Jeanie Buss Opposes Lakers Stake Sale to Iger and Kushner, Sources Say
Los Angeles Lakers governor Jeanie Buss is opposing a proposed sale of her family's stake in the franchise to an investment group led by former Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger and Jared Kushner, according to people familiar with the matter.
The deal, which has been discussed in recent weeks, would have handed the group a significant ownership position in the Lakers at a time when NBA franchise values continue to climb. The talks are not finalized, and the opposition from Buss could derail any transaction before it moves forward.
Buss family control at center
Jeanie Buss has run the Lakers since the death of her father, Jerry Buss, in 2013. She holds the title of governor and controls the team's day-to-day basketball and business operations. Her siblings hold ownership interests through the family trust, but any major sale involving the team's controlling stake would require her backing.
People familiar with the situation said Buss has made clear she does not want to surrender that control or bring in buyers she views as outsiders with no real connection to the franchise's legacy. The potential sale has also raised questions about whether the family is prepared to break with the operating structure that has kept the team under Buss control for more than four decades.
A high-profile group with broad ambitions
Iger spent more than two decades as Disney's CEO and remains tied to a wide range of media and sports ventures. Kushner, a son-in-law of Donald Trump and a former White House adviser, has focused on investment work and has been looking to expand into sports ownership. Their interest in the Lakers would put two prominent names into a league that has been welcoming new institutional money and celebrity owners.
A deal with Iger and Kushner would also add a media-relations and political dimension to Lakers ownership. Iger's relationships across Hollywood and distribution could prove useful as the NBA negotiates its next media rights deal. Kushner's political and financial connections would bring a different kind of spotlight to the franchise.
What happens next
Buss's resistance does not necessarily eliminate the possibility of a sale, but it sharply narrows the path. The NBA requires approval from its board of governors for any change in control, and a transaction strongly opposed by the team's public face would face a difficult road.
No formal offer has been filed, and there is no guarantee a sale will materialize. For now, the situation appears to have put the Buss family in a familiar place: back in the headlines, with control of the Lakers still firmly in Jeanie Buss's hands.