Jeanie Buss is no doubt a powerful woman. To be the major controlling owner of a storied dynasty like the Los Angeles Lakers amidst a male-dominated field (after battling with her siblings for it, mind you!) sure takes some serious courage. In recent years, the ‘Purple & Gold’ have faced heavy criticism for their lack of success, with much of the blame falling on the management and front office. Yet, despite it all, Buss remains a resilient leader, standing firm in her convictions.

Needless to say, these qualities were something she watched and learned from her father, the late owner of the Lakers, Dr. Jerry Buss. And it goes without saying that the man was a visionary and a trailblazer. The most prominent example which points to this would be none other than the ‘Lakeshow’.

And perhaps, one of the most popular factors was the introduction of the ‘Laker Girls’. Talking to Dwight Howard in Above The Rim With DH 12, Buss explains how the whole thing came to be. “The Lakers were the first team to have a dance team, and he created the Laker Girls. And the reason he did that, it was about equal opportunity,” she explained.  

“He said, ‘Jeanie, when the guys are playing, they get the floor, but when they take a break, now the women get the floor.’ And so that’s why the Laker girls were the top dancers,” Jeanie further added. Top dancers, they were indeed! One of the most popular Laker Girls that rose to global recognition was none other than Paula Abdul. Out of nearly 2,000 candidates, she was the one they selected!

And her talent was such that she immediately rose to become the head choreographer. That opened the doors to a lot of opportunities to ultimately become the worldwide phenom that we now know her for. Jeanie Buss, for her part, was determined to continue her father’s good work. In fact, she recently invested in WOW, Women of Wrestling, as a means of empowering women.

To that end, she invested using her “own personal funds” so that these women could get a platform. But what about the women under her own wing?

Jeanie Buss might be an advocate for women’s empowerment, but reality leaves a lot to be desired

As a woman in a highly competitive field that’s not kind to her gender, one would imagine Jeanie Buss would be aware of the significant pay gap between men and women working in the industry. And to our point, the cheerleaders. Despite putting in pretty much the same amount of time, work, and energy as the million-dollar-worth NBA players, into perfecting a routine for 10 minutes, the checks they receive for their hard work would shock you.

As of 2023, NBA teams pay their cheerleaders between $200 and $650 per game. And they are not the Lakers. The two teams that pay the highest are the Knicks and the Hawks. Along with the salary, these women get a bonus amount if their team makes it to the playoffs as well, the highest being $2000. The cheerleaders of NYC and Atlanta make about $35,000 annually. And that’s only because these teams can afford to pay more.

The Lakers and Celtics come next with a salary of $600 and a bonus of $1,500, bringing their total earnings to $30,000/year. The lowest-paying teams are the Wolves, Bulls, Magic, 76ers, and Suns. They pay their cheerleaders $200 for every performance with a bonus of $700, totaling a meager $15,000 in a year. (credit: AS USA)

These are the same women who adhere to strict fitness routines, meal planning, put in rigorous hours of practice, and end up having to work more than one job to make a living. Although Dr. Buss envisioned a Lakers organization with “equal opportunities,” the question of whether that vision includes equal pay still needs addressing.

What do you think? Has Jeanie Buss been truly successful in continuing a future her father envisioned for his beloved franchise? Let us know in the comments.