Full Breakdown
Lakers Ownership Dispute: Jeanie Buss Challenges Siblings’ Plan to Sell the Family’s Remaining Stake
8/19/2026, 9:28:01 PM
Core Event
The Buss family trust, which holds the former Jerry Buss family’s 17.8 % ownership interest in the Los Angeles Lakers, voted to sell that stake to incoming majority owners Bob Iger and Josh Kushner. Jeanie Buss, the franchise’s governor and controlling owner, has filed a legal objection, citing a 2017 court order that requires the consent of the three co-trustees—Jeanie, Janie and Joey Buss—before any sale can proceed. The dispute unfolds as Iger and Kushner’s $12.5 billion purchase of majority control from Mark Walter awaits approval by the NBA Board of Governors at its September 15 meeting in New York.
Background & Context
- 1979-2013: Jerry Buss bought the Lakers for $67.5 million and built a dynasty that won 11 NBA championships.
- 2013: After Jerry Buss’s death, Jeanie Buss became the team’s governor and controlling owner.
- June 2025: The Buss family sold a controlling 73 % stake to Mark Walter for a record $10 billion, retaining a 17.8 % minority share that satisfied the NBA’s 15 % ownership threshold for Jeanie to remain governor through at least 2030.
- Later in 2026: Walter agreed to sell his majority interest (?65 % of the franchise) to Iger and Kushner at a $12.5 billion valuation, a deal that would give the new owners roughly 83 % of the team if the Buss minority stake is also transferred.
Key Figures & Groups
- Jeanie Buss — Lakers governor and controlling owner.
- Adam Streisand — Attorney for Jeanie Buss, representing the JAB Trust.
- Bob Iger — Former Disney CEO, prospective co-majority owner.
- Josh Kushner — Venture-capitalist founder of Thrive Capital, prospective co-majority owner.
- Jim, Johnny, Janie, Joey, Jesse Buss — Siblings who voted to sell the remaining stake.
Data & Statistics
- Ownership share: 17.8 % held by the Buss family trust.
- Sale valuation: Iger-Kushner purchase of Walter’s stake is priced at $12.5 billion; inclusion of the Buss 17.8 % would raise the new owners’ combined stake to roughly 83 % of the franchise.
- Governorship rule: NBA bylaws require a governor to own at least 15 % of a team.
Official Statements & Responses
- Jeanie Buss’s legal position: In a letter obtained by multiple outlets, Streisand wrote that “No sale of the JAB Trust’s 17.8 % ownership interest in the Los Angeles Lakers, Inc. can be effectuated without approval by the current co-trustees, i.e., Jeanie, Janie and Joey Buss” and that any contrary vote would be “void.”
- NBA approval timeline: The league’s Board of Governors is scheduled to meet on September 15 to consider the majority-owner transaction.
Criticism & Opposition
Their stance relies on a tag-along provision in the 2025 Walter deal that, they argue, permits minority owners to join a sale once a majority vote is secured.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Vote composition: ESPN reported that five of six siblings voted in favor, with Jeanie abstaining. The New York Post’s coverage of Shams Charania’s reporting suggests the vote met the four-of-six threshold required by the trust, but Jeanie’s lawyers contend that the co-trustees’ consent remains mandatory. The precise legal effect of the tag-along clause versus the 2017 court order is unsettled.
- No definitive timeline has been provided for a potential court ruling on the dispute.
