Buss siblings 'united' against Jeanie Buss's attempt to halt Lakers stake sale

Benjamin Royer, The Orange County Register on Aug 18, 2026

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LOS ANGELES — United.

Fewer than 24 hours after Jeanie Buss publicly contested the Buss Family Trust’s vote to sell the remaining 17.8% of the family’s stake in the Lakers, the other five Buss siblings (Jim, Johnny, Janie, Joey and Jesse), who voted to sell to Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner, released a statement Tuesday afternoon united in opposition to their sister and plans to attempt to move ahead with the sale.

“The Los Angeles Lakers have never been just a basketball team,” the statement, first released to ESPN, states. “They have been one of the greatest privileges of our lives. Our focus has always been on what we believe is best for the Lakers, the fans who have supported this franchise for generations and the greater Los Angeles community.”

“Johnny, Jimmy, Janie, Joey and Jesse have made the decision to sell the family’s remaining stake, and we remain united in that decision. We intend to move forward thoughtfully, respectfully and through the appropriate process. We have tremendous respect for Bob Iger and Josh Kushner and believe they understand what the Lakers represent to Los Angeles and our incredibly loyal fan base. We are confident they will honor everything this franchise stands for while building upon the foundation our father created.”

To say it’s been a whirlwind week in ‘Laker Land’ would be an understatement.

Last Wednesday, Dodgers owner Mark Walter shockingly sold his majority stake in the franchise to Iger and Kushner – who were previously interested in Las Vegas expansion efforts – for a record $12.5 billion just 14 months after reaching a deal with the Buss Family in June 2025 for $10 billion. Monday afternoon, the Buss Family Trust released a statement announcing that the family had decided to sell their remaining nearly 18% in the Lakers to Walter and Iger.

A few hours later, the letter from her attorney, Adam Streisand of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP, on behalf of Jeanie, which uses a 2017 court order, also obtained by the Southern California News Group, as its basis, claims that she is the controlling owner of the Lakers and that the vote is “void.”

“On behalf of Jeanie Buss, I demand that your clients make clear publicly that Jeanie Buss is the Controlling Owner of the Los Angeles Lakers and that your clients shall take no action on this supposed ‘vote’ to sell the 17.8% stake,” reads the letter penned by Streisand.

“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,” Streisand writes in the letter. “Pursuant to the JAB Trust and the attached Court Order, the co-trustees are bound to vote the Los Angeles Lakers, Inc. shares to ensure that the minimum 15% ownership requirement is maintained in order to ensure that Jeanie Buss may remain Controlling Owner. Any attempt by the co-trustees to do otherwise, and any attempt to aid or abet the co-trustees as such, would constitute a breach of trust, breach of fiduciary duty and be in contempt of court.”

Johnny and Jim Buss had been ousted from their roles with the Lakers in 2017, while just last November, the Lakers unceremoniously fired Joey and Jesse Buss from their respective front office roles. Jeanie serves as Lakers governor but would have to relinquish the role should the sale go through (governors must own 15% or more of the franchise). She is the only Buss sibling still involved with the team’s day-to-day operations.

Any sale would need to be approved by the NBA’s board of governors. The next board of governors’ meeting is Sept. 15-16 in New York.

But as the leaves continue to fall regarding the Buss family and what are certain to be a hectic few months ahead, it could be weeks or months until both the Lakers sale to Iger and Kusher – along with disagreement over the Buss Family’s stake – are settled.

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