Scouting coordinator Jesse Buss is also part-owner of the franchise

By Eric Pincus

Sept. 26, 2013 12 AM PT

When Jerry Buss passed away in February, he left his ownership stake in the Lakers to his six children.

While Jim and Jeanie Buss are the face of the team -- Jim making the basketball decisions and Jeanie running the team’s business operations -- Johnny, Jesse, Joey and Janie (Drexel) also own a portion of the team.

Alex Lambeth and Jory Dreher of LakerNation.com caught up with the youngest of Buss’ children, Jesse, who works as both the Lakers’ scouting coordinator and is the D-Fenders’ director of scouting.

“My job as the director of scouting basically consists of scheduling our scouting staff to see college games for the upcoming season, helping organize meetings with all of our scouts, and scouting prospects on a regular basis,” said Buss. “I’m in constant contact with our staff.”

Buss shares an office in El Segundo with Ryan West, the Lakers’ assistant director of scouting and son of Jerry West.

“[We] talk almost every day — about everything that goes into scouting,” said Buss. “I would say I’m probably out of town close to 100 days out of the year.”

Buss answers to Jim Buss, General Manager Mitch Kupchak and Assistant General Manager Glenn Carraro.

“We often talk about everything that’s going on with anything that’s basketball related: anything that’s current, any game we saw, what’s going on with our team,” he said. “But mainly we collaborate with college scouting and anything involved with that.”

It’s been a difficult transition for the Buss family after the loss of their patriarch.

“He just really knew how to relate to anyone he talked to,” Buss said of his father. “He let me grow and develop as a person without trying to force me to do something. It’s definitely a huge void in my life not having him here. I really miss talking to him.”

The Lakers start the regular season Oct. 29 at home against the Clippers.

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Email Eric Pincus at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @EricPincus.