Jeanie Buss fights to remain Lakers team governor

Legal battle is one more element of chaos for the Los Angeles Lakers

It seemed like Walter would be a long-term owner of the Lakers when he purchased the team. But last fall, Walter and his insurance companies became the subject of a federal probe, involving both the U.S. Attorney's Office and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Now he's sold the Lakers and is planning to sell his shares in Chelsea FC, perhaps to address concerns about his insurance companies' level of investment in professional sports.

That means the Lakers have their third owner in 15 months, and may change gears again after several changes initiated by Walter. The Lakers relocated their G League team to the Coachella Valley, raised ticket prices steeply and even got corporate sponsorship for the Laker Girls.

Buss and Walter had an agreement to keep her in place as team governor through 2030, but that is uncertain. Iger said he "had every intention" of honoring the agreement, but added, "If things change, they'll change" — hardly full-throated support for Jeanie.

It also appears that Jeanie Buss tried to ensure her position without giving her siblings full information. Last Monday, the Lakers held a meeting with the Buss siblings in an attempt to "lock down" the family's shares for four years without informing them of the pending sale, announced the next day.

It certainly appears Jeanie Buss thought she was vulnerable to being removed last week. Now that her siblings have made their own move, the Lakers' immediate future might not be settled on a basketball court, but in a court of law.