Basketball: ABA Playoffs: Virginia Squires Julius Erving (32) in action vs New York Nets. Game 4. Uniondale, NY 4/27/1982 CREDIT: John D. Hanlon (Photo by John D. Hanlon /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X16772 TK1 )
Julius Erving had a bit of a rough start to his professional career. He was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks, but signed contracts with the Atlanta Hawks and the ABA’s Virginia Squires.
The first dispute was settled by the NBA: his draft rights belonged to Milwaukee, and the Hawks were out of luck. The second dispute was settled by the courts: he had to play for the Squires.
This was really too bad, because if he had played for Milwaukee, he would have suited up with Oscar Robertson and a young Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, while in Atlanta, he would have teamed up with an equally young Pistol Pete Maravich.
It’s rather mind-boggling either way you look at it, but the idea of Maravich having Erving to pass to in the open court is simply incredible.
He did just fine in the ABA, of course, revolutionizing the game to the point where he was the main factor behind the 1976 ABA-NBA merger.
Well, other than money, of course, which the ABA greatly lacked. Nonetheless, the greatest show in basketball was in the upstart league, and the NBA could not abide that.
When he arrived as a Squires rookie, Erving – there’s no other way to put this – freaked people out. It was like young Elvis Presley in the 1950s: no one had ever seen anything like that before, and that includes the people who knew Erving at UMass, who were stunned at the transformation.
Erving later said that he felt liberated when he turned pro and could let his talent and imagination run wild.
It didn’t last long, at least not for the Squires. Money woes forced them trade Ervng to his hometown New York Nets for $750,000, and with the Nets, he went from being a curiosity in Norfolk to the most glittering star in the Big Apple.
In other words, he was a Net when he truly became a legend.
A herd of white yaks grazes at a snowy pasture 3,000 metres high in the remote Kyrgyz mountains on February 2, 2026. (Photo by Vyacheslav OSELEDKO / AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images
This is a stretch to say, but is the offseason melting into the preseason quicker than we expected? If we’re to base our judgement exclusively on having two of these posts published in a span of just three days, not so much! On to some links and notes!
In case you missed it, now we know the Knicks’ five-game preseason schedule, which includes a trip out of the US of A.
The Knicks’ repeat bid would put them in increasingly rare company, and Michael Zeno has the breakdown covered. Per Zeno, New York already broke one historical pattern last season by becoming only the second champion since 1978 to win without receiving a single MVP vote. So… do you believe?
Mike D’Antoni and Amar’e Stoudemire were inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday, a little more than two months after the Knicks won their first championship in 53 years.
Stoudemire reflected on becoming the star who helped make New York relevant again when few players wanted to come.
“New York, the Garden, there’s nothing like it… before I got there, no one else wanted to go to New York. So that’s why I was like, ‘The Knicks are back, and we’re gonna do this.’”
D’Antoni, meanwhile, used his speech to remember another famous Knicks chapter: Linsanity.
“Jeremy, he was on a 10-day contract and close to being released. But my assistants, Kenny Atkinson, Dan D’Antoni and Phil Weber, kept telling me, just give him a chance. Boy, were they right.”
Mitchell Robinson sounds pretty happy about his move to Boston, and lobster is a reason why.
Losing Ariel Hukporti to Philadelphia continues to look more significant as the Knicks search for a third center, SI’s Isaiah De Los Santos believes.
Opening Night against Philadelphia is already looking absurdly expensive, with the cheapest tickets ranging from $1,881 to $1,970. No need to mention the game is on pace to become the most expensive opener in NBA history.
Charles Oakley is not treating the latest dismissal of his lawsuit against Madison Square Garden as the end after a federal judge dismissed the case for a third time.
“ESPN’s article regarding the LA Clippers investigation – for which the NBA declined to cooperate – contains numerous and significant inaccuracies. The results in this matter will be made clear once the investigation is concluded.” — NBA spokesman Mike Bass.
Enes Kanter Freedom continues his announced attempt to play in the WNBA, has officially declared for the 2027 WNBA Draft, and now he’s also proclaimed himself the next No. 1 overall pick. Not only that, Enes has promised to dunk on Angel Reese, who he says is “the Paul George” of the W.
Caitlin Clark LAUGHING at Angel Reese after she missed a layup for the win 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/5Js8RijGUi
Basketball: NBA Finals: Milwaukee Bucks Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (33) in action vs Boston Celtics Dave Cowens (18) and Don Chaney (12). Milwaukee, WI 4/28/1974--4/30/1974 CREDIT: Heinz Kluetmeier (Photo by Heinz Kluetmeier /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X18606 )
The Boston Celtics did not glide smoothly down from the Russell years; they fell off a cliff.
They wrapped up the 1969/70 season with a 34-48 record under rookie coach Tommy Heinsohn.
Playoffs? The Celtics missed them for the first time in twenty years.
The following year, Boston improved to 44-38, but still missed the playoffs.
Things were looking up, however.
