Jeanie Buss to serve as controlling owner of L.A. Lakers for life
LOS ANGELES — A battle over control of the Los Angeles Lakers is over after an agreement was reached to have Jeanie Buss serve as controlling owner of the storied NBA franchise for the rest of her life, making permanent the arrangement her late father and longtime Lakers owner Jerry Buss said in his will that he wanted.
The agreement was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday and states that Jim and Johnny Buss have agreed that their sister will serve as the controlling owner. The filing ends weeks of uncertainty about control of the Lakers as the franchise tries to put several losing seasons behind it.
Earlier this month, Jeanie Buss went to court seeking an order to control the team after her brothers called for a board meeting that she interpreted as a challenge to her power. That filing came days after she removed Jim Buss as the Lakers’ executive vice president of basketball operations.
She replaced her brother with Magic Johnson and also fired longtime general manager Mitch Kupchak, whom Johnson replaced with sports agent Rob Pelinka. Jim Buss will retain his ownership stake in the team. Attorney Robert Sacks, who represents Jim and Johnny Buss, did not return a phone message Monday. Sacks had previously said the brothers have no interest in wresting control from their sister and that the entire court fight was unnecessary.
“It’s hard to imagine a better outcome. Jeanie will run the team, just as Dr. Buss always intended,” her attorney, Adam Streisand, wrote in an email. “And Laker fans can get back to hoping for championships instead of favorable court rulings.”