Former Lakers Owners Invest in San Diego Padres

In recent years, the Los Angeles Lakers have experienced several ownership changes. Despite this, two members of the Buss family, Joey and Jesse Buss, continue their involvement in sports, with a surprising new investment.

Joey and Jesse Buss, children of the late Lakers owner Jerry Buss, are now investing in a Major League Baseball team. This new venture does not involve the Dodgers, who might seem a sensible choice given their Los Angeles ties. Instead, they’re investing in the Southern California rival, the San Diego Padres, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

The Buss brothers are acquiring around 5% of the Padres through their investment firm, Buss Sports Capital. This move aligns with Kwanza Jones and Jose E. Feliciano’s group obtaining a majority stake in the Padres.

The Buss family’s decision to invest in the Padres follows the sale of their majority stake in the Lakers to Mark Walter, owner of the Dodgers, last year. Subsequently, Walter sold the team to Robert Iger, former Disney CEO, and Josh Kushner, brother of Jared Kushner.

Despite these Los Angeles connections, Joey Buss expressed their long-standing support for the Padres. In a statement, Joey stated, “We are honored to join Kwanza and José and have the opportunity to contribute to the future of a team that Jesse and I have loved since we were kids growing up in San Diego.”

“Sports have always been a part of our family’s story, and great organizations have a unique ability to bring people together and create a lasting sense of community. Padres fans have built one of the most passionate and loyal communities in all of sports, and we believe there is a tremendous opportunity to deepen that connection in San Diego and around the world.” – Joey Buss

The Buss family aims to bring their experience from their time with the Lakers to benefit the Padres. Jesse Buss noted their experience in professional basketball operations, emphasizing building a successful sports organization.

Jesse Buss mentioned, “Joey and I had the privilege of learning from our father and then spending nearly two decades building our own careers in professional basketball operations. We saw firsthand what it takes to build a championship organization, and throughout our careers, have applied those lessons across talent evaluation, roster construction, player development, and long-term organizational planning. While every sport is different, we believe the principles behind building sustained success are universal.”

As the Padres stand in second place in the National League West, trailing only the Dodgers, the Busses are eager to leverage their Lakers-earned knowledge to help elevate the Padres.