For many years under the ownership of both the late Dr. Jerry Buss and his daughter Jeanie Buss, the Los Angeles Lakers were run like a family business. That meant they were not only owned and controlled by the Buss family but also employed a small number of people compared to other NBA franchises.
Now that Mark Walter is the majority owner of the Lakers, it appears those days are over, as numerous people have already been hired to work specific roles in the team’s front office. Contrast that to how things were as recently as 2024, when JJ Redick was hired as head coach and was reportedly “surprised by how lean” the organization was, according to a Yahoo Sports article by Yaron Weitzman.
“For years, the Lakers have operated with one of the NBA’s thinnest front offices,” Weitzman wrote. “A small player performance and medical group. A tiny analytics team. No assistant GMs. Even JJ Redick, after being hired as head coach in June 2024, told a friend he was surprised by how lean the team was behind the scenes.”
The Lakers had a reputation for years for being behind the curve when it came to analytics and other data-driven areas of running a successful pro sports franchise. It looks like Walter will spend as much money as needed to upgrade those aspects of the organization, just as he did after purchasing the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2012.
In the coming weeks and months, for instance, L.A. is expected to hire two assistant general managers, and according to general manager Rob Pelinka, these two new hires will handle tasks such as scouting pro and college players, player development, navigating the salary cap and analytics.
Some of the new hires the team has already made include Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi, who had worked with Walter on the Dodgers, legendary college basketball coach Tony Bennett and Lon Rosen, who will serve as its president of business operations.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: JJ Redick was surprised at how ‘lean’ Lakers’ front office was
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
