LOS ANGELES — Five of the six children of late Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss said Tuesday they remain committed to selling the family trust’s remaining 17.8% stake in the NBA team despite opposition from their sister, Lakers governor Jeanie Buss.
Johnny, Jimmy, Janie, Joey and Jesse Buss said in a statement to ESPN that they remain united in their decision to sell the stake to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger, who are acquiring majority control of the Lakers from Mark Walter.
“We intend to move forward thoughtfully, respectfully and through the appropriate process,” the five siblings said.
The siblings announced Monday that they had voted to sell the family trust’s remaining minority stake as part of the $12.5 billion transaction involving Kushner and Iger.
Jeanie Buss opposed the move and said through her attorney, Adam Streisand, that the siblings cannot sell the trust’s shares without her approval.
The dispute could affect Jeanie Buss’ position as Lakers governor. She is scheduled to retain the role through at least 2030 under the agreement reached with Walter when he acquired majority control of the team last year at a $10 billion valuation.
The five siblings reportedly received nearly $500 million each from last year’s sale, while the Lakers’ valuation has since risen to $12.5 billion under the proposed transaction involving Kushner and Iger.
The latest dispute adds to years of tension among the Buss siblings following their father’s death in 2013.
Jeanie fired Jim Buss as the Lakers’ head of basketball operations in 2017. A week later, Jim and Johnny sued Jeanie as they sought to remove her as the team’s controlling owner.
Joey and Jesse later lost their front-office positions with the Lakers in November amid continuing family disagreements over the franchise’s ownership and management.
