After her father Jerry Buss passed away in 2013, it was up to Jeanie Buss to rebuild this great NBA franchise. While the team has not won an NBA ring since 2010, Lakers’ legend Magic Johnson expressed his support for Jeanie Buss’s leadership.
“Jeanie Buss, our ultimate leader. You have to give her a lot of credit. She was put in a tough situation, especially when I left. And then had to make a tough decision on Coach Walton, and she made that decision. She’s really stepped up and for the fans, she wants to win a championship. And I want to see her be this woman standing on stage, receiving the NBA championship trophy (as) her father did. That would be awesome,” Johnson explained in an interview with CBSLA Sports Central.
This is the fourth decade that the Lakers have been under Buss family leadership. Jerry Buss first bought the franchise in 1979, since which the Lakers have won 10 NBA Championships. While none of these titles came under Jeanie’s ownership, she has nonetheless rebuilt the team as a force to be reckoned with.
In 2018, LeBron James was lured to the Lakers in what was one of the biggest moves of that off-season. While he was unable to guide the Lakers to a playoff spot due to injury, the arrival of defensive powerhouse Anthony Davis just one year later further reinforced this prestigious team. Now, with LeBron and Davis working together, the Lakers have returned to their winning ways and look more likely than ever to clinch the coveted NBA title, all thanks to Jeanie’s decisive decision-making.
