Former NBA basketball player Baron Davis has asked a court to dismiss a lawsuit filed by his sister, Lissa Davis, over a California property she claims he promised to buy for her nearly 20 years ago.
According to court documents obtained by TMZ, Davis’s legal team is challenging the lawsuit, arguing that the alleged verbal agreement is unenforceable under California law because agreements involving the ownership of real estate are generally required to be in writing.
His lawyers also argued that the relationship between the siblings did not automatically create a legal obligation for Davis to disclose information about the property to