Jeanie Buss is mounting a legal challenge against her siblings' plan to sell an 18% stake in the Los Angeles Lakers to Bob Iger and Josh Kushner, according to reports from ESPN and other outlets. The Lakers controlling owner, who has led the franchise since her father Jerry Buss died in 2013, opposes the transaction that the rest of her family approved.
The sale represents a significant shift in Lakers ownership dynamics. Iger, the former Disney CEO who stepped down in late 2024, and Kushner, a venture capitalist and member of the Trump family network, would become minority stakeholders in one of the NBA's most valuable and storied franchises. The deal values the team at a steep premium, reflecting the Lakers' global brand power and Los Angeles market dominance.
Buss has controlled day-to-day operations of the Lakers for over a decade, overseeing the LeBron James era and the 2020 championship run in the bubble. Her contest suggests deep family disagreement over the franchise's direction and financial structure. The specifics of her legal argument remain unclear, but family ownership disputes in sports often hinge on shareholder rights, valuation disputes, or governance questions.
The timing matters. Iger's entrance into sports ownership comes as traditional media executives increasingly diversify into sports and entertainment assets. Kushner's involvement signals venture capital's growing appetite for NBA stakes, particularly from investors with Trump administration connections. For the Lakers, bringing in Iger's entertainment expertise and Kushner's financial resources could reshape the organization's business operations, even if Buss maintains operational control.
This family rift plays out amid broader NBA ownership shuffles. The league has seen recent ownership transitions with new money entering franchises across the league. The Lakers dispute, however, carries outsized cultural weight given the franchise's historic significance, the Buss