Jeanie Buss Sought Restraining Order Against Brothers to Keep Lakers Control

Los Angeles Lakers president Jeanie Buss sought a temporary restraining order Friday against her brothers, Jim and Johnny, after they attempted to "oust her as the Lakers president and controlling owner," according to the Los Angeles Times' Nathan Fenno and Bill Plaschke. 

Jim and Johnny reportedly attempted to hold a meeting scheduled for next week to elect a new board of directors that didn't include their sister. She would need to maintain a seat on the board in order to operate as the team's controlling owner. 

ESPN.com's Ramona Shelburne shed more light on the brothers' actions: 

The brothers' lawyer, Robert Sacks, said the meeting called was the yearly board of directors meeting, adding that "it was overdue," per Shelburne.

However, Jeanie's attorney, Adam Streisand, told Fenno and Plaschke that Jim and Johnny don't have the legal means to pull off such a maneuver. 

"This is no doubt the beginning and not the end of the game-playing," Streisand said. "They don’t have a legal leg to stand on. This is a legal strategy doomed for failure."

Sacks said Jim and Johnny were never attempting to remove her as controlling owner, noting they voted to re-elect her Thursday, per Shelburne.

"We informed her lawyers orally and in writing that Jim and Johnny fully support Jeanie as the controlling owner of the Lakers," Sacks added, per Shelburne. "Both Jim and Johnny hoped that any issues that might arise would be handled within the family. Then inexplicably she then rushed into court saying they’re trying to oust me as the controlling owner."

Sacks added that the Buss brothers "signed a formal corporate document that voted trust shares to re-elect Jeanie as controlling owner," per Shelburne.

According to Fenno and Plaschke, Jim and Johnny responded to the restraining order request by canceling their meeting.

NBA spokesman Mike Bass issued the following statement shortly after the story broke, per the Los Angeles Times' Tania Ganguli: 

Following the death of their father, Jerry Buss, the Buss siblings followed the family trust, which called for Jeanie to take over as the Lakers' governor and head of business operations and Jim to serve as the head of basketball operations, per ESPN.com's Arash Markazi. 

But according to Jeanie's court filings obtained by the Los Angeles Daily News, Johnny "with the active participation of (brother) Jim breached the express terms of the trust that require them to take all actions reasonably available to them to ensure that (Jeanie) remains the controlling owner of the Lakers."

News of the attempt to oust Jeanie comes on the heels of her decision to fire general manager Mitch Kupchak and strip Jim of his front office responsibilities. 

The shake-up also saw Jeanie hire Magic Johnson as the team's new president of basketball operations.

Since then, Johnson has reportedly selected agent Rob Pelinka to join the front office as the Lakers' new general manager, according to The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski.