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The legal dispute centers on the family's 17.82% stake in the Lakers, which was retained following Mark Walter’s purchase of a majority interest in 2025 at a $10 billion valuation. The current conflict is set to reach a critical juncture during a scheduled hearing in the Los Angeles Superior Court on December 8.
Legal Battle Over Lakers Ownership and Control
The core of the disagreement involves the siblings' attempt to utilize "go-along" rights to sell their remaining shares to an ownership group led by Bob Iger and Josh Kushner. The proposed sale, which would value the team at $12.5 billion, would provide each sibling with an additional $371 million. However, Jeanie Buss argues that this maneuver violates a 2017 court order designed to ensure her position as the team's controlling owner.
In her latest filing, Buss has requested that the court remove her siblings, Joey and Janie, as co-trustees of the family trust, citing a breach of fiduciary duty. She is also seeking to hold them in contempt of court and is pursuing legal costs from her brothers, Jim, Johnny, and Jesse, for their alleged role in aiding the violation of the 2017 mandate. Her legal team characterized the siblings' actions as a "false flag operation" intended to smear her reputation through media leaks rather than engaging in direct communication.
Conflicting Perspectives on Trust Obligations
The siblings have consistently denied these allegations in previous filings, maintaining that they are simply exercising voting rights granted to them as beneficiaries of the trust. In an October 16 filing, they argued that Jeanie Buss is prioritizing her personal interest in maintaining control over the rights of the other beneficiaries, labeling her claims as hypocritical.
Buss countered these assertions in her recent submission, stating that her actions are consistent with the directives left by her parents. While reports indicate that settlement discussions have occurred between the two parties, the extent of any progress remains unclear. Meanwhile, the potential sale to Iger and Kushner awaits the formal signing of an agreement between the parties, which will subsequently be subject to review by the NBA. As the December 8 court date approaches, the future of the Buss family's remaining influence within the Lakers organization remains firmly in the hands of the judiciary.