Jeanie Buss running out of options to remain Lakers governor

Jeanie Buss is fighting in court to remain governor of the Lakers. She may not have many alternatives.

Buss is trying to prevent five of her siblings from selling the family’s remaining 17.8% stake in the franchise to the group led by Josh Kushner and Bob Iger. If that sale goes through, Buss would fall below the NBA’s 15% ownership requirement to serve as governor, Khobi Price of the California Post noted.

One potential solution would be for Buss to acquire additional Lakers shares elsewhere. But there’s a problem with that.

Minority owners Patrick Soon-Shiong and Ed Roski Jr., who collectively own roughly 7% of the franchise, have indicated they don’t intend to sell, according to Buss’ own court petition.

In fact, the petition says both believe Lakers shares will continue increasing in value and support Buss remaining as governor. Helpful moral support, perhaps. Not particularly helpful if Jeanie needs their shares.

Her siblings theoretically could sell their interests to her instead, but there’s been enough Buss family acrimony over the years to make that possibility seem rather complicated. There’s also the matter of financing a purchase involving a franchise now valued at $12.5 billion.

All of which brings this right back to court. Jeanie’s best chance of remaining Lakers governor may be stopping her siblings’ sale in the first place.

That fight isn’t going anywhere, either. As we noted Friday, the first hearing has merely been postponed from Nov. 5 until Dec. 8.