Two of her siblings now personal the San Diego Padres, however Jeanie Buss is clearly removed from a take care of them on the subject of the Los Angeles Lakers.
“Jeanie by no means agreed to any sale, was by no means consulted, and was by no means even knowledgeable,” states a movement filed Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Courtroom by the courtroom. Operating level The PE and Governor of the Lakers should cease Dr. Jerry Buss’ 5 different youngsters from promoting the household’s remaining 17.8% of the championship-winning crew that they’ve owned for many years. Actually, the designated inheritor and her attorneys argue that it is truly unhealthy enterprise to promote aggressive siblings proper now as a result of the Lakers are a development asset with “continuously skyrocketing worth.”
On Aug. 17, simply days after Bob Iger and Josh Kushner scooped up greater than 63 % of the storied franchise for $12.5 billion from short-term proprietor Mark Walter, Buss’ remaining youngsters declared that it was “time to make use of this chance to maneuver on and exit gracefully whereas we nonetheless can.” Inside hours, Jeanie Buss and her attorneys issued a rebuttal, and at the moment they made it official in courtroom.
Within the five-claim doc, Buss not solely needs the household sale to cease, however for siblings Joey and Janie Buss to be compelled out as co-trustees of the clan’s stake. She additionally requests {that a} measure of “contempt of courtroom” be severely pronounced towards her brothers and sisters for his or her “provocative” conduct. With the 2026/2027 NBA season starting on October 20, a listening to on Buss’ petition is at the moment scheduled for LASC on November 15.
If the buses promote out, Jeanie will lose her function as governor of the Lakers (she should have at the least 15% of the crew to qualify) and her function as controlling proprietor.
Regardless that the household bought most of its stake within the Lakers to Walter, who’s now beneath federal investigation, in June 2025 for $10 billion, Jeanie Buss (who earned a five-year time period as governor because of the deal) is taking all of this household drama very personally. “Their conduct isn’t motivated by monetary necessity however by animosity towards Jeanie and a willful disregard of (the belief), this Courtroom’s 2017 order, their fiduciary duties, and the specific intent of Dr. Buss,” at the moment’s petition says about Jeanie Buss’ siblings.
If the present posture continues and Buss sticks steadfastly to a earlier courtroom order from 2017, when the household final began enjoying authorized dodgeball, this post-midterm listening to will not be fairly. It might additionally see massive names lured into the sector, each actually and figuratively.
Interesting to Lakers majority shareholders Iger and Kushner on Aug. 12, Buss’ submitting stated “certainly, different house owners of stakes within the Lakers have expressed assist for Jeanie remaining a majority proprietor and have expressed their intention to carry, not promote, their stakes within the Lakers.”
That is proper, when the previous Disney boss and founding father of Thrive Capital struck a take care of Dodgers boss Walter, Iger made some extent of proclaiming that Jeanie Buss was a part of the package deal in his eyes.
We have now an amazing quantity of respect and appreciation for Jeanie, her father and what they’ve contributed to this franchise,” Iger advised Rupert Murdoch. The California put up in August “And we’ve got each intention of honoring the settlement that was made between Mark and Jeanie. If issues change, they’ll change, however we strategy this with super respect and appreciation for who she is and what she represents within the group.”
Now, as Iger and Kushner await near-sure approval of their buy of the Lakers on the NBA Board of Governors assembly Sept. 15-16, the presence of the Buss household will not change their grip on the 11-championship-winning crew — however it’ll depart a stench on the courtroom.
Representatives for Iger and Kushner didn’t reply to Deadline’s request for touch upon the most recent Buss household feud.