Los Angeles Lakers Governor Jeanie Buss filed a petition in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday to block her siblings from selling the family’s remaining 17.8% ownership stake in the NBA franchise. The legal action seeks to invalidate a resolution to sell the shares to incoming majority owners Bob Iger and Josh Kushner and asks a judge to order two of her siblings to show why they should not be held in contempt of court.
The filing marks a renewal of legal conflict within the Buss family, following a 2017 dispute where Jeanie Buss successfully sought court intervention to maintain her position as controlling owner. At that time, she alleged her brothers, James and Johnny Buss, attempted to remove her from her leadership role. The current petition alleges that siblings Janie and Joey Buss have now violated that 2017 court order and the terms of a 2006 family trust by secretly signing a resolution to sell the team's equity.
According to an August 17 report by ESPN, the six siblings—Jeanie, Jim, Johnny, Janie, Joey, and Jesse—initially voted in favor of the sale. A statement attributed to the family at that time indicated a collective decision to "exit gracefully" by selling the remaining Trust shares. However, the new court filing argues that Jeanie Buss was "forced to seek relief" to protect her parents' intent and the specific terms of the Jo Ann 2006 Electing Small Business Trust (ESBT).
The scale of the dispute involves the remaining minority share of a professional sports team, which the family statement valued as an opportunity to move on from the ongoing ownership transaction with the Iger-Kushner group. For the Lakers organization and its fans, the outcome will determine whether the team remains under the operational control of the Buss family or transitions fully to new leadership. The filing also seeks the removal of Janie and Joey Buss as trustees, alleging they placed their personal interests above their fiduciary duties to the trust.
A ruling in favor of Jeanie Buss would preserve the 2017 legal precedent that secured her control of the team. Conversely, a court decision upholding the siblings' resolution would facilitate the exit of the Buss family from the ownership group they have led for decades. A date for the hearing on the contempt charges and the validity of the sale resolution has not yet been reported.