By the third year of the Post-Russell era, the Celtics were 56 game winners, and they advanced as far as the Eastern Conference Finals on the back of second year players Dave Cowens and JoJo White, third year player Don Chaney, and veteran players John Havlicek and Don Nelson.
The Celtics lost the Eastern Conference Finals to the Knicks in a gentleman’s sweep of five games in 1972.
In 1973, the Celtics won a franchise record 68 games and added another veteran contributor in Paul Silas, but lost to the Knicks in a seven game affair that saw the green and white claw their way back from a 3-1 deficit, only to fall, at home, to the eventual champs.
Regular Season
BOSTON – UNDATED: Dave Cowens #18 and John Havlicek #17 of the Boston Celtics chat during an NBA game circa 1970's at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1970 NBAE (Photo by Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
1974 saw the Celtics win 56 games again, but, tellingly, their longest losing streak during the regular season was just two games. They started the season hot, running out to a 16-3 record, and were on pace for 60+ wins at the All-Star break. Things slowed down a bit in the second half of the season, but Boston’s record was still good enough for first place in the Atlantic Division and the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
Looking at the season-long tallies, the Celtics were good, but not elite—they didn’t lead the league in points per game, points per 100 possessions, or, on the opposite end of the court, points allowed per game or per 100 possessions. Despite having a reputation for running the court under Heinsohn, the Celtics were only 5th of 17 in terms of pace. Their net rating was only the third best in the league; they were behind the Detroit Pistons and the Milwaukee Bucks, who were playing in the absolutely stacked Midwestern Division—the NBA had four 50 game winning teams in the 1973/74 season, and three of them were in the four team Midwestern division.
Any prognosticator with a decent head on his shoulders would’ve given the title to the Milwaukee Bucks, who came out of the league’s toughest division, bar none, and were led a young center who was already an absolute force to be reckoned with: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Eastern Playoffs
Boston’s first round opponent was the Buffalo Braves, a recent expansion franchise led by Bob McAdoo, whose 30.6 points per game average was the best in the league. The team also had Ernie DiGregorio, who would win Rookie of the Year honors and a future Hall-of-Famer in Jack Ramsey calling shots from the bench. All of which suggested that, despite their 42-40 record, the Braves were going to be a ‘tough out’
At this time, playoffs within the conference alternated home and road, and through the first five games, home court held sway. Buffalo was playing to a packed house in the cavernous Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, where they won game two by ten points and game four by two.
Buffalo outscored Boston by three in the second quarter of game four to take a 51-48 halftime lead. Boston won the third by five points, setting up a barn-burner of a fourth quarter, with each team recording game-high point totals.
Buffalo was clinging to a two point lead with just 15 seconds to go when Jim McMillan lost the ball to Havlicek and Cowens; Cowens converted the steal into a game-tying basket with just nine seconds left. In a dog’s breakfast of a play that was drawn up by Ramsey and blown up by Hondo attempting to draw a charge, the ball bounced out to Bob McAdoo who had scored 15 of the Braves 30 points thus far in the quarter. His fifteen footer missed, but Jim McMillan was there to tip it in as time expired. The game was a classic with 28 ties and nine lead changes, but it went the wrong way for the Celtics and their fans. Bob McAdoo’s 44 points was almost as high as the 46 points notched by Boston’s two leading scorers, Havlicek and Don Nelson (22 and 24 respectively).
BOSTON – 1974: John Havlicek #17 of the Boston Celtics passes against Bob McAdoo #11 of the Buffalo Braves during a game played in 1974 at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1974 NBAE (Photo by Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Game five saw Boston hold on for a three point win, giving them a 3-2 advantage that they brought home with a game six win. That game six win was a nailbiter that probably shouldn’t have been. Legendary Globe reporter and columnist Bob Ryan called it “another one of those Celtics down-the-stretch specials,” explaining, “the Bostonians build up a lead in the fourth quarter and try to protect it by giving the other team 437 chances to get back in the game.”
The Celtics nearly squandered a nine point lead in the closeout game. With a 104-100 lead and twenty seconds on the clock the Celtics had two clumsy turnovers turn into four points by Bob McAdoo, tying the game. Unfortunately for McAdoo on the final possession of the game, he blocked a Havlicek shot, but fell victim to a pump fake by JoJo White that sent him to the line where he calmly delivered the winning margin with two free throws.
From this point, it might have been expected that the Celtics would face an extreme test in the next round, as they faced off against the defending champs and the team which had eliminated them in the conference finals each of the past two years.
As it turned out, the Knicks were no match for the Celtics. Boston outscored the Knicks by 50 in a five game matchup where their closest margin of victory was seven points.
That set up a Finals contest against, to no one’s surprise, the Milwaukee Bucks.
NBA Finals
Basketball: NBA Finals: Milwaukee Bucks Bob Dandridge (10) in action, shot vs Boston Celtics John Havlicek (17). Game 2. Milwaukee, WI 4/30/1974 CREDIT: Walter Iooss Jr. (Photo by Walter Iooss Jr. /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X18605 TK1 )
The Bucks had cruised to the Finals with an 8-1 record over the first two rounds, and an average margin of victory of 14.67 points.
