Why did Lakers Owner Jeanie Buss Fire Her Own Brother?

Published 11/10/2021, 8:18 AM EST

The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the most prosperous NBA franchises. A global fanbase of basketball fans has continued to cherish the franchise’s momentous achievements in the NBA. Many of the NBA’s greatest legends have donned the Lakers’ jersey. Currently, Lakers fans can boast of a roster that includes LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Carmelo Anthony, and others.

Jeanie Buss, owner of the Lakers, in a recent interview, revealed why she fired her brother Jim Buss from the Lakers. Jim had promised his sister that the franchise would make the playoffs within three seasons and publicly disclosed this to the media. Jeannie also explained that her father had provided her the freedom to fire her family members if their performance was not up to standard. She referred to the franchise as her “baby” and that she “is going to protect her child.”

In some of her longest remarks ever on the decision, Jeanie Buss explained why she had to fire her brother at midseason: She was worried he’d make trades the Lakers wouldn’t be able to recover from. https://t.co/KJsT1pBlvy pic.twitter.com/IWOatNtTSy
— Silver Screen and Roll (@LakersSBN) November 9, 2021

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Jeanie said, “He wanted my brother to be successful in basketball, but I think my brother wanted to do things his way as opposed to just doing them the way he was taught by my dad.

“So as February approached, and the trade deadline, I was worried that my brother was going to make trades. That would put us further down and take even longer to recover from. So I had to swiftly make a decision. And Magic agreed to come back and head our basketball operations.”

Jerry Buss, former owner of the Lakers, acquired the franchise in 1979. The franchise thrived under Jerry Buss’ ownership, winning ten NBA championships. With his death, he handed down ownership to his six children. However, his daughter, Jeanie Buss, eventually took over the franchise as governor.

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The Lakers defeat the Charlotte Hornets

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The Los Angeles Lakers avoided a narrow loss against the Charlotte Hornets. LeBron James‘ absence from the team seemingly had no effect as other star players stepped up to steer the game. The Hornets fell to their seventh loss of the season while their opponents improved to a 6-5 record for the season.

Anthony Davis finished the game with 32 points followed closely by Carmelo Anthony with 29 points. Terry Rozier scored 29 points for the Hornets with LaMelo Ball scoring 25. Ultimately, the Lakers secured a fortunate 126-123 win at Staples Center.

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The Lakers host the Miami Heat next.

Watch this story: Heres How LeBron James, Ben Simmons, Shaquille ONeal & Other NBA Stars Spent Their First Paychecks

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Shalom Saldanha is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. Currently pursuing his journalism degree, he has previously worked as a sports corresspondent for India Shorts/Business Upturn. A Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bucks fan, Shalom primarily got into the sport after discovering that he shared a mutual love for Arsenal with the 'Greek Freak'.

Why did Lakers Owner Jeanie Buss Fire Her Own Brother?

The Lakers defeat the Charlotte Hornets

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