Jeanie Buss opposes siblings’ vote to sell remaining Lakers stake

Jeanie Buss and the Los Angeles Lakers grabbed headlines last week for selling the NBA franchise. It was sold to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger. On Monday, the Buss family announced that it will sell its remaining 17.8% ownership stake. However, she reportedly did not agree with her siblings’ decision. Jeanie will need to step down as the Lakers’ governor should the transaction push through. The NBA requires that a controlling governor owns at least 15% of the franchise. MORE: Luka Doncic wants to ‘build something special’ with Lakers’ new owners ESPN’s Ramona Shelbourne reported that her lawyer sent a letter to her siblings, with Jeanie opposing their vote. “In response, Jeanie Buss’ lawyer Adam Streisand wrote to the five siblings who voted to sell that a court had ruled in 2017 that no sale could be “effectuated without approval by the co-trustees, i.e. Jeanie, Janie and Joey Buss,” Shelbourne wrote. “Jeanie Buss was the lone sibling who did not vote to sell the team Monday, and multiple sources told ESPN that she did not respond to the family vote on whether to sell the team.” Los Angeles finished the 2025-26 regular-season with a 53-29 record, good for fourth in the Western Conference. The Lakers advanced to the second round but the Oklahoma City Thunder swept them in four games. Jeanie Buss’ tenure with the Lakers Sep 28, 2021; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers owner Jeanie Buss attends media day at the UCLA Health and Training Center in El Segundo, Calif. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports Jeanie took over as the franchise’s governor after her father, Jerry Buss, died in 2013. She also became its president, while her brother, Jim, served as VP of basketball operations. The Lakers won 11 championships since Jerry purchased the team in May 1979. Their latest was in 2020 inside the NBA Bubble in Orlando. They will usher in a new era next season, with a new ownership and without LeBron James for the first time in nine years. — Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories on The Big Lead —