Lakers, Full Confidence in Pelinka
The new Los Angeles Lakers president of business operations, Lon Rosen, reaffirmed front-office continuity: Rob Pelinka will remain in his role
As reported by ESPN, Lon Rosen, the new president of business operations for the Los Angeles Lakers, spoke publicly for the first time after accepting the position, emphasizing the franchise’s stability:
Rosen, 67, is the first high-level executive to serve as a bridge between the Lakers and the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he previously held the role of executive vice president and chief marketing officer. Both teams are part of Mark Walter’s ownership group.
The Lakers are an incredibly successful organization. There was a transaction at numbers never seen before, so things must be going well.
Lon Rosen
With ties to the Lakers dating back to the early stages of his career, Rosen made it clear: continuity and stability are the message.
Pelinka Confirmed, Support From Dodgers Leadership
In a pivotal summer aimed at building a title contender around Luka Doncic, Rosen confirmed that Rob Pelinka will remain president of basketball operations and general manager.
I handle the business side. Rob is fully empowered to do his job.
Lon Rosen
Pelinka will also be able to rely on additional support from Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and senior advisor Farhan Zaidi. According to Rosen, this “unique” collaboration will provide Pelinka with a deeper managerial bench.
Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi will be able to contribute in part to helping Rob. This will give us a deeper bench, and I think Rob will appreciate it. It’s something unique – they have a wealth of experience they can transfer here.
Lon Rosen
The personal relationship between Rosen and Pelinka goes back years, dating to the time when Pelinka was the agent for Kobe Bryant.
The Role of Magic Johnson
Rosen also addressed Magic Johnson, Lakers legend and former president of basketball operations. While describing him as one of his closest friends, Rosen clarified that Johnson will have no day-to-day operational involvement with the team. He will remain close to the Lakers as a fan and symbolic figure, without interfering in basketball decisions.
Obviously he’s a huge Lakers fan, but he’s not going to say, “Hey Rob, go get this player.” He’ll always be part of every team he’s involved with, but no, he won’t have any daily role. He’s a super Lakers fan and will continue to be. There’s nothing wrong with that.
Lon Rosen
Stability on the Business Front
Rosen confirmed two key pillars for the commercial side: the team’s continued presence at Crypto.com Arena (formerly Staples Center), which he described as “an efficient and functional building,” and the longstanding partnership with Spectrum SportsNet, the team’s regional television partner since 2012.
Doncic at the Center of the Vision
While he will maintain some responsibilities with the Dodgers, Rosen stated that most of his time will be dedicated to the Lakers. He pointed to Luka Doncic as a potential catalyst for the brand’s international expansion, comparing his impact to that of Shohei Ohtani in baseball.
When we signed Ohtani, the business model changed. There is enormous global growth potential for the Lakers… and having Luka Doncic certainly doesn’t hurt.
Lon Rosen
The Lakers now head into a crucial offseason, banking on a blend of internal stability and international vision to build the franchise’s next winning cycle. Time will tell whether those intentions turn into results.