Lakers ownership saga sees Jeanie Buss explore share purchase, contract details and reporting dispute
Jeanie Buss is considering buying family shares to retain her governor role, while a contract may keep her in that position and a reporting dispute with ESPN’s Shams Charania has emerged.
Jeanie Buss is reportedly weighing the option of purchasing the remaining Buss family shares in the Los Angeles Lakers to maintain at least a 15% stake and preserve her position as team governor, according to a source cited by The Athletic. The move would allow her to stay in control while other siblings potentially cash out, though analysts note the likelihood of such a transaction remains uncertain.
A separate report indicates that Buss’s five-year governance contract, signed with team owner Mark Walter, may be incorporated into the broader sale agreement involving Bob Iger and Josh Kushner. League sources suggest the contract could become part of the deal, meaning the new owners would inherit the governor role currently held by Buss.
In a related development, ESPN reporter Shams Charania defended his earlier report that the Buss siblings voted to sell their 17.8% stake to Iger and Kushner, after Buss’s attorney accused him of spreading false information. Charania, appearing on a sports talk show, acknowledged criticism of his reporting methods but declined to comment further.
Financial disclosures reveal that Mark Walter explored a multibillion-dollar loan against his Lakers stake, negotiating with Apollo Global Management before Iger and Kushner entered talks to purchase his share. Sources describe the loan discussions as part of Walter’s effort to raise capital amid the pending ownership transition.