In an interview on “In Depth With Graham Besinger” show hosted by Graham Bensinger, Jeanie Buss, the controlling owner and president of the Los Angeles Lakers, bravely shared a troubling episode from her past involving inappropriate behavior within the NBA owner’s circle.
Buss began her account by shedding light on the skepticism she faced within the NBA community, recounting the doubters who questioned her capabilities and qualifications.
As per Jeanie, the league speculated that her ascent to a leadership position was merely due to familial connections as the daughter of the Lakers’ late owner, Jerry Buss.
Next, Buss went onto disclose an incident where she became a victim of inappropriate behavior—specifically, an NBA owner grabbing her buttocks.
She recounted the details, explaining that the incident occurred during a break in the meeting, while individuals were queued up for lunch.
“We were waiting, taking a break from the meeting and everybody’s in line for the buffet for lunch. During the lunch break, you somebody grabs my a** and I turn around and you know. I was so shocked,” narrated Jeanie Buss.
Buss credited the confidence instilled in her by her father, Jerry Buss, for helping her navigate through the discomfort of the moment.
“If I didn’t have the confidence that my dad put in me, that was a moment where I wanted to shrink and to be nothing that I would have, you know, gotten sick,” said Buss. “I got to go, do I really belong here? You know, I’m just really, you know, not one of the group like, you know, I’m being singled out and made me really self-conscious, so what did you end up doing? I just gave him a dirty look like back off, yeah, and I stayed in the room.”
Despite feeling singled out and self-conscious, she chose to remain in the room.
Buss, now at the helm of the Lakers and a prominent figure in the NBA, expressed her commitment to fostering a more inclusive and respectful environment for newcomers in the industry.
As the controlling owner and president of the Los Angeles Lakers and a co-owner of the U.S. women’s professional wrestling promotion Women of Wrestling, Jeanie Buss has emerged as a trailblazer in the sports world.
Her journey, from starting as the general manager of the Los Angeles Strings professional tennis team at the age of 19 to becoming the first female controlling owner to guide her team to an NBA championship in 2020, is all about breaking barriers.
