Lakers ownership dispute prompts lawyer to challenge ESPN report
Jeanie Buss's attorney says ESPN's Shams Charania incorrectly reported a unanimous vote by the Buss siblings to sell their remaining Lakers stake, prompting a dispute over the team's governance.
A report by ESPN NBA reporter Shams Charania on Monday said the six Buss siblings voted to sell their remaining 17.8% ownership stake in the Los Angeles Lakers to the incoming majority owners, Josh Kushner and Bob Iger. The report was later amended to indicate that five of the six siblings voted in favor.
Jeanie Buss, the team's governor, denied the accuracy of the original claim through her lawyer, stating that any family vote contradicts the Buss family trust, which is intended to keep her as the controlling owner. The attorney described Charanda's initial story as "false" and asserted that the vote, if it occurred, would not be valid under the trust's terms.
ESPN did not issue a formal correction, noting that the story evolved as reporting continued and that a correction was not deemed necessary. The network updated the article to reflect the revised vote count but did not publicly acknowledge the error.
The disagreement highlights a broader dispute among the Buss siblings about the legitimacy of the proposed sale and its impact on Jeanie Buss's role as team governor, a position that under NBA rules requires ownership of at least 15% of the franchise.