Despite reports that the Buss family has voted to divest itself of its remaining ownership of the Los Angeles Lakers, team governor Jeanie Buss claims she’s not going anywhere.
Ramishah Maruf and Matt Egan of CNN report that Buss’s attorneys have contacted her siblings — Jim, Johnny, Janie, Joey and Jesse — in the aftermath of that ESPN report.
“On behalf of Jeanie Buss, I demand that your clients make clear publicly that Jeanie Buss is the Controlling Owner of the Los Angeles Lakers and that your clients shall take no action on this supposed ‘vote’ to sell the 17.8% stake,” read the letter from attorney Adam Streisand.
Jeanie Buss’ attorney accuses siblings of lying
Streisand also reportedly told CNN that the sale was “falsely reported” by ESPN and that “this is just the latest instance of a years-long pattern whereby Joey and Jesse Buss leak false, defamatory and pernicious ‘information.’”
“If (Jeanie Buss’ siblings) try and push this, I will go to court to seek to hold them in contempt and to issue injunctions,” Streisand added.
It remains to be seen if such legal actions will be attempted or enforced by a judge, but the rest of the Busses have made clear that they view their period of Lakers ownership to be over.
“We have decided as a family to sell the remaining Buss Family Trust shares to the Bob Iger group as part of the ongoing transaction,” the family said in a statement. “We love the Lakers, Laker fans and will continue to support Los Angeles; but it is time to use this opportunity to move on and exit gracefully while we still can.”
That Bob Iger group also includes Josh Kushner, the brother of Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of President Donald Trump.
They’re purchasing a majority stake in the team from Mark Walter, who also owns the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the shares owned by the Buss family — pending, it seems, a court battle among family members.
Streisand claims that Buss is the controlling owner of the family’s stake and it can’t be sold without her permission.
“Any ‘vote’ by any of the Buss siblings (on the sale to Iger and Kushner) would be and is void” from the beginning, Streisand said.
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