Lakers ownership chaos intensifies as ESPN insider fires back at Jeanie Buss camp

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.

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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.

Mark Walter, left, a majority owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, and Jeanie Buss, minority owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, talk as the Lakers play the Chicago Bulls at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Thursday, March 12, 2026. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

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.”

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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.

Shams Charania appears on ESPN’s NBA Draft coverage on June 23, 2026, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NBAE via Getty Images

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…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/lakers-ownership-chaos-intensifies-espn-202455157.html

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Publish date : 2026-08-18 20:24:00

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