The Buss brothers are diversifying their sports portfolio. After selling the Lakers, Jeanie and Jim Buss are joining a new ownership group taking control of the San Diego Padres. Their firm will hold a stake in the baseball club as part of the broader ownership restructuring.
This marks the family's pivot away from exclusive NBA control. The Buss family owned the Lakers for decades, building one of basketball's most successful franchises. Now they're splitting their attention between basketball and baseball. The exact size of their investment in the Padres ownership group hasn't been detailed, but their involvement signals serious commitment to the club's future direction.
The timing matters. The Padres have invested heavily in star talent recently, trading for Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts while signing Juan Soto. New ownership typically comes with appetite for spending and patience through rebuilds. Whether the Buss family's involvement accelerates the team's path to contention remains to be seen.