New Lakers Executive Lon Rosen Discusses Increased Ticket Prices, Magic Johnson

During a 20-minute question and reply pinch nan media Tuesday, caller Lakers president of business operations Lon Rosen said Magic Johnson won’t beryllium progressive successful immoderate “day–to-day” engagement pinch nan squad and that hopes season-ticket holders will “renew” them contempt nan tremendous summation for adjacent season.

Rosen, who has been an executive vice president and main trading serviceman pinch nan Dodgers since 2012 erstwhile Mark Walter and Guggenheim Baseball Management purchased nan club, took complete nan Lakers occupation aft Tim Harris resigned from that role.

Rosen, who is backmost pinch the Lakers aft Walter purchased nan squad for a $10-billion evaluation, was asked astir Johnson’s domiciled pinch nan Lakers and really he would beryllium progressive pinch Rob Pelinka, nan team’s president of hoops operations and wide manager.

Johnson was president of hoops operations for nan Lakers from Feb. 21, 2017 until April 9, 2019, when he abruptly resigned.

“Earvin’s progressive pinch each types of things. He owns shot teams, shot teams, shot teams, security companies, a batch of things. He’s ever gonna person immoderate type of engagement pinch each nan teams, but he is not gonna person a day-to-day engagement (with nan Lakers),” Rosen said. “It’s gonna beryllium nary different since he near nan Lakers. Obviously he’s a immense instrumentality of nan Lakers, but he’s not gonna be, ‘Hey Rob spell motion this player. Do that.’ He’ll ever beryllium progressive pinch each nan teams that he’s progressive in, but no, he’s not gonna person day-to-day engagement astatine all. He is simply a ace Laker instrumentality and he’ll proceed to beryllium a ace Laker fan. It’s not bad to person that. You spot nan engagement he had nan different time erstwhile Pat (Riley) was present (to person his statue unveiled) and he’ll ever beryllium progressive that way.”

Rosen was asked astir summons prices expanding for nan 2026-27 season.

There person been reports from Lakers fans that gave an illustration of their tickets successful nan 300-level expanding to complete 45% from $6,192 to $9,035.

One instrumentality said his summation was astir 15% and different 3% interest if nan tickets were not paid for upfront.

“We dream they renew. And evidently it reflects connected what nan marketplace is now and nan request for tickets,” Rosen said. “You tin look astatine really tickets waste and what nan prices are. You look astatine superior and secondary marketplace and you tin spot wherever their request is.”

Magic Johnson pinch Pat Riley astatine nan unveiling of nan statue of Riley.

(Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times)

Pelinka told nan media aft nan waste and acquisition deadline that he’ll activity pinch Walter and Jeanie Buss, who is still nan committee of politician for nan Lakers, erstwhile it comes clip to make hoops decisions this summer.

Both Andrew Friedman, nan president of shot operations for nan Dodgers, and Farhan Zaidi, an typical advisor pinch nan Dodgers, will beryllium advisors for nan Lakers and Pelinka. Zaidi was seen astatine nan Lakers’ believe installation Monday.

“Rob’s empowered to do what he does,” Rosen said. “And he’s talked astir it and I tin talk astir it. Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi, they person engagement helping Rob a bit. It gives you a deeper bench, and I deliberation Rob appreciates that. And it is unique. But they person a accomplishment group that they tin transportation immoderate of it here. And that’s really really we look astatine it. Look, I person a really bully narration pinch Rob. I’ve known Rob Pelinka from erstwhile he was representing Kobe (Bryant). I met him galore many years ago.”