Los Angeles Lakers Governor Jeanie Buss has initiated a legal battle against her siblings over the proposed sale of a minority ownership stake in the franchise. Buss filed a petition in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday, aiming to prevent her siblings from selling their collective 17.8% share of the team.
Five of the Buss siblings—Jim, Johnny, Janie, and Joey Buss, along with Jesse Buss—reportedly voted to sell their portion of the Lakers to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger. This agreement follows Kushner and Iger's prior commitment to purchase the majority shares from Mark Walter for $12.5 billion. This valuation is higher than the $10 billion at which Walter acquired the Lakers from the Buss family less than a year ago.
In her court filing, Jeanie Buss described her siblings' actions as "devious" and stated she was "blinded" by the attempted sale. She asserts that a previous family statement provided to ESPN was "knowingly false," claiming she was never consulted, informed, or in agreement with any sale. The petition outlines five specific orders sought by Buss, including instructing trustees to comply with a 2017 court order, declaring the purported trustee resolution void, and holding several siblings and co-trustees in contempt of court for breach of fiduciary duty and aiding and abetting.
The conflict centers on the ownership structure of the Lakers, with Jeanie Buss acting as the franchise's governor while her siblings, through the Buss family trust, seek to divest their minority stake.