Buss Family and the Lakers: The History, Family Feud, and the Ownership Transition

The Buss Family and the Lakers: The History, Family Feud, and the Ownership Transition

For nearly five decades, the Buss family and the Los Angeles Lakers were closely connected through championship basketball, family succession, business decisions, and one of the most valuable franchises in professional sports.

Beginning with Jerry Buss's landmark 1979 acquisition, this book traces the development of the Lakers under the Buss family, from the rise of Showtime and the partnership of Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to the championships of later generations. It examines the succession following Jerry Buss's death, Jeanie Buss's rise as Lakers governor, the 2017 family dispute, and the internal divisions that gradually changed the family's relationship with the franchise.

The story reaches its critical point with the family's decision to sell its remaining 17.8 percent stake as part of the proposed $12.5 billion transaction involving Bob Iger and Josh Kushner. At the center of the dispute is Jeanie Buss, whose position as governor is threatened by the sale and whose legal challenge has brought questions surrounding the Buss family trust, ownership rights, and control of the Lakers into public view.

This book examines the business issues surrounding the ownership transition while considering its implications.

The Buss Family and the Lakers offers a detailed account of the ownership era that helped define modern Lakers history and the family conflict surrounding its possible conclusion.