Mark Walter and Jeanie Buss Bring On Lon Rosen to Lead Lakers Business Operations
EL SEGUNDO, CA — In a major front-office shakeup that bridges the city’s two championship franchises, the Los Angeles Lakers and owner Mark Walter announced that Lon Rosen will be taking over as the team’s new President of Basketball Operations.
The move signals a significant shift for the Purple and Gold, but for Rosen, it is arguably a homecoming.
Rosen arrives fresh off a dominant decade-long run as the Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Since joining the Dodgers in 2012, Rosen was instrumental in a golden era for the ball club. Under his marketing guidance, the Dodgers didn’t just win on the field—capturing three World Series titles and multiple National League pennants. The team increased revenue every single season of his tenure and has led Major League Baseball in attendance every year since 2013.
Now, Rosen is tasked with bringing that same “Midas touch” back to the organization where his career began. Long before he was a heavy hitter in the Dodgers’ front office, Rosen was a college intern for the Lakers, eventually working his way up to an executive role during the Showtime era of the 1980s.
Lakers Governor Jeanie Buss expressed that finding the right successor for such a pivotal role required a candidate who understood the unique gravity of the Lakers brand.
“For many years, I have seen the impact that Lon has had in our industry,” Buss said in a statement. “Over that time, I have learned that not only is Lon a great person, but he also has a deep understanding of both sports and entertainment and a true feel for where this business is headed.“
The hire fills the void left by Tim Harris, a 35-year-old President of Business Operations dynamo of the organization, as announced earlier this week that he would step down at the end of the season. Replacing a fixture like Harris is no small feat, but Buss noted that the solution lay in a familiar face.
“Finding someone who could fill Tim’s shoes overseeing the business side of our organization would never be easy,” Buss added. “The answer, we soon realized, was someone both Mark and I knew well — and who already understood the values, culture, and commitment to excellence of both the Dodgers and the Lakers.”
As the driving force behind the Dodgers ownership group and a key figure in Lakers ownership, Walter’s familiarity with Rosen was a decisive factor. Rosen has worked closely with Walter for years, fostering a level of trust and continuity rare in professional sports transitions.
While the title is President of Basketball Operations, Rosen made it clear that his immediate focus is on the financial and experiential bedrock of the franchise. In his first comments since the announcement, Rosen stressed the need for solid economics to drive success.
“I’m beyond grateful to Jeanie and Mark for trusting me with this incredible opportunity,” Rosen said. “As everyone knows, the economics of the sports business are constantly changing — and they will continue to do so. But at root, my job is a simple one: figuring out how to do right by our employees and our partners while ensuring that the Lakers continue to provide an unparalleled experience for our fans in Los Angeles and around the world.“
The Lakers remain a global brand with everything going upward in value and notoriety. Bringing in Rosen — the organization understands that the best way to secure their future is to bring back a piece of their past.
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