
Buss is one of the few women in the NBA who shows what winning truly means. She doesn’t care who likes her or who she has to fire because she truly cares for her team. She wants her team to win and she is one of the few people who isn’t afraid to show that. She embodies what every good owner should be and that’s why she deserves as much or, even more, praise than her male counterparts.
