Jeanie Buss states that Jerry Buss would have supported the sale of the Lakers.
In a CNBC interview broadcast on Tuesday, Jeanie Buss, the governor of the Los Angeles Lakers, discussed the decision made in 2025 to sell the Buss family’s majority ownership of the team to billionaire Mark Walter, noting that her late father, Jerry Buss, would have endorsed this action.
“What mattered to him was ensuring the Lakers remained at the forefront of the NBA, and to achieve that, resources are essential,” Buss stated in her CNBC interview. “It requires everyone working in unison. He would want that for the Lakers, as they represent his legacy.”
Jerry Buss passed away in 2013, leaving behind a family trust that ensured the family’s 66% ownership was divided equally among Jeanie, Johnny, Jim, Janie, Joey, and Jesse Buss, all of whom held positions within the organization.
In June of the previous year, the six Buss siblings consented to sell nearly 50% of their family stake to Walter at a valuation of $10 billion. The transaction was finalized in late October 2025, with each sibling receiving approximately half a billion dollars after taxes. They retain about 17% ownership, just surpassing the 15% minimum required by NBA regulations for Jeanie to continue as governor.
Following the completion of the sale, five of the six siblings were dismissed from their positions within the Lakers; Jeanie remains the only Buss still affiliated with the team, having secured a five-year contract and being the key proponent of the sale to Walter.
“She terminated everyone,” a team official previously informed ESPN in a report detailing the family discord leading up to and following the sale.
After her dismissal, Janie Buss expressed to ESPN her feelings of disappointment and disrespect, likening her situation to a crumpled piece of paper discarded in the trash.
“I don’t believe my dad would be pleased with how things unfolded,” Janie remarked. “Not at all.”
In her CNBC interview, Jeanie stated, “My siblings participated in the decision that was reached. It’s about the Lakers and their excellence and what the fans anticipate; resources and direction are necessary. I think it’s fair to say that my family — we all have our differing views and are living our lives, making choices about how we spend our time, and this was the best choice for all six of us.”
When CNBC inquired if she would serve the entire five years of her term as governor, Jeanie replied, “That’s what I committed to. Mark Walter and I are very comfortable with the current arrangement. I anticipate that things will continue successfully. And, you know, I’m not going anywhere.”
She also addressed the team’s evolution from being centered around LeBron James to its future with Luka Doncic. “The partnership will provide us with the stability needed to progress as we build a team around Doncic,” Buss stated. “We couldn’t be prouder that he is a Laker. He is a young All-Star that fans enjoy watching.”
James is in the last year of his contract with the Lakers, and Jeanie mentioned that she is not dismissing the possibility of his return next season.
“Never say never, but you know, he certainly hasn’t indicated anything,” Buss noted. “He has earned the right to determine the course of his career, and he continues to impress.”