The Celtics were not the odds-on favorite to win this matchup. Heck, even Bill Russell, by then the head coach of the Seattle Supersonics, picked the Bucks to win.
But Bob Ryan saw things a bit differently. Before the series started, Ryan noted that the Bucks were pretty much a one-man show, and predicted that the Celtics would win in six.
Ryan noted that the Celtics were excellent at applying full-court pressure to the other team’s ballhandler, and with the Bucks relying on an aging Oscar Robertson, the Celtics figured to take him out of the picture, leaving everything on the shoulders of Kareem.
And Kareem was so good at this point in his career, that they dang near pulled it off.
Game one was a cakewalk, as the Celtics cruised to a 16 point first quarter lead and spent the rest of the game playing keep away from the Bucks, with the final score coming to 98-83. Kareem scored 35 points, which was almost as much as the Bucks’ next four highest scoring players combined (12, 12, 6, 6), as the Celtics strategy of putting everything on Kareem’s shoulders paid off in the opener.
Game two was an overtime classic. Boston came into the fourth quarter with an eleven point deficit. They closed it and had two chances to steal two games from the Bucks in their home arena, only to have a shot by Cowens blocked by Jabbar with eleven seconds to go. Hondo’s shot with three seconds to go off the rebound of Kareem’s block, missed the mark as well.
In overtime, the Celtics, exhausted by the effort required to come back, were outscored 15-6 as the Bucks ran away with it.
(Original Caption) 5/3/1974-Boston, MA-As if spellbound by the ball, players appear to be frozen in their tracks during second period action of the third game, NBA Championship Playoffs, Boston Garden. The Celtics went on to win the game 95-83 and take a 2-1 lead in the series. Left to right Celtics' Hank Finkel, Bucks' Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bob Dandridge, Celtics' Don Nelson, Bucks' Oscar Robertson, and Mickey Davis.
Game three went to Boston, as the Celtics once again notched a double-digit victory with a 95-83 final score. Cowens stopped trying to challenge Kareem in the paint and used his skills as an outside shooter to tally 30 points. Boston’s full court press, as predicted by the Globe’s Bob Ryan, was crucial, with the Celtics forcing eleven turnovers in the first quarter alone and 27 for the game.
Game four went Milwaukee’s way as Kareem scored 34 points and the Bucks tied the series 2-2 off an 89-97 final score.
While the Bucks may have been dismayed that they were tied with the Celtics, they at least held home court advantage for the remainder of the series.
That advantage lasted right up until the tipoff of game five. Kareem scored 37 points in the contest, which was a series high for both teams, but Boston held a 20-15 advantage after the first quarter, and they won every succeeding quarter except the second, on their way to a 96-87 victory. The Celtics now had a chance to close out the heavily favored Bucks at home in game six.
Things didn’t quite work out that way, but the game was an instant classic just the same.
As had happened earlier in the series, Cowens got into foul trouble, picking up three early in the game, and the Bucks built a lead that was as high as twelve points in the first half. The C’s entered the fourth quarter down six, but Boston fought their way back, with Hondo hitting a jumper from the right side that tied the game at 86 with less than a minute to go. When Boston forced a 24 second violation on the following possession, the game headed into overtime.
Overtime was tight, with both teams scoring just four points apiece. Milwaukee was up two, 88-90, when a Don Chaney steal led to Havlicek missing a shot and then making another after he snagged his own rebound.
The second overtime was as loose as the first overtime was tight. Over just four minutes of play, the two teams combined for 23 points. Havlicek, who had been instrumental in getting the Celtics this far, scored nine of the team’s eleven points in this period.
It was almost enough.
Dave Cowens fouled out and the Bucks pushed to a 100-99 lead. With less than 24 seconds left and Heinsohn desperately trying to get a time out called, Havlicek came through again, arcing a jump shot through the net for a 101-100 lead. But there was still a little bit of game left—just enough for Kareem to turn a skyhook into a 102-101 advantage. It was good enough, and the Celtics were headed back to Milwaukee and a do-or-die game seven.
In the decisive game of the series, Tommy Heinsohn made a major adjustment to his defensive strategy.
This was no longer a seven game series in which it would be difficult for Kareem to carry the Bucks to victory.
This was a single 48 minute contest, and one which could hinge on the play of just one man.
Heinsohn’s solution was to throw the kitchen sink at him.
With Cowens getting into foul trouble twice in the series already, Heinsohn wanted anyone and everyone within hooting distance of Kareem’s height to cover him—and Kareem found himself double and even triple-teamed during the course of the game.
The result was a 26 point outing from Kareem, which was more than offset by Cowens’ 28 points, as the Boston center, relieved of some of his defensive duties by the heavy Celtics coverage of his counterpart, was able to play with more energy on offense.
The Celtics were never challenged in game seven, as they cruised to a 15 point victory on Milwaukee’s home court.
