Lakers’ Jeanie Buss ‘contesting’ family’s vote to sell to Kushner, Iger

What the report says

Jeanie Buss is challenging an effort by her siblings to sell the Los Angeles Lakers’ remaining family stake to Bob Iger and Josh Kushner, according to an Al Jazeera report based on Reuters. The dispute centers on the Buss family trust’s 17.8 percent share and on whether Jeanie, who serves as the team’s controlling owner and governor, must approve any sale under a 2017 court order. Her lawyer argued that the family’s vote could not override the requirement that the controlling owner retain at least 15 percent of the franchise.

The family had announced on Monday that it intended to sell its remaining shares as part of the ongoing transaction. That statement initially suggested a unified decision, but later reporting indicated Jeanie was not aligned with the move. The Lakers have been tied to the Buss family since 1979, and Jeanie became governor in 2013 after her father’s death.

The broader ownership reshuffle follows a recent record-setting sale of the franchise to Mark Walter for $10 billion, which was later followed by Walter’s sale to Iger and Kushner for $12.5 billion, subject to NBA approval. If completed, Iger and Kushner would control about 83 percent of the team. The NBA Board of Governors is scheduled to meet in mid-September to consider the transaction, making the dispute a significant issue for the franchise’s ownership structure and governance.