Jeanie Buss says her father would have backed Lakers’ $10B sale

Jeanie Buss says the decision to sell the Buss family’s majority stake in the Lakers came down to keeping the franchise where her late father believed it belonged.

Buss said on CNBC that Jerry Buss would have supported last year’s sale to billionaire Mark Walter, citing the resources required to remain among the NBA’s elite.

“What was important to him was that the Lakers stay at the top of the NBA,” Buss said, via ESPN’s Baxter Holmes. “To stay at the top of the NBA, you need to have the resources. You need to have everybody pulling together.”

Jerry Buss died in 2013 and left the family’s 66 percent ownership stake equally to his six children. Last June, the siblings agreed to sell nearly half of that stake to Walter at a $10 billion valuation.

The deal closed in October 2025, leaving the family with roughly 17 percent ownership, enough for Jeanie to remain governor under league rules.

Following the sale, five of the six siblings were removed from their team roles. Jeanie received a five-year contract and remained in charge. One team official told ESPN last month that “she fired everyone,” underscoring the depth of the internal split.

Jeanie said on CNBC that the decision was collective and rooted in what was best for the franchise.

“It’s about the Lakers and the greatness and what the fans expect,” she said.

Buss also addressed the team’s future, saying the partnership with Walter provides stability as the Lakers transition toward Luka Doncic while leaving the door open for LeBron James, who is entering the final year of his contract.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Buss said.