Jeanie Buss contests family's sale of remaining Lakers stake to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger

Jeanie Buss contested reports Monday that her family is planning to sell its remaining shares of the Los Angeles Lakers to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger following a "family vote." 

Buss, who is also the team's governor, sent a letter to her brothers through her attorney, declaring that any votes to sell the family’s remaining 17.8% stake in the team to Iger and Kushner are void because the sale cannot be completed without approval of the other trustees, which includes Buss and her younger siblings, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Buss reminded her siblings that the family needs to retain a 15% stake in the team so she can keep her role as governor, highlighting a 2017 court ruling that kept her in control of the team following her father's death.

“The co-trustees are bound to vote the Los Angeles Lakers, Inc. shares to ensure that the minimum 15% ownership requirement is maintained in order to ensure that Jeanie Buss may remain controlling owner,” the letter from Buss’ attorney reads. “Any attempt by the co-trustees to do otherwise and any attempt to aid or abet the co-trustees as such would constitute a breach of trust, breach of fiduciary duty and be in contempt of court.” 

The move comes after Mark Walter, who purchased a controlling stake in the team last year, sold his shares of the team to Iger and Kushner last week for $12.5 billion.

It was not immediately clear how much the Buss family deal was intending to sell for, and it still needs approval by the NBA Board of Governors.

“We have decided as a family to sell the remaining Buss Family Trust shares to the Bob Iger group as part of the ongoing transaction," the Buss family told ESPN. "We love the Lakers, Laker fans and will continue to support Los Angeles; but it is time to use this opportunity to move on and exit gracefully while we still can.”

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.