Lakers Sale: Jeanie Buss Opposes Family’s Plan To Sell Remaining Stake To Josh Kushner, Bob Iger

Topline Jeanie Buss on Monday said she opposed her siblings’ plan to sell their remaining minority stake in the Los Angeles Lakers to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger. She dismissed reports that the whole family had agreed to the transaction a week after Kushner and Iger agreed to purchase the Lakers for $12.5 billion from billionaire Mark Walter. Jeanie Buss, governor of the Los Angeles Lakers, has not agreed to sell the family’s stake. In a letter to her siblings' law firms, her lawyer stated that any vote on the matter would be void. The letter also accused ESPN of spreading false information, claiming Joey and Jesse Buss leaked defamatory details to ESPN reporter Shams Charania. The proposed sale comes shortly after Mark Walter, the Lakers' owner, agreed to sell the team to Kushner and Iger for $12.5 billion, following a federal fraud investigation. This sale would give Kushner and Iger a combined stake of about 83% in the team. Earlier reports mentioned the Buss family selling their 17.8% stake, which would remove Jeanie Buss from her role as team governor under NBA rules requiring at least 15% ownership. The Athletic reported a vote was held by the Buss family trust, involving former Lakers owner Jerry Buss’ six children, to enact the sale. Forbes estimated the Lakers' value at $10 billion in January, ranking them 18th on the list of the world’s most profitable sports teams. Mark Walter, who owns the Los Angeles Dodgers and Sparks, sold the Lakers for $12.5 billion just 14 months after purchasing them, valued at $10 billion. Federal investigators are probing potential insurance fraud by firms owned by Walter, which may have influenced the sale timing. Speculation surrounds Kushner’s involvement due to his ties to President Donald Trump’s administration, though the White House denied any connection.