Another door has shut on the Buss era in Los Angeles.
The Lakers terminated the contracts of front-office executives Joey and Jesse Buss, the brothers told ESPN's Shams Charania on Thursday.
"We are extremely (honoured) to have been part of this organization for the last 20 seasons," they said in a joint statement. "Thank you to Laker Nation for embracing our family every step of the way. We wish things could be different with the way our time ended with the team. At times like this we wish we could ask our dad what he would think about it all."
The Buss family sold the Lakers in June to Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter for a reported $10 billion.
Jeanie Buss, Joey and Jesse's sister, leads the team's daily operations as governor, a role she will continue for at least five years, per the sale agreement.
Meanwhile, the team also let go "much" of its scouting staff, ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported.
The Lakers have been in the control of the Buss family for 46 years, the longest of any current NBA franchise. Herb Simon bought the Indiana Pacers in 1983, the second-longest current ownership of an NBA club.
Jerry Buss — Jeanie, Jesse and Joey's father — bought the Lakers for $67.5 million and made it to the NBA Finals 16 times out of his 34 seasons leading the club, winning 10 championships in that span. When he died in 2013, ownership of the Lakers went into a trust controlled by Buss’ six children — who all worked for the Lakers in various capacities for several years.
Eventually, the family began clashing over control. An agreement was struck in 2017 calling for Jeanie Buss to serve as controlling owner, ending a fight that included her going to court after her brothers Jim and Johnny Buss called for a board meeting that she interpreted as a challenge to her power — shortly after she removed Jim Buss as the Lakers’ executive vice president of basketball operations.
The Lakers won their 11th title while under Buss family control in 2020, the franchise's most recent championship.
--with files from The Associated Press