Turning Point
The turning point was Heinsohn’s strategy of concentrating nearly all the team’s defensive effort on Kareem in game seven. Kareem was held to a series low with 26 points, and looked, if not exactly human, closer to human than he’d looked up to that point. Bob Ryan’s take on the Bucks as a one-man team was more or less justified, as the rest of the Bucks struggled to score. The next leading scorers after Kareem were Mickey Davis with 15 and Bob Dandridge with 14. In fact, the difference between the two teams basically came down to the Celtics putting one more player in double figures than Milwaukee.
It Wasn’t Over Until…
The Celtics continued their tradition of winning game sevens. Russell was, famously, 10-0 in these games, and the Celtics proudly carried on the tradition of playing up to the moment in these winner-take-all contests.
When the dust settled, the Celtics had won their first championship since Russell had hung up his sneakers, and the first of Tommy Heinsohn’s career as a coach.
Banner Years continues tomorrow with the Greatest Game and the Celtics’ path to Banner 13.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 17: Sean Pedulla #00 of the LA Clippers dribbles the ball during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on July 17, 2026 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Candice Ward/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
According to his agent, George Langberg, guard Sean Pedulla and the Houston Rockets have reached an agreement on a two-way contract.
Pedulla, 23, joins Quadir Copeland and Tristen Newton as Houston’s final available two-way position. Players can play for both an NBA team and its G League affiliate under two-way contracts.
After four seasons in college—three with Virginia Tech and one with Mississippi—Pedulla was not selected in the 2025 draft. In February, he signed a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Clippers after succeeding with Portland’s G League club, the Rip City Remix. He was named G League Rookie of the Year after finishing the season with an average of 20.3 points and 4.5 assists on effective shooting.
The 6-foot-1 guard doesn’t appear to have a clear route to playing in the NBA the following season. Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard, and Fred VanVleet are Houston’s return guards. In addition, the Rockets acquired Bruce Thornton with the 31st pick in the 2026 draft and Marcus Smart in free agency. Houston has made a few attempts at smaller guards (Thornton is listed at six feet), who are mostly known for their scoring prowess, with Thornton and Pedulla.
Pedulla will be the Rockets’ third two-way slot after Houston signed Quadir Copeland to a new two-way contract last month and carried over Tristen Newton from the 2025–2026 season on a two-year, two-way contract.
With this additon, the Rockets will have 19 players under contract after the signing is finalized, leaving two spots available on their 21-man offseason roster. Twelve players now have fully guaranteed standard contracts, two have non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed salary, two have Exhibit 10 arrangements, and Newton and Copeland have two-way agreements.
With all that said, how do you all feel about the signing? Do you expect Pedulla to see any playing time? Let us know, and make sure to check back at The DreamShake for more Houston Rockets basketball news.
The original report was stunning: The Buss family had voted and planned to sell its remaining 17.8% stake in the Lakers to incoming owners Joshua Kushner and Bob Iger. That sale would mean the Buss family's ownership of the team, which started in 1979, would be completely over. The end of an era. With that, Jeanie Buss would have to step down as the team's governor (a role that requires at least a 15% ownership stake, by league rules).
Then came a follow-up report saying the other five Buss siblings had approached Jeanie Buss and asked for the sale, forcing a vote that approved the move.
Within hours of that report, Jeanie Buss and her attorney, Adam Streisand of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton Law, pushed back against that. Streisand sent a strongly worded letter to the attorney for the other siblings — obtained by CNBC — stating that previous legal rulings made that move impossible. From the letter:
"[No selling of the] 17.8% ownership interest in the Los Angeles Lakers, Inc. can be effectuated without approval by the current co-trustees, i.e., Jeanie, Janie and Joey Buss. The co-trustees are bound to vote the Los Angeles Lakers, Inc. shares to ensure that the minimum 15% ownership requirement is maintained in order to ensure that Jeanie Buss may remain Controlling Owner. Any attempt by the co-trustees to do otherwise, and any attempt to aid or abet the co-trustees as such, would constitute a breach of trust, breach of fiduciary duty and be in contempt of court."
The six Buss siblings — Jeanie Buss, Jim Buss, Johnny Buss, Janie Buss, Joey Buss, and Jesse Buss (all children of the late owner Jerry Buss) — own their shares together through what has been described to NBC Sports as an incredibly complex trust. The upshot is that they do not own an individual percentage and would have to sell as a group — and agree to do so.
It's not hard to determine the motivations here. Jeanie Buss has kept a key role in the family business and is not looking to step away and give that up. Family members outside that circle feel differently.
About the only thing certain in another Buss family drama is that the big winners will be lawyers billing by the hour.
Count Joe Tsai among the few in New York City who are less than thrilled by the Knicks ending their 53-year NBA championship drought.
That’s because the city’s most beloved basketball franchise hoisted the Larry O’Brien Trophy before the Nets owner and his team could get their hands on it for the first time — despite the franchise’s best efforts.
Tsai, who has fully owned the Nets since 2019, was asked about the Knicks winning it all by Nets Daily and if it would change his approach to jump-starting the Nets.
