Jeanie Buss Remains Lakers Controlling Owner, Brother Jim Removed as Co-Trustee

The Buss family asked a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge on Monday to enact an order keeping Jeanie Buss as the controlling owner of the Los Angeles Lakers and retaining her seat on the board of directors so long as the team is owned by the Buss family, according to Nathan Fenno of the Los Angeles Times.

"The message is clear here: Do not underestimate Jeanie Buss," said her attorney, Adam Streisand. "There is not going to be a palace coup. Not now. Not ever."

Per Fenno, "According to a person familiar with the situation, Jim Buss resigned as co-trustee Thursday as part of a requirement by Jeanie Buss to resolve the dispute. Her younger sister and staunch ally, Janie, replaced the brother, joining Jeanie and Johnny Buss as co-trustees."

The Buss family had been wrangling for control of the team after Jeanie Buss stripped Jim Buss of his role as executive vice president of basketball operations and fired general manager Mitch Kupchak in February. Magic Johnson was then named president of basketball operations and former agent Rob Pelinka was hired as general manager.

"Despite the fact that I gave my brother Jim ample time to prove himself in his role ... I could not allow the damage being done to the franchise over the past few years to continue," Jeanie Buss said in court documents, according to Fenno.

The Lakers are 21-52 this season and have now posted four losing seasons in a row. They last reached the postseason in the 2012-13 campaign, and the four-year playoff drought is the organization's longest streak since moving to Los Angeles.

Jim and Johnny Buss responded their sister's decisions by calling a shareholders meeting and proposing a new 10-point plan for the organization with the intent of removing Jeanie from her role as the controlling owner. But that proposal failed and the brothers ultimately re-elected her as controlling owner.

"I can’t imagine a more important symbol for Los Angeles pride than the L.A. Lakers," Streisand said, per Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times. "Now with the Lakers having the ability to focus on the basketball court and not the legal court, I think all Laker fans can breathe a sigh of relief."