1 hour ago
3
Shams Charania is not backing down after Jeanie Buss’ legal team accused the ESPN insider of inaccurately reporting the latest twist in the Lakers’ increasingly messy ownership saga.
Appearing Tuesday on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Charania addressed a letter from Buss’ attorney that accused him of falsely reporting that all six Buss siblings voted to sell the family’s remaining 17.8% stake in the franchise.
The statement specifically claimed Charania “falsely reported that the six Buss siblings voted to sell” the stake to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger and that Jeanie was “out” as controlling owner.
Charania took direct issue with that characterization.
“That letter included my name in it, which I do find interesting,” Charania said. “I do have to make it clear, I fully stand by my reporting.”
He then zeroed in on what he believes Buss’ legal team got wrong.
“The first line of the statement from the lawyer said that I reported that the six Buss siblings voted to sell,” Charania said. “That key sentence right there is inaccurate.”
Buss’ attorney, Adam Streisand, went further in Monday’s statement, alleging a “years-long pattern” in which Joey and Jesse Buss have leaked “false, defamatory and pernicious” information to Charania in an effort to damage the Lakers while Jeanie carries out what the attorney described as their late father Jerry Buss’ wishes.
Charania did not retreat from his reporting in response to those accusations, instead emphasizing that his report concerned whether the family had enough votes to move forward with the sale.
That distinction has become central to the latest round of Buss family infighting surrounding the Lakers. In ESPN’s current report, Charania wrote that the family trust received enough votes to approve the proposed sale, with at least five of the six siblings voting in favor.
ESPN separately reported that Jeanie did not participate in the vote. According to Charania’s sources, four votes were required to trigger the provision allowing the sale.
That is different, however, from whether those votes can actually force Jeanie to give up the family’s stake.
Buss is challenging her siblings’ attempt to sell, with Streisand arguing that the family trust and a 2017 court ruling prevent a sale without approval from the co-trustees and require them to preserve enough ownership for Jeanie to remain the Lakers’ controlling governor.
Charania maintained that his reporting concerned the majority vote while acknowledging that interpreting the rules of the trust itself is another matter.
The fight comes less than a week after Mark Walter agreed to sell the Lakers to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger at a record $12.5 billion valuation. The Buss family is seeking to include its remaining stake in that transaction, while Jeanie argues her siblings do not have the authority to make that decision without her.
So while Charania is pushing back on the claim that his reporting was inaccurate, the larger question remains unresolved.
What began as another blockbuster Lakers sale is increasingly shaping up as a battle over exactly what the Buss family voted for — and whether that vote actually has the power to end Jeanie’s reign.
English (US)