Jeanie Buss
Jeanie Marie Buss (born September 26, 1961) is an American sports executive who is the controlling owner and president of the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), and co-owner and promoter of the U.S. women's professional wrestling promotion Women of Wrestling (WOW).
Jeanie Buss | |
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Buss in 2016 | |
| Born | Jeanie Marie Buss September 26, 1961 Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Southern California |
| Occupation(s) | 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 |
A daughter of Jerry Buss, who owned the Lakers and other sports businesses, she entered the family business as general manager of the Los Angeles Strings professional tennis team at 19. She later bought the Los Angeles Blades professional roller hockey team. She served as president of the Great Western Forum before becoming vice president of the Lakers. After her father died in 2013, his controlling ownership of the Lakers passed to his six children via a family trust, with each sibling receiving an equal vote. Buss took over as team president and as the Lakers representative on the NBA Board of Governors. In 2020, she became the first female controlling owner to guide her team to an NBA championship, giving her six NBA titles overall as an owner/executive.