The $12.5 billion sale of the Los Angeles Lakers has unleashed a family feud. The Buss children are at it again. Jeanie Buss, 64, took over as the team’s governor and controlling owner in 2013 after the death of her father, Jerry, the team's longtime and celebrated owner. She sued in 2017, alleging that two other brothers tried to oust her. Now Jeanie Buss is fighting to hold on to that power. She is one of six siblings and apparently is outnumbered. Her five siblings issued a statement saying they plan to sell the family’s remaining 17.8% in the Lakers to the incoming owners -- venture capitalist Josh Kushner and former Disney CEO Bob Iger. The 17.8% is how much the Buss children retained after selling the team to Mark Walter in June 2025 on a valuation of about $10 billion. The terms of that sale stipulated that Jeanie Buss was to remain the team's governor for at least five years following the sale. But that plan looks to be in jeopardy after Walter sold the team to Kusher, brother of Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared, and Iger. NBA rules require a team’s governor have at least 15% ownership. If her siblings are allowed to sell their shares, Jeanie Buss won’t meet the threshold needed to oversee the team. The NBA has not yet approved the sale and it could take months to resolve.
Can Jeanie stop her siblings from selling? When Jerry Buss died in 2013, he owned 66% of the Lakers, and he left 11% to each of his six children. But Jeanie Buss, through Adam Streisand, contends her siblings need her approval to sell their remaining shares. In a copy of a letter obtained by ESPN, Streisand wrote that any family vote for a sale "would be and is void" because Jeanie’s approval is needed. "Co-trustees are bound to vote to ensure that the minimum 15% ownership requirement is maintained in order to ensure that Jeanie Buss may remain controlling owner," Streisand wrote, via ESPN. "Any attempt by the co-trustees to aid or abet the co-trustees as such, would constitute a breach of trust, breach of fiduciary duty and be in contempt of court. "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." The siblings see things differently. “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 Buss family said in a statement, according to the Associated Press. “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.” Lakers in limbo off, on court Under Jerry Buss, the Lakers became one of the most iconic teams in sports. The team won 10 NBA titles between Jerry Buss’ purchase of the Lakers in 1979 for $67.5 million and his death in 2013. Since then, the Lakers have won just one more title, giving the franchise 17 -- second behind only the Boston Celtics' 18 titles. Jeanie Buss' biggest move since firing her brother Jim in 2017 was to sign LeBron James the following year. James led the Lakers to an NBA title in 2020 during a COVID-19 pandemic-shortened season. The Lakers have not returned to the Finals since. This offseason, James left the Lakers and signed with the Philadelphia 76ers. The Lakers have retooled their roster around star Luka Doncic, and for the moment, the Lakers look to be in limbo on and off the court. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What to know about Jeanie Buss' fight for Lakers control, family feud