The Los Angeles Lakers have certainly been going through lots of changes over the past year and a half or so. After they traded for new franchise player Luka Doncic in early February of 2025, the Buss family, which had owned the team since 1979, agreed to sell a majority share of it to Mark Walter, and that sale became official in October.
Last week, Walter agreed to sell that share to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger. The Buss family currently owns a 17.8% share of the Lakers, but on Monday, five of its members voted to sell that remaining stake to Kushner and Iger.
The one dissenter in the Buss family when it comes to selling that remaining stake is Jeanie Buss, the team's governor. According to an ESPN report, her five siblings feel she showed too
much haste in making that initial sale to Walter last year.
"Last June, the Buss family made the decision to sell to Mark Walter at a valuation of $10 billion, a then-record for a U.S. professional sports franchise. Multiple Buss siblings, however, felt frustrated at Jeanie and misled by her over what they believe was a rushed sale, sources close to the process told ESPN. Those siblings felt pressured to vote 'yes.'"
Dr. Buss, the late father of the Buss siblings, first purchased the team in 1979, and it won 10 NBA championships before he died in 2013. The younger Buss became its controlling owner following his passing.
When Walter purchased his share last year, there was reportedly an agreement in place that would allow the younger Buss to remain in her role as governor for five years.
The pending sale of Walter's share to Kushner and Iger is expected to take several weeks to become official, as it needs to be approved by the NBA board of governors, which will have its next meeting in September.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Buss siblings felt frustrated at Jeanie Buss after 2025 Lakers sale