Joe Tsai attends the game between the Brooklyn Nets and the Sacramento Kings on January 27, 2025. NBAE via Getty Images
“Every year, some team is going to win a championship,” Tsai said. “So it happens that this year that team is in the same city. It doesn’t make us feel very good. It irates our fanbase, and it is embarrassing, but in business or in competition, in sports, or in anything, you shouldn’t let the embarrassment factor affect how you perform. [We] had a plan and we’re rebuilding, and I think right now we are on a positive trajectory. So it doesn’t change my thinking at all.”
Tsai took a big swing at bringing a championship to Brooklyn by signing Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in free agency in the summer of 2019 and trading for James Harden in January 2021 to form their version of the Big 3.
Injuries kept the trio from consistently playing together, and the closest the group ever came to a championship was a heartbreaking Eastern Conference semifinals loss to the Bucks in 2021.
Two straight first-round exits followed, and the franchise has found itself between rebuilding and tanking since the 2023-24 season, winning just 46 games combined the past two campaigns while stockpiling talented young players in the draft.
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, next to his wife Ali and the Championship trophy, rides on a float during a ticker-tape parade along Broadway through Lower Manhattan’s historic Canyon of Heroes. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
While the Nets were tanking, the Knicks became one of the NBA’s most consistent winners behind captain Jalen Brunson, culminating in a historic playoff run that ended with a defeat of the Spurs in five games in the NBA Finals.
The Nets, however, appear to be finally turning the corner and prioritizing winning under head coach Jordi Fernández after signing ex-Knick Julius Randle in free agency to pair with Michael Porter Jr. as leaders of a young core that includes first-round picks Mikel Brown Jr. and Egor Dëmin.
General manager Sean Marks said after the draft that the Nets control their own path and it’s going to be “really exciting to see what they look like” moving forward. Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment’s chief financial officer Peter Stern told Nets Daily that the franchise was “happy for the Knicks” and that “more people loving basketball” because of the run could activate many dormant fans for the NBA.
Monday afternoon played out like a real-life episode of the television show “Succession,” a satirical drama about a family fighting for control over a national media conglomerate.
At the eye of the storm?
The Buss family. And the Los Angeles Lakers.
Jim Buss and his sister Jeanie Buss attend a news conference where Dwight Howard was introduced as the newest member of the team at the Toyota Sports Center on August 10, 2012, in El Segundo.
It meant Jeanie Buss would no longer be the Lakers’ governor since NBA guidelines require governors to own at least 15% of a franchise. It meant the Buss’s 47-year tenure with the franchise had come to an end.
This was monumental.
Buss with her brother Jim in El Segundo. Christopher Patey/Contour by Getty Images
Two-time Laker champion Mychal Thompson told The California Post that it was “a sad day for us Laker faithful.” Laker great Magic Johnson took to X to write a lengthy post about what the Buss family meant to him.
But Thompson’s words quickly morphed in meaning. And Johnson deleted his post.
Their eulogies were interrupted.
Why, you may ask?
The drama began to unspool like yarn. The jaw-dropping in-fighting that has hung over the Buss family like a dark cloud since Jerry Buss died in 2013 raged into yet another war.
Jeremy Strong, Sarah Snook and Kieran Culkin in Season 4 of “Succession.” AP
Jeanie Buss did not vote to sell the team — and she’s contesting her five siblings’ votes, arguing that they can’t legally execute a sale without her approval.
In a letter obtained by The California Post, Jeanie Buss’s lawyer, Adam Streisand, called this a “years-long pattern whereby Joey and Jesse Buss leak false, defamatory and pernicious ‘information’ to Mr. Charania for the malicious purpose of doing harm to the Los Angeles Lakers so long as Dr. Buss’s chosen successor, Jeanie Buss, carried out her father’s wishes.”
Streisand went on to call the Buss siblings’ vote “void,” claiming that the Buss family’s 17.8% ownership interest can’t be sold without approval of the current co-trustees: Jeanie, Janie and Joey Buss.
He added that there’s a 2017 court order requiring the family to maintain at least 15% ownership in the Lakers so Jeanie Buss can remain governor.
“Any attempt by the co-trustees to do otherwise, and any attempt to aid or abet the co-trustees as such, would constitute a breach of trust, breach of fiduciary duty and be in contempt of court,” Streisand wrote.
Things just got tricky. Again.
This is far from the first time that Jerry Buss’s children have had an acrimonious battle over the team.
The CliffsNotes: In 2017, Jeanie Buss fired Jim Buss as vice president of basketball operations. Then Jim and Johnny Buss unsuccessfully tried to remove her as controlling owner. In November, Joey and Jesse Buss were fired from their front office roles following the sale to Walter.
So, once again it’s Jeanie Buss versus her siblings. Once again, the Lakers are steeped in drama.
Not only have there been two ownership changes in the last 14 months, but now things just got even more complicated.
Jerry Buss died in 2013. AP
There was something comforting about Jeanie Buss overseeing the transition to Iger and Kushner. There was a sense of continuity amid all of the wild change. The face of the organization was still going to be around even though the team had been tossed around like a hot potato.
It’s hard not to imagine what Jerry Buss would think of all of this. Not only did the team that he turned into one of the greatest franchises in sports get sold twice, but his children are now engaged in WWIII.
After Jerry Buss bought the Lakers from Jack Kent Cooke in May 1979, he helped lead them to 10 NBA championships before dying of kidney failure. Since Jeanie took over, the Lakers won their 11th title under the Buss family reign in 2020, making her the first female controlling owner to win an NBA championship.
It’s a beautiful story of family success. Of father and daughter greatness. Of a family-owned business rising to the top amid NBA teams owned by cold corporations.
Or is it?
This family tale has the makings of a juicy TV show that could dominate airwaves.
It’s filled with backstabbing, undercutting and juicy details.
In a city dominated by Hollywood, the Lakers are overshadowing any drama that could be manufactured.
CLEVELAND, OH - MAY 3: Ja'Kobe Walter #14 and Scottie Barnes #4 of the Toronto Raptors high five during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers during Round One Game Seven of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 3, 2026 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Raptors fans and fans across the country.
This week’s survey asks Toronto Raptors fans to identify which player must soar to new heights to best take advantage of Kawhi Leonard’s presence.
Leonard, who turned 35 in June, opens a meaningful (but small) championship window in Toronto for the next few seasons. Considering his injury history, it’s reasonable to assume that window might be even smaller than most fans think.
While other moves could still be made this off-season or during this year’s trade deadline, the current roster looks mostly set ahead of the season-opener on Oct. 21 against the Chicago Bulls.
When Leonard last wore a Raptors jersey, he was surrounded by what most analysts now safely conclude as elite depth. Leonard may not have the same level of a supporting cast entering the 2026-27 season, but there are legitimate secondary weapons on the roster. This year’s team basically took a strong Cleveland Cavaliers squad to the brink in a seven-game series.
But which of these players must elevate their game the most to bring the Raptors to the next level?
Cast your vote, tell us in the comments, and we’ll be back soon with more Reacts.
LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 24: Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, left, looks on at his new players Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, right, during a press conference at the Green Meadows Recreation Center in Los Angeles on Wednesday, July 24, 2019. George and Leonard were introduced to the media and fans as the newest members of the Clippers. (Photo by Scott Varley/MediaNews Group/Daily Breeze via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
When ESPN reported that the NBA didn’t find legitimate evidence proving Steve Ballmer, Los Angeles Clippers owner, committed salary circumvention on Monday, it sent the basketball world reeling.
But when the NBA responded with its own announcement, claiming there were “significant inaccuracies” in the report, it confused an already disoriented audience.
Later in the day, reporter Baxter Holmes said on the show NBA on ESPN: “It doesn’t really add any clarity as to when there could be a resolution for this trade.”
Based on our latest poll, Raptors fans remain equally perplexed – and tired – with everything related to the NBA’s investigation of Kawhi Leonard.
With the start of pre-season beginning on Oct. 3, Raptors fans can continue to voice their expertise, knowledge, and concern about the upcoming year on FanDuel.
In a letter obtained by USA TODAY Sports and first reported by CNBC, Buss' attorney Adam F. Streisand refuted an earlier report from ESPN that all six siblings – Jim, Johnny, Janie, Jeanie, Joey and Jesse – had voted to sell their 17.8% ownership stake and that Jeanie was effectively out as team governor. He asserted that any such vote "would be and is void ab initio," or completely null and void from the moment it was made.
Streisand maintained that Jeanie Buss remains the controlling owner of the Buss family's stakes, citing a 2017 court order – also obtained by USA TODAY Sports – that established the co-trustees of the JAB Trust must "take all actions reasonably available to them" to ensure Jeanie Buss is elected controlling owner every year for the remainer of her lifetime. Selling their shares below the required 15% for Jeanie Buss to serve as the face of ownership would, Streisand says in the letter, violate the order.
"The Order remains in full force and effect," the letter reads. "There has never been a modification of the Trust. No effort has ever been made to justify to the Court that there are circumstances for modifying the Trust, and there are no circumstances that could be proven to justify any modification.
"... On behalf of Jeanie Buss, I demand that your clients make clear publicly that Jeanie Buss is the Controlling Owner of the Los Angeles Lakers and that your clients shall take no action on this supposed “vote” to sell the 17.8% stake."
The news of the Buss siblings' intention to sell comes just five days after Kusher and Iger agreed to purchase the Lakers from majority owner Mark Walter for a record $12.5 billion. That also came less than a calendar year after Walter bought the team for $10 billion, putting an end to the Buss' 47 years of majority ownership. If the tag-along sale from the family were to go through, Kusher and Iger would assume an estimated 83% total stake.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 22: Los Angeles Lakers' Governor Jeanie Buss during the Los Angeles Lakers unveiling former head coach Pat Riley statue at Crypto.com Arena on February 22, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Luiza Moraes/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Jeanie Buss is not going quietly into that good night.
While Shams Charania of ESPN reported on Monday that the Buss family would be selling its remaining 17.8% stake in the Lakers, it doesn’t appear that was a unanimous decision.
“No sale of the JAB Trust’s 17.8% ownership interest in the Los Angeles Lakers, Inc. can be effectuated without approval by the current co-trustees, i.e., Jeanie, Janie and Joey Buss. Pursuant to the JAB Trust and the attached Court Order, the co-trustees are bound to vote the Los Angeles Lakers, Inc. shares to ensure that the minimum 15% ownership requirement is maintained in order to ensure that Jeanie Buss may remain Controlling Owner,” Streisand says in the letter.
“Any attempt by the co-trustees to do otherwise, and any attempt to aid or abet the co-trustees as such, would constitute a breach of trust, breach of fiduciary duty and be in contempt of court,” he says.
Sam Amick of The Athletic also received a letter from Streisand with the same argument made.
In a letter obtained by @TheAthletic, the attorney for Lakers governor Jeanie Buss says the trust vote to sell is void, arguing legal standing that requires her to be controlling owner on a lifetime basis. Her lawyer is demanding that representatives of the trust make it clear…
I won’t pretend to be a lawyer or know the ins and outs of the legalities of this situation. It’s not a surprise Jeanie isn’t going down without a fight, even if it’s also going to make this particularly messy.
Her stance appears to be built around the fact that she’s a co-trustee of the family trust and wants to remain the governor of the franchise. As an outsider looking in, it looks like sour grapes and her fighting to the very end, but, again, we don’t know much as outsiders.
What isn’t up for debate is how apropo this is for Jeanie and the family. For over a decade, the family has been constant drama. This is a fitting way for it all to come to an end…if this is the end.
In a letter obtained by the California Post addressed to the lawyers representing her five other siblings in the Buss family trust (Jim, Johnny, Janie, Joey and Jesse) – Jeanie Buss’ lawyer, Adam Streisand, stated Jeanie didn’t agree to sell the team and that any vote of the Buss family selling would be “Void ab initio”.
Los Angeles Lakers president Jeanie Buss sits in the stands prior to an NBA basketball game between the Lakers and the Boston Celtics. APJeanie and Jim Buss in front of the Lakers’ championship trophies. Getty Images
She also filed paperwork to stop the sale with the Superior Court of Los Angeles Central District.
“No sale of the JAB Trust’s 17.8% ownership interest in the Los Angeles Lakers, Inc. can be effectuated without approval by the current co-trustees, i.e., Jeanie, Janie and Joey Buss,” Streisand said in the letter.
“Pursuant to the JAB Trust and the attached Court Order, the co-trustees are bound to vote the Los Angeles Lakers, Inc. shares to ensure that the minimum 15% ownership requirement is maintained in order to ensure that Jeanie Buss may remain Controlling Owner. Any attempt by the co-trustees to do otherwise, and any attempt to aid or abet the co-trustees as such, would constitute a breach of trust, breach of fiduciary duty and be in contempt of court.
The letter added: “On behalf of Jeanie Buss, I demand that your clients make clear publicly that Jeanie Buss is the Controlling Owner of the Los Angeles Lakers and that your clients shall take no action on this supposed “vote” to sell the 17.8% stake.
Jeanie Buss attends the ‘Running Point’ Emmy FYC Event in Los Angeles. John Salangsang/Shutterstock
ESPN first reported Monday that the Buss siblings voted to sell the family’s remaining 17.8% ownership of the Lakers to Iger and Kushner.
Magic Johnson, Rob Pelinka and Jeanie Buss attend Kobe Bryant’s jersey retirement ceremony. Getty Images
The Buss family said said in a statement: “We have decided as a family to sell the remaining Buss Family Trust shares to the Bob Iger group as part of the ongoing transaction. We love the Lakers, Laker fans and will continue to support Los Angeles; but it is time to use this opportunity to move on and exit gracefully while we still can.”
The Buss family trust, which includes six of Jerry Buss’ children — Johnny (69), Jim (66), Jeanie (64), Janie (62), Joey (41) and Jesse (37) — needed a majority vote (four out of six) to allow the trustees to sell the family’s shares.
Selling the Lakers would result in Jeanie no longer being the team’s Governor, since she would no longer have the qualifying 15% ownership stake in the franchise required told hold that position. She has been team’s Governor since 2013 after Jerry’s death.
When Walter purchased the majority ownership of the Lakers from the Buss family, the league announced that Buss would remain the team’s Governor for a period of at least five years (through 2030).
But on Monday, Jeanie’s attorney sent a letter to lawyers for the other siblings demanding that they retract the announcement of the proposed sale, insisting that rules of the family trust and a 2017 court ruling make clear that she will remain a controlling owner of the team for life.
The letter also called the announcement of a planned sale of the family’s stake in the Lakers, “just the latest instance of a years-long pattern whereby Joey and Jesse Buss leak false, defamatory and pernicious `information’…for the malicious purpose of doing harm to the Los Angeles Lakers so long as Dr. [Jerry] Buss’ chosen successor, Jeanie Buss, carries out her father’s wishes.”
Kushner and Iger are purchasing about 65% of the Lakers in their deal with Walter. The Buss family’s share of the Lakers would give Kushner and Iger about 83% of the franchise.
