Jeanie Buss facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jeanie Buss
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Buss in 2016
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Jeanie Marie Buss
September 26, 1961 Santa Monica, California, U.S.
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| Alma mater | University of Southern California (BBA) |
| Occupation | President of the Los Angeles Lakers Co-owner of the Women of Wrestling promotion |
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| Partner(s) | Phil Jackson (1999–2016) |
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| Awards | Six-time NBA champion NBA Cup (2023) 2023 Sports Emmy Award |
Jeanie Marie Buss, born on September 26, 1961, is an important person in American sports. She is the main owner and president of the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team. She also helps run Women of Wrestling (WOW), a professional wrestling group for women.
Jeanie is the daughter of Jerry Buss, who owned the Lakers. She started working in her family's sports businesses at a young age. At 19, she became the general manager of the Los Angeles Strings tennis team. Later, she owned the Los Angeles Blades roller hockey team. She also served as president of the Great Western Forum, which was the Lakers' home arena.
After her father passed away in 2013, his ownership of the Lakers went to his six children. Jeanie became the team president. In 2020, she made history. She became the first female controlling owner to lead her team to an NBA championship. This win gave her six NBA titles as an owner or executive.
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Early Life and Education
Jeanie Buss was born in Santa Monica, California. She was the third of four children born to Joann and Jerry Buss. She had two older brothers, Johnny and Jim, and a younger sister, Janie. Her parents divorced in 1972.
When she was 14, Jeanie started attending World Team Tennis meetings with her father. He owned the Los Angeles Strings tennis team. At 17, she moved in with her father at Pickfair, a famous estate. She knew the place so well that she gave guided tours. Jeanie went to the University of Southern California (USC). She studied business and graduated with honors.
Professional Career
Jeanie Buss has had a long and successful career in sports management. She has worked with various teams and leagues.
Early Sports Management Roles
The original World TeamTennis league ended in 1978. It started again in 1981 as TeamTennis. Jeanie's father, Jerry, again owned the Strings. He made 19-year-old Jeanie the general manager while she was still at USC. She later said, "Basically, my dad bought me the team."
After the Strings team ended in 1993, Jeanie brought professional roller hockey to Los Angeles. She owned the Los Angeles Blades team in Roller Hockey International. The league recognized her hard work and named her Executive of the Year.
Jeanie Buss is also an owner of WOW-Women Of Wrestling. In October 2021, a big announcement was made. ViacomCBS Global Distribution President Dan Cohen shared that ViacomCBS had partnered with WOW. This partnership means WOW's shows are available on a very large platform. It is the biggest media deal for a women's wrestling organization in U.S. history.
Leading the Los Angeles Lakers
Jeanie Buss spent four years as president of the Great Western Forum. This was the home arena for the Lakers at the time. During this period, her role with the Lakers grew. She served as an Alternate Governor on the NBA Board of Governors starting in 1995.
In 1999, she became the executive vice president of business operations for the Lakers. Her brother, Jim, became vice president of player personnel in 2005. Their father's plan was for Jeanie to manage the business side of the team. Jim was to handle the basketball decisions.
In 2005, Sporting News named Jeanie Buss one of the Top 20 Most Influential Women in Sports. In 2011, Forbes called her "one of few powerful women in sports management." ESPN also said she is "one of the most powerful women in the NBA."
Becoming Controlling Owner
After her father passed away in 2013, his 66% ownership of the Lakers went to his six children. Each child received an equal vote. Jerry's plan was for Jeanie to take his place as the Lakers' governor. She also became the team's representative at NBA Board of Governors meetings.
She became president of the Lakers, leading the team's business side. Her brother Jim continued as executive VP of basketball operations. Jeanie had the final say in team operations. She could overrule Jim's decisions. However, she mentioned in 2013 that she wished she understood the basketball decision process better.
Jeanie and Jim had disagreed before. For example, Jeanie wanted the team to rehire Phil Jackson as head coach in 2012. But Jim hired Mike D'Antoni instead. Jeanie even wrote about her disagreement in her book, Laker Girl. This upset Jim.
During the 2013–14 NBA season, Jim promised that if the Lakers were not competing for a championship in three or four years, he would resign. Before his deadline, he signed two experienced players to big contracts. Some people thought these deals were more about Jim keeping his job than helping the Lakers long-term.
2017 Ownership Dispute
In February 2017, Jeanie Buss made big changes. She fired general manager Mitch Kupchak and her brother, Jim Buss. ESPN reported that the team's performance had been declining for years. Also, Jeanie was upset that Jim did not talk to her before making important trades. She had told him to do so.
To replace them, she hired Lakers legend Magic Johnson as President of Basketball Operations. She also hired sports agent Rob Pelinka as general manager. Jeanie later explained that she did not interview many people for the GM job. She did not want to alert her brother, who might have tried to take control of the team.
In response, Johnny Buss, who supported Jim, tried to remove Jeanie from the team's board of directors. Some believed this would force Jeanie to step down as controlling owner. Jeanie filed a lawsuit to confirm her control over the team. She argued that her father's trust documents required her to be the controlling owner. She said she had given Jim Buss "ample time to prove himself." The dispute was settled in Jeanie Buss's favor. The Buss siblings gave her lifetime control over the team's operations.
Personal Life
Jeanie Buss married volleyball player Steve Timmons in 1990. They divorced after three years. Jeanie said, "I never put my marriage first... It was always business which attracted me." She also stated that she never had children because of her focus on work. She felt she could not do enough at her job and also be there for a child's important moments.
Buss started dating then-Lakers head coach Phil Jackson in December 1999. They became engaged in 2013. On December 27, 2016, they announced that they had ended their engagement. After their breakup, Buss still asked Jackson for advice about the Lakers.
In December 2018, Jeanie Buss received a letter from someone who said they were her secret sibling named Lee. Lee was the first child of Jerry Buss and JoAnn Mueller. Lee had been given up for adoption. Lee wanted to connect with Jeanie, her mother, and the other siblings. A meeting was arranged.
In September 2021, Buss announced on Twitter that she was in a relationship with comedian Jay Mohr. They reportedly started dating in 2017. On December 21, 2022, they publicly announced their engagement. They married on September 3, 2023, in a private ceremony in Malibu.
Awards and Honors
NBA
- Six-time NBA champion
- Five times as a member of the Lakers front office (2000–2002, 2009, 2010)
- One time as controlling owner (2020)
- 2023 NBA Cup winner (as owner of the Lakers)
Sports Emmy Awards
- 2023 Outstanding Documentary Series (as executive producer of Legacy: The True Story of the LA Lakers)
See also
In Spanish: Jeanie Buss para niños
