In response to the Buss family’s decision to sell majority ownership of the Los Angeles Lakers, Jason Smith and Mike Harmon suggested the move could signal a much-needed turning point for the storied franchise. Smith argued that the Lakers' 2020 championship was largely the result of LeBron James choosing to join the team, not a reflection of strong front office leadership. He criticized the team’s direction under Jeanie Buss, citing several years of missed playoffs and poor decision-making, and expressed hope that the change in ownership could lead to a more stable and effective era.
Despite the sale, Jeanie Buss will remain the team’s governor and continue running day-to-day operations for "at least a number of years," per sources. The agreement guarantees her continued leadership for the foreseeable future, a plan fully supported by Walter.
Jason Smith:
"Maybe they will get better now, because yes, they won the title in 2020—and that was mainly because LeBron James decided to show up as a Laker. This wasn’t a situation where they did all these different things or maneuvered the roster. No, they got LeBron James to the Lakers, AD wanted to be there to play with LeBron. This has not been a run where the Lakers are showing us they really know how to run a team. They had a five-year stretch of not making the playoffs the minute the Buss family took over and Jeanie Buss was installed as governor... I've seen how the Lakers have been run for the past 12 or 13 years. Now maybe things can get better for them with this change in ownership."
Mike Harmon
"For Walter and company, they take over—and we saw it with the Dodgers. You put people who know what they are doing in place, and you say, 'What does it cost to win?' And you go win, because winning begets massive amounts of cash!"