Show Notes
Jeanie Buss is the most powerful woman in the NBA. As Governor and longtime controlling owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, she has protected one of the most valuable brands in sports through tragedy and transition. Now, she explains why, after all these years, her family decided to sell 85% of the team for $10 billion.
On this episode of Pretty Tough, Jeanie sits down with Maria for one of her most candid conversations yet. She takes Maria behind the scenes of the secret Luka Dončić trade — kept hidden from LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Mark Cuban, and even Luka himself.
Jeanie also opens up about the people she's lost — her father, Dr. Jerry Buss, Kobe Bryant, and the 15-year relationship with Phil Jackson that shaped how she leads today.
All that and more on this episode of Pretty Tough.
Pretty Tough is produced in partnership with VOX MEDIA.
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Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
01:46 - Jeanie’s opening quote on why being underestimated is an advantage
05:04 - Becoming the GM of a pro sports team at 19 years old
09:50 - What the legendary Dr. Jerry Buss saw in her
13:16 - The Lakers as a luxury brand or "beachfront property"
14:46 - Sports as entertainment and evolving with viewers
19:07 - Why she still sits with the fans
20:42 - What she learned from Phil Jackson
24:26 - How the Luka Doncic trade came together in secret
28:40 - Realizing Luka “left his heart in Dallas,” helping him acclimate to Lakers nation, and the Kobe/Gigi connection
32:50 - Selling 85% of the Lakers for $10 billion
36:51 - Working with family and firing her own brother
40:59 - The pain of selling the team
42:13 - Jeanie’s interests outside of the Lakers - Women of Wrestling, Running Point, and what's next
48:56 - What Kobe meant to Jeanie
51:06 - Maria’s little-known story about meeting with Kobe
54:40 - Jeanie Buss answers some Pretty Tough questions
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