Buss Siblings Challenge Jeanie Buss on Lakers Sale

Five of Jeanie Buss’ siblings are formally opposing her stance that they cannot sell the family’s ownership stake in the Los Angeles Lakers without her permission. The siblings — Johnny, Jim, Janie, Joey, and Jesse Buss — have filed a legal case against their sister, who is attempting to prevent them from selling the remainder of the family’s shares in the NBA team.

In a statement issued to ESPN, the siblings said, "Jimmy, Johnny, Janie, Joey and Jesse Buss, the five of six siblings who voted to sell the Trust’s shares in the Lakers, [on Wednesday] filed their formal opposition, demonstrating that Jeanie Buss’s petition is legally and factually baseless."

They added that their focus remains on facilitating the proposed transaction and the Buss family trust’s participation in it, while ensuring that all beneficiaries are treated equally. "[Wednesday’s] filing is a necessary step to protect those interests and ensure the transaction proceeds on schedule," the statement read.

The five siblings voted to sell the family’s remaining 17.8% ownership stake in the Lakers to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger, who agreed to purchase the majority shares for a valuation of $12.5 billion. This deal comes less than a year after Mark Walter acquired the Lakers from the Buss family for $10 billion.

Jeanie Buss had previously filed a petition in Los Angeles Superior Court in late August to block her siblings’ attempted sale of their minority ownership stake. Her lawyer, Adam Streisand, argued in a letter that her siblings could not legally execute a sale without her approval and that any vote to sell would be void.

NBA rules require a team governor to maintain control of at least 15% of the franchise. Jeanie Buss has served as the Lakers governor since 2013, following the death of her father, Dr. Jerry Buss. The league had previously announced that she would remain as governor for at least five years after Walter's purchase, through 2030.

Streisand filed a postponement request for Jeanie’s petition, which was granted, rescheduling the hearing for December 8. The original hearing was set for November 5.