The Los Angeles Lakers fired Joey and Jesse Buss amid a shakeup in the team's basketball operations.
The Buss brothers held key roles in the team's scouting department over the last decade, which was gutted after the family sold its majority ownership of the Lakers in June.
"We wish things could be different with the way our time ended with the team," the brothers wrote in a statement. "At times like this, we wish we could ask our Dad what he would think about it all."
The brothers' father, Jerry Buss, purchased the Lakers for $67.5 million in 1979, in a deal that included the Los Angeles Kings and The Forum. In the nearly 50 years since his acquisition, the Purple and Gold transformed into one of the world's most recognizable sports franchises. After his death, ownership passed to his family, including his children.
New Los Angeles Lakers Head Coach Darvin Ham is introduced to the media
El Segundo, CA - June 06: Siblings Joey and Jesse Buss (in black hat), from left, sitting in the front row during a press conferrence announcing new Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham, at the UCLA Health Training Center, in El Segundo, CA, Monday, June 6, 2022. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) Jay L. Clendenin
Jerry's daughter Jeanie Buss took over as the team's governor and retained the title after the family finalized the $10 billion sale to LA Dodgers owner Mark Walter three weeks ago.
"There was always an expectation that Mark Walter would revitalize the scouting department, the behind-the-scenes roles," NBA reporter Mark Medina said. "Mark Walters is now making the majority of the decisions. So even if Jeanie Buss is part of some of the day-to-day operations, it's not the same dynamic as it once was."