Lakers Sale: Jeanie Buss Opposes Family’s Plan To Sell Remaining Stake To Josh Kushner, Bob Iger

Aug 18, 2026 12:13 PM - 1 hour ago 1

Topline

Jeanie Buss connected Monday said she opposed her siblings’ scheme to waste their remaining number liking successful the Los Angeles Lakers to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger, dismissing reports that the full family had agreed to the transaction a week aft Kushner and Iger agreed to acquisition the Lakers for $12.5 cardinal from billionaire Mark Walter past week.

Jeanie Buss, politician of the Los Angeles Lakers, attends a 2021-2022 play kick-off event.

Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Allen J. Schaben

Key Facts

In a letter sent to rule firms representing her siblings, Jeanie Buss’ lawyer said she has not agreed to waste the family’s liking successful the Lakers and immoderate ballot conducted connected the matter “would beryllium and is void,” CNBC first reported.

The missive besides called retired ESPN’s study connected the matter arsenic mendacious and accused Buss’ siblings, Joey and Jesse Buss, of leaking “false, defamatory and pernicious ‘information’” to the outlet’s newsman Shams Charania.

In the letter, Buss’ lawyer cites a 2017 Los Angeles Superior Court bid noting that Jeanie Buss is the “controlling owner” of the squad and claims that immoderate effort to waste the family’s liking without her consent would beryllium contempt of court.

The reports astir the Buss family’s liking comes a fewer days aft Lakers proprietor Mark Walter abruptly agreed to waste the squad to Kushner and Iger past week amid a federal fraud investigation, giving them a astir 65% liking successful the team.

If the Buss family were to push done pinch the waste of their remaining liking to Kushner and Iger, the 2 will person a mixed liking of astir 83%.

what did earlier reports astir the waste say?

The ESPN report called retired by the missive said the Buss family will waste their 17.8% liking to 2 caller main owners of the franchise. The study noted that arsenic a consequence of the waste Jeanie Buss would suffer her domiciled arsenic the squad politician nether NBA rules requiring owners/governors to ain astatine slightest 15% of a team. The Athletic reported that a ballot connected the matter was held past week by the Buss family trust, which is made up of erstwhile Lakers proprietor Jerry Buss’ six children. The study said Jeanie Buss, Janie Buss and Joey Buss will beryllium responsible for enacting the existent sale.

Big Number

$10 billion. That is really overmuch Forbes estimated the Lakers’ worth astatine successful January, erstwhile the squad classed No. 18 connected Forbes’ database of the world’s astir profitable sports teams.

Key Background

Walter, who is the controlling proprietor of the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Los Angeles Sparks, agreed to waste the Lakers to Kushner and Iger past week for $12.5 cardinal conscionable 14 months aft he purchased the squad erstwhile it was weighted astatine $10 billion. Federal investigators are probing whether security firms owned by Walter improperly funnelled money to different companies of his. The timing of the investigation and his waste of the Lakers provoked conspiracy theories claiming the national enquiry whitethorn person benefited Kushner, who is the relative of President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. Sports squad owners typically support aliases enactment successful business pinch their teams for decades, further fueling speculation astir Walter’s determination to sell. Amid concerns that Josh Kushner, a Democrat, was benefiting from his nexus to the president, the White House said he “has thing to do pinch President Trump aliases his administration."