Jeanie Buss could seek an injunction to temporarily stop the sale of the Buss family's remaining Lakers stake.
Credit FIBA
Los Angeles Lakers governor Jeanie Buss could seek a preliminary injunction to temporarily block the sale of the family's remaining ownership stake.
NBA analyst and former attorney Nate Duncan explained on Buha's Block that Buss could ask a judge to stop the transaction from moving forward while the court determines whether her siblings have the authority to sell the family's remaining shares.
"What they would – you would think she would do at some point – would be to file an injunction," Duncan said. "Injunction is basically where you say, 'Hey, court. Look at this case. I know we haven't had time to fully decide it, but something is going to happen that you can't put back in the bottle.'"
Duncan explained that Buss could argue that losing her ownership position and role as Lakers governor would cause irreparable harm that monetary compensation cannot adequately resolve.
"Stay the sale," Duncan said while describing what Buss could ask the court to do. "Say, 'Hey. You're not allowed to do the sale until we go to trial because I'm gonna suffer what's called irreparable harm, basically, and just getting monetary damages is not gonna make me whole from that.'"
In August, Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner agreed to acquire Mark Walter's majority interest in the franchise in a transaction valuing the Lakers at $12.5 billion.
When could Buss seek an injunction?
"The problem is she can't actually file that yet because they haven't actually agreed to the sale yet," Duncan said. "They haven't even gotten the official notification from Mark Walter that the tag-along has been triggered."
Duncan noted that the situation will change once the transaction reaches that stage.
"Once the sale is officially on the docket and they get that required notice from Mark Walter, at that point, then there could be an official vote," he explained.
He later added that once an agreement is reached involving the Buss family's shares, the dispute would become legally "ripe," potentially opening the door for Buss to request emergency court intervention.
Buss' current court battle centers on the family's remaining 17.82% interest in the Lakers.
Five of Jerry Buss' six children – Jim, Johnny, Janie, Joey, and Jesse – have voted to sell that stake to Iger and Kushner, while Jeanie is attempting to prevent the transaction.
Duncan also questioned whether the 2017 ruling actually gives Buss the ability to stop a sale.
"The language of it does not really touch on anything relating to a sale," Duncan said of the 2017 order. "It just says Jeanie should be the governor."
The first hearing in Buss' current case was initially scheduled for November 5 but has been postponed until December 8.
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