Jeanie Buss Challenges Siblings’ Vote to Sell Remaining Lakers Stake

Posted : 18 August 2026

Los Angeles Lakers governor Jeanie Buss is challenging her siblings’ decision to sell the Buss family’s remaining 17.8% stake in the franchise to the ownership group led by Josh Kushner and Bob Iger. The dispute could determine whether Buss remains the team’s controlling owner.

Buss’ attorney, Adam Streisand, argues that the proposed sale cannot proceed without approval from the co-trustees of the family trust, including Jeanie, Janie and Joey Buss. He cited a 2017 court ruling and said the trust must preserve the minimum 15% ownership interest required for Buss to remain controlling owner.

The other five Buss siblings reportedly voted in favor of selling the remaining family shares. They believe a tag-along provision connected to the family’s 2025 transaction with Mark Walter gives them the right to sell their stake at the same valuation Walter secured when agreeing to transfer control of the Lakers to Kushner and Iger.

The proposed transaction would have major consequences for Buss. She previously reached an agreement with Walter that allowed her to remain the Lakers’ controlling owner through 2030. However, selling the family’s entire remaining stake would leave her below the ownership threshold needed to retain that position. Iger has said he intended to honor his agreement with Buss, although he acknowledged that circumstances could change.

The family said it had chosen to sell its remaining shares as part of the broader ownership transition, expressing its continued affection for the Lakers and Los Angeles while saying it was time to leave the franchise. Buss, however, was the only sibling who did not support the reported sale. Her lawyer has demanded that her siblings recognize her as the Lakers’ controlling owner and refrain from acting on the vote.

The disagreement follows years of tension within the Buss family after the death of longtime Lakers owner Jerry Buss in 2013. The family had controlled the franchise since Jerry Buss purchased it from Jack Kent Cooke in 1979, during which time the Lakers won 11 NBA championships.

The latest conflict comes shortly after Walter agreed to sell his controlling interest to Kushner and Iger at a $12.5 billion valuation, a record figure for a U.S. sports franchise. The broader ownership transition remains subject to NBA approval.

Jeanie Buss Challenges Siblings’ Vote to Sell Remaining Lakers Stake

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