The Buss Family Civil War Comes to a Head

The six Buss siblings — Jeannie, Jim, Johnny, Janie, Joey, and Jesse — have reportedly voted four-to-two to sell the remaining 17.8 percent of the family's stake in the Los Angeles Lakers to a new majority ownership group led by Josh Kushner and Bob Iger. The vote effectively removes Jeannie Buss from her role as the team's controlling owner, ending the Buss family's 46-year dynasty. But Jeannie's attorney, Adam Streisand, has fired back with a letter arguing the sale is void, citing a 2017 court order that established Jeannie as the Lakers' controlling shareholder. Ben Maller calls it "Game of Thrones with courtside seats."

The Family Feud Behind the Sale

The Buss family trust required four of the six siblings to sign off on any sale, and the four brothers — Jim, Johnny, Joey, and Jesse — exercised a "tag along" provision to force the transaction through. Maller frames this as an act of vengeance: "Jeannie Buss either fired or sued every single one of her brothers since she took control of the team." He paints a picture of a family that has been at war for years, with the siblings united only in their opposition to Jeannie. "The only thing the siblings can universally lock in on is Jeannie bad," Maller says. "Payback is a dish best served with ejection from the ownership box."