Jeanie Buss is pushing back against reports that the Buss family voted to sell its remaining 17.8% stake in the Los Angeles Lakers. Her attorney, Adam Streisand, says the reported vote is invalid. He also insists that Jeanie remains the Lakers’ controlling owner.

The attorney’s argument centers on the Jo Ann C. Buss 2006 Children’s Electing Small Business Trust, commonly known as the JAB Trust. According to Streisand, the trust and a 2017 Los Angeles Superior Court order require its co-trustees to take steps to ensure Jeanie remains the Lakers’ controlling owner during her lifetime, unless a court later modifies the order.

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the Buss family trust received “majority votes” to allow trustees to execute the sale. “Once the transaction is completed, Jeanie Buss will no longer have the needed ownership percentage to remain governor because NBA guidelines require controlling owners/governors to own at least 15% of a franchise.”

Streisand strongly disputed the report. In a letter, he accused Joey and Jesse Buss of repeatedly leaking what he called false and damaging information to Charania. He said the leaks were meant to hurt the Lakers while Jeanie carried out her father Jerry Buss’ wishes.

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Streisand also argued that the JAB Trust’s 17.8% Lakers stake cannot be sold without approval from the co-trustees (Jeanie, Janie and Joey Buss).

Jeanie Buss’ lawyer ended his letter with a direct demand:

“On behalf of Jeanie Buss, I demand that your clients make clear publicly that Jeanie Buss is the Controlling Owner of the Los Angeles Lakers and that your clients shall take no action on this supposed “vote” to sell the 17.8% stake.”

The family trust includes Jeanie, Jim, Johnny, Janie, Joey, and Jesse Buss. The siblings have been involved with the Lakers for years. But tensions grew after the family agreed to sell its controlling stake to Mark Walter. Last year (June 2025), the Buss family agreed to sell the Lakers to Walter at a $10 billion valuation. But not every sibling was happy with the decision.

Reports stated that the process left several Buss siblings frustrated with Jeanie Buss. They also believed they had been misled about the sale. Some felt the deal moved too quickly. Those siblings also felt pressured to vote yes.

The agreement allowed Jeanie Buss to remain the Lakers’ governor through 2030. The other siblings did not receive the same future with the franchise. They were removed from their Lakers positions in the months that followed. The family’s internal issues surfaced again this week.

Reports of the Buss family voting to sell emerged after Walter agreed to sell his controlling interest to Bob Iger and Josh Kushner (at a $12.5 billion valuation).

“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 family said in a statement to 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.”

The Lakers’ ownership battle has now become a family and legal dispute. Jeanie Buss’ legal team says the reported vote cannot remove her as controlling owner.