Who is Lakers GM Rob Pelinka's wife Kristin Schwarz? All you need to know about their relationship

LA Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka has had an up-and-down tenure with the franchise since taking over the position in 2017. Amid all the success and criticism that comes with the job, Pelinka has always received the support of his wife, Kristin Schwarz.

Pelinka and Schwarz have been married since 2005 and have two children together, a son, Durham, and a daughter, Emery. Durham and Emery both play basketball, with Durham suiting up for Branch West and Emery playing for the Newport Beach Wildcats.

The family lives in Newport Beach, a city south of Los Angeles. Pelinka has had a busy 2025 for the Lakers, acquiring Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks in early February. It's one of the biggest trades in NBA history, setting up the Lakers for success in the next decade.

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Rob Pelinka's wife, Kristin Schwarz, is a doctor

Kristin Schwarz was born in Newport Beach, California, but went to Duke in North Carolina to earn his degree in Biology in 1998. She completed her medical degree back home at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA in 2003. She completed her residency at Cedars Sinai Medical Center.

Schwarz began practicing medicine in 2006 as a pediatrician at Pacific Ocean Pediatrics in Santa Monica. She joined the Kiddox Medical Group for a brief period in 2009 before returning home to Newport Beach at Coastal Kids.

After more than six years at Coastal Kids, Schwartz decided to start her own practice and established the Dr. Kristin Pelinka, MD Inc. clinic in Costa Mesa. She continues to practice medicine, calling it a "true vocation and calling" and not just a job.

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Rob Pelinka's tenure as LA Lakers GM

Since taking over the general manager position with the LA Lakers, Rob Pelinka has had some highs and lows. Pelinka quickly built a championship team in 2018, signing LeBron James as a free agent and acquiring Anthony Davis via trade a year later.

The Lakers won their 17th NBA championship in 2020 though some are critical that it happened inside the bubble. After reaching success that season, things went downhill, as they failed to defend their title in 2021. They then traded for Russell Westbrook, destroying the core that won them the title.

After the failed Westbrook experiment, the Lakers surprisingly won the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament in 2023. They also made the playoffs in the past two seasons but ran into the Denver Nuggets.

Fast forward to the 2024-25 NBA season, the Lakers looked fantastic with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. They then shockingly acquired Luka Doncic for Davis, setting up the franchise for years to come.

It might be enough to give Rob Pelinka the Executive of the Year Award. Nevertheless, the Lakers have secured their future as long as they keep Doncic and surround him with the right roster.