Jeanie Buss Takes Legal Action Against ‘Devious’ Siblings as Lakers Ownership Battle Intensifies

The stakes just got higher in the saga surrounding the ownership of the Los Angeles Lakers. The Busses are once again set for a clash in a Los Angeles courtroom. Controlling owner and governor Jeanie Buss has filed an explosive 97-page petition in Los Angeles Superior Court to block her five siblings — Joey, Janie, Jesse, Jim, and Johnny Buss — from executing a secret agreement to sell the family’s remaining 17.8% stake in the franchise. The petition, filed by Jeanie and her prominent attorney, Adam Streisand, accuses her brothers and sisters of engaging in “devious” conduct, as stated in the document, designed to undermine her governorship. Jeanie is asking the court to void her siblings’ vote to sell, hold them in contempt for violating a prior 2017 court order, remove co-trustees Joey and Janie Buss for breach of fiduciary duty, and seek financial damages. Highlighting the underlying personal rift driving the dispute, Jeanie’s petition pulls no punches regarding the siblings’ motivations: “Their conduct is not driven by financial necessity but by animosity toward Jeanie and in willful disregard for the Trust, this Court’s 2017 Order, their fiduciary duties, and Dr. Buss’s express intent.” As detailed by Senior NBA Insider Sam Amick, the court filing establishes a firm legal timeline while outlining the severe remedies Jeanie is seeking against her co-trustees. Jeanie Buss and her attorney, Adam Streisand, have filed a petition to block her siblings’ attempted sale of the family’s Lakers shares. A court hearing is scheduled for November 5, according to a filing that was publicly processed today. Amick further said, “Jeanie Buss is not only calling for the family’s vote of the Lakers shares to be deemed void, but for co-trustees Joey and Janie Buss to be removed from those positions for ‘breach of fiduciary duty.’ She calls for her siblings to be liable ‘for loss and damages’ as well. The petition explicitly states, ‘Jeanie never agreed to any sale, was never consulted, and was never even informed.’” The legal battle represents the second major attempt by Jeanie’s siblings to strip her of control following their failed 2017 coup. Under NBA governing guidelines, a franchise governor must hold at least a 15% ownership stake to maintain voting rights and operational authority. By attempting to sell the trust’s entire 17.8% stake, Jeanie argues her siblings are intentionally forcing her below the NBA’s mandatory threshold. The petition outlines five specific Causes of Action, asserting that a 2017 court order requires the trustees to ensure her position as Controlling Owner. The filing further argues that selling the shares makes no financial sense given the franchise’s rapidly appreciating valuation under the incoming Kushner-Iger group, noting that other minority shareholders support Jeanie and intend to hold their equity. The legal showdown stems from the fallout of majority owner Mark Walter’s surprise announcement that he is selling his majority stake in the Lakers to a new ownership group led by billionaire venture capitalist Joshua Kushner and former Disney CEO Bob Iger at a record $12.5 billion valuation. Jeanie was expected to remain governor for at least four more years if she retained the required 15% equity stake. However, behind the scenes, her five siblings signed a resolution to piggyback on the sale and offload the family’s entire remaining equity to the Iger-Kushner group. Joey Buss, who Jeanie fired from the front office nine months ago, reportedly signed an initial letter on August 11, one day before news broke that Walter sold the Lakers to Iger and Kushner. This was followed by an August 18 joint resolution signed by the other five siblings, omitting Jeanie from their public statement. Johnny, Jimmy, Janie, Joey, and Jesse stated they made the decision to sell the family’s remaining stake, intending to move forward respectfully through the appropriate process. With a court hearing set for November 5, the legal maneuverings may determine whether the legacy of Dr. Jerry Buss remains under his designated successor’s control or undergoes permanent restructuring.