Lon Rosen Clarifies Dodgers Front Office Plan Despite New Role

Synergy between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Lakers added a new layer last week with Lon Rosen joining the storied NBA franchise.

Rosen was hired as the Lakers' new president of business operations. He's replacing Tim Harris, who recently announced to staff members he was stepping away after more than 30 decades with the Lakers.

In hiring Rosen, the presumption was he would be moving on from his role as executive vice president and chief marketing officer for the Dodgers.

According to Khobi Price of the California Post, Rosen said he is going to continue working in the Dodgers front office while also taking on his new position with the Lakers.

Rosen said he’ll spend a “majority” of his time working for the Lakers, but will still provide “some services” to the Dodgers.

“We’re gonna look at best practices for both teams,” Rosen said. “I haven’t gotten into the weeds of how the Lakers operate, but I have a sense of how they operate and they operate very well. There’s things that we do at the Dodgers that we do really really well.

“Both organizations are gonna learn from each other. I don’t know where it’s all gonna fall. People say, the Dodgers are, the, this gold standard. And you know what, we do a really nice job there. And the job here is, I’ve been to a lot of games here. I know their business model is very successful, so I just gotta make sure I don’t mess it up.”

Rosen has a Dodgers executive since 2012. During Rosen's tenure, the Dodgers have increased revenue each year and led MLB in attendance since 2013.

Rosen joining the Lakers front office marks a return to the organization as he was an intern for team while still in college. Rosen then became a Lakers executive during the 1980s before embarking on a career as a sports agent, most notably representing Magic Johnson.

“I’m beyond grateful to Jeanie and Mark for trusting me with this incredible opportunity,” Rosen said in a statement when the Lakers announced his hiring. “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.

“I look forward to working alongside Jeanie, Rob and the whole front-office team to make that happen.”

Dodgers executives working for Lakers

Rosen is the latest to cross over from the Dodgers since Mark Walter purchased a majority stake in the Lakers from Jeanie Buss last October.

Joining him are Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and special adviser Farhan Zaidi, both of whom are assisting Lakers president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka in advisory roles.

Just four months into Walter's Lakers ownership, the franchise has now parted with multiple scouts in addition to Joey and Jesse Buss, and seen their longtime business operations president replaced.