The battle over the Los Angeles Lakers' ownership just got a whole lot spicier. Jeanie Buss' legal team is firing back at ESPN's Shams Charania, accusing the NBA insider of spreading false information about a critical vote involving the franchise's future.
According to a statement from Jeanie's attorney, Adam F. Streisand, Charania's report that all six Buss siblings voted to sell the team's remaining 17.8% stake to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger is flat-out wrong. Streisand didn't mince words, directly calling out Charania by name and labeling the claim as "false, defamatory and pernicious."
The drama escalated after Charania initially reported that the vote was unanimous among the Buss siblings. But Jeanie's camp insists that's not the case. Streisand argues that as one of three trustees—alongside brothers Joey and Jesse—Jeanie's approval is essential for any legitimate sale. He also claims that Joey and Jesse have a history of leaking misleading info to Charania to undermine Jeanie's role as controlling owner, a position she inherited from her late father, Dr. Jerry Buss.
“This is just the latest instance of a years-long pattern whereby Joey and Jesse Buss leak false, defamatory and pernicious ‘information’ to Mr. Charania for the malicious purpose of doing harm to the Los Angeles Lakers so long as Dr. Buss’s chosen successor, Jeanie Buss, carries out her father’s wishes,” the statement read.
Charania's story has since been updated to say "at least five" of the six siblings voted to sell, but ESPN hasn't issued a formal correction. An ESPN spokesperson told Semafor that "the story evolved as we continued reporting, and we didn’t believe a correction was warranted." Meanwhile, ESPN's Ramona Shelburne noted that Jeanie "did not respond to the family vote."
This isn't just a family squabble—it's a high-stakes power play with major implications. NBA rules require a team governor to own at least 15% of the franchise. When the Buss family sold their majority stake to Mark Walter last year, a provision allowed Jeanie to remain governor through 2030. Streisand argues that all trustees are "bound to vote" to ensure Jeanie stays in that role, and any attempt to bypass her would be a breach of trust and fiduciary duty.
“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,” Streisand claimed. He's demanding that Joey and Jesse publicly affirm Jeanie's status as controlling owner and halt any actions related to the supposed vote.
The saga has drawn attention beyond Lakers fans, especially given the recent criticism of ESPN's NBA coverage. For now, the ball is in the Buss family's court, and the future of the Lakers' ownership hangs in the balance. Will Jeanie maintain her grip, or will this dispute reshape the franchise's hierarchy? Stay tuned.
