THE Buss family era is officially over in Los Angeles, and the timing raises an intriguing question about LeBron James’ decision to leave the Lakers.
The Buss family has agreed to sell its remaining 17.8-percent stake in the Lakers to the ownership group led by Bob Iger and Josh Kushner, completely ending the family’s ownership of the franchise after more than four decades.
The development comes just weeks after LeBron ended his eight-year run with the Lakers and signed with the Philadelphia 76ers for the 2026-27 season.
And while there is no indication that the ownership-change directly caused LeBron’s departure, the sequence of events certainly invites questions.
LeBron informed the Lakers on June 30 that he would not return for his 24th NBA season, saying it was time to move on.
Less than a month later, he chose Philadelphia, explaining that his primary motivation was still the pursuit of another championship.
“This is my last decision. I’m not going for money. I’m not going for family. What am I really playing for at this point?” James said.
He ultimately chose the Sixers because he believed he could help them become a championship team.
But now, with the Buss family completely gone from the Lakers, one can’t help but wonder whether James sensed that Los Angeles was heading toward another period of major change.
The Lakers have undergone significant transformation over the past year.
Mark Walter took control of the franchise from the Buss family in October 2025, ending the family’s majority ownership while initially keeping Jeanie Buss as governor.
Walter then agreed to sell his stake to Iger and Kushner in a reported $12.5-billion transaction, only months after acquiring control.
Now, the Buss family’s remaining stake has also been sold.
That means Jeanie Buss will no longer remain governor because NBA rules require a team’s governor to own at least 15 percent of the franchise.
It also completely removes the Buss family from the organization they had controlled since Jerry Buss purchased the Lakers in 1979.
For LeBron, this is particularly interesting.
He spent eight seasons in Los Angeles, won the franchise’s 17th championship in 2020, became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer in purple and gold and finished his Lakers tenure as one of the most accomplished players in franchise history.
Yet when the time came to decide whether to continue his career in Los Angeles, he chose a different path.
Now, the Lakers are entering a new era with Luka Dončić as the franchise centerpiece and Iger and Kushner preparing to take over the organization.
Whether LeBron anticipated any of this remains unknown.
But with the Buss family officially out, the question becomes impossible to ignore.
Did LeBron simply choose Philadelphia because he saw a better championship opportunity or did he also sense that the Lakers were heading into an uncertain new era?
For now, only James knows the full answer. (Jesus Nathaniel Valdez)
The post Did LeBron see the writing on the wall? Lakers’ Buss era ends as family sells all ownership stake first appeared on Fastbreak.