That sale needs to be approved by the NBA Board of Governors, which is scheduled to meet Sept. 15-16 in New York.
Kushner also must sell his minority ownership stake in the Heat before he can officially become the Lakers’ co-majority owner.
Mark Walter’s legacy with the Los Angeles Lakers was short-lived, but was quietly a roller coaster of a ride.
Details continue to emerge about his roughly yearlong tenure at the helm of the franchise, a period filled with behind-the-scenes upheaval that contributed to a“weird vibe” throughout last season, as one source described it in a new report by The Athletic.
Former Los Angeles Lakers owner Mark Walter. Getty Images
Walter’s brief Lakers ownership began with expectations of him elevating the franchise into one of the NBA’s finest, as he did for the Los Angeles Dodgers after he purchased them in 2012.
Instead, his legacy with the team was focused on him changing the way the team operated behind the scenes.
Los Angeles Lakers’ Luka Doncic during an NBA game against the Brooklyn Nets. Corey Sipkin for NY Post
According to The Athletic, the organization had multiple rounds of layoffs last season while there was a significant increase in season ticket prices — some by more than 40 percent.
Lakers basketball executives reportedly were frustrated last season after the team made the abrupt decision to relocate its G League team from El Segundo to the Coachella Valley as they believed they were being “distanced from their developmental players and coaches.”
Just a month before Walter sold the team, the Lakers organization had another major shift as LeBron James announced his departure after eight seasons, and would later sign with the Philadelphia 76ers.
On Monday, the Lakers organization had one last seismic change: The Buss family, which spent most of the past 47 years as the majority owners of the team, sold the remainder of their shares to Iger and Kushner, and Jeanie Buss will no longer serve as the team’s governor.
The Buss family trust, which includes six of Jerry Buss’ children — Jeanie (64), Johnny (69), Jim (66), Janie (62), Joey (41) and Jesse (37) — needed a majority vote (four out of six) to allow the trustees to sell their shares.
Now, the trustees will execute the sale.
Jeanie Buss — CEO, Governor and co-owner of the Los Angeles Lakers — holds a new Lakers jersey during the 2021–22 season. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
ESPN reported Jeanie didn’t vote to sell the family’s ownership stake in the Lakers, while the other five siblings in the trust did.
So, what does the Buss family’s decision mean for Jeanie?
Once the sale is official, she will no longer be able to be the Lakers Governor. She’s been the franchise’s Governor after her father died in February 2013.
The NBA requires that all Governors have an ownership stake of at least 15% of the franchise to be in the role.
Jeanie Buss and her brother, Jim Buss. Getty ImagesLakers superstar Luka Dončić chats with Jeanie Buss. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Buss family’s remaining shares in the Lakers was close to 18% of the franchise.
An NBA franchise’s Governor is the official representative and voting member on the league’s Board of Governors.
“We have enormous respect and appreciation for Jeanie, her father and what they’ve contributed to this franchise,” Iger told The Post. “And we have every intention to honor the agreement that was made between Mark and Jeanie. If things change, they’ll change, but we’re going into this with enormous respect and appreciation for who she is and what she represents in the organization.”
Looks like things changed.
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Aug 4, 2024; Cleveland Browns defensive end Za'Darius Smith (99) points during practice at the Browns training facility in Berea, Ohio. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con
Uh, oh. Here we go again, perhaps.
Sunday afternoon, we covered a report that former Cleveland Browns DE Za’Darius Smith was expected to rejoin the team after a visit to Berea. Smith seemed a bit confused by that report, as he commented on social media that he had another workout lined up with another team before deleting that comment.
DE Jared Verse talked on Monday about the potential addition of Smith and getting to pick the veteran’s brain.
Could things be repeating themselves, this time with a bit of Kevin Stefanski revenge added to it?
Potential twist: Veteran pass rusher Za’Darius Smith, who has been expected to sign with the #Browns, worked out for the #Falcons.
Atlanta has lost both James Pearce Jr. (8-game suspension) and Jalon Walker (torn ACL). Smith played for Kevin Stefanski in Cleveland. pic.twitter.com/bhO6q47MXr
Stefanski was fired in Cleveland following the 2025 season and quickly hired as the Atlanta Falcons head coach during the cycle that brought Todd Monken in to coach the Browns. According to Mary Kay Cabot, who had the initial report that Smith would sign back in Ohio, the team thought they had a deal done:
Za'Darius Smith, who was expected to sign with the #Browns, tried out for the #Falcons and his former Cleveland coach Kevin Stefanski today: —> https://t.co/cwdPCUp8pP
As noted, Smith could help fill a big need for the Falcons and rejoin Stefanski instead of rejoining Cleveland, where he played for Stefanski for almost two years before being traded.
In his 11 years in the NFL, Smith compiled 343 tackles, 176 QB hits, 87 tackles for loss, and 70.5 sacks.
Do you want Smith to return to the Browns? Would his joining Stefanski instead of Cleveland bother you even more than Clowney choosing the Texans?
