Los Angeles Lakers governor Jeanie Buss has filed a formal petition in Los Angeles Superior Court to block her siblings from selling the family’s remaining 17.8% stake in the franchise, escalating an internal family dispute following a 5-1 vote by the Buss family trust, according to court documents and legal reporting.
Court Filing Targets Family Trust Vote and Secret Motions
The legal action, initiated Wednesday, responds to a family trust decision made last week in which five of Dr. Jerry Buss’s children voted to sell their remaining ownership share to a partnership led by Bob Iger and Josh Kushner. According to the court filing reported by Deadline, Jeanie Buss contends that she was never consulted, informed, or in agreement with the transaction, labeling the maneuver an intentional effort by her siblings to bypass her authority.
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Court records detail that Jeanie Buss is seeking to have her siblings, Joey and Janie Buss, removed as co-trustees of the family stake, citing breaches of fiduciary duties and willful disregard for a 2017 court order. The petition asks the court to enforce contempt measures against the participating siblings for what the filing describes as defiant behavior. The Lakers franchise has an upcoming hearing scheduled on the Los Angeles Superior Court calendar for November 15, ahead of the NBA season.
Ownership Stakes and Controlling Power at Stake
The core of the dispute centers on the governance of the storied franchise. If the family fire sale proceeds as voted by the trust majority, Jeanie Buss risks losing her qualification to remain team governor. However, the petition notes that other minority stakeholders in the organization have voiced support for Jeanie Buss to retain her controlling position and have committed to holding their respective shares rather than selling to the incoming group.
The family trust drama unfolds just months after a monumental ownership shift in June 2025, when the family sold a majority holding of the Lakers to Mark Walter for $10 billion. That transaction secured Jeanie Buss a five-year term as governor. Subsequently, on August 12, Bob Iger and Josh Kushner acquired a controlling stake exceeding 63% from Walter for $12.5 billion. While the new majority owners previously expressed public support for Jeanie Buss, the remaining 17.8% family stake has sparked an intense legal clash among the late Dr. Jerry Buss’s heirs.
Past Family Precedents and Next Legal Checkpoints
Family friction has historically shadowed the Lakers’ front office, tracing back to previous power struggles between Jeanie and her brother Jim Buss following their father’s death. While Jim previously ran basketball operations before stepping down, recent restructuring saw other family members, including Joey and Jesse Buss, depart from operational roles within the franchise and its G-League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers. Meanwhile, Joey and Jesse Buss have pursued investments elsewhere, acquiring a 5% stake in the San Diego Padres MLB franchise through Buss Sports Capital.
With the legal battle now officially stamped by the court, the primary focus shifts to the Los Angeles Superior Courtroom. A formal hearing is set for November 15, where a judge will review the petition to determine the validity of the trust vote, examine the alleged violations of the 2017 court order, and evaluate the future of the family’s remaining minority share in the franchise.
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