Jeanie Buss Challenges Family Sale of Lakers Stake

The Buss family said it had voted to sell its remaining interest at the same $12.5 billion valuation agreed upon in the proposed transfer of Mark Walter’s controlling stake to an ownership group led by Kushner and Iger. Buss, however, has rejected the validity of that vote through her attorney, arguing that a 2017 court ruling requires approval from the co-trustees of the family trust, including herself. NBA rules require a team governor to maintain at least a 15% ownership interest, meaning the sale of the family’s entire remaining stake could leave Buss below the threshold needed to retain her position.

The dispute follows a major shift in Lakers ownership that began in 2025, when the Buss family agreed to sell a controlling interest to Walter for about $10 billion while allowing Jeanie Buss to remain governor. Walter has since agreed to sell his controlling interest to Kushner and Iger at a $12.5 billion valuation, a transaction that still requires NBA approval. The Buss family had owned the Lakers since Jerry Buss purchased the franchise in 1979, during which the team won 11 NBA championships, including the 2020 title. If the remaining family stake is transferred, the transaction would mark the end of the Buss family's direct ownership of the franchise, although Buss is seeking to prevent the sale from proceeding without the required trust approvals.

Sources: ESPN, The Associated Press, Reuters, Al Jazeera, The Guardian and Variety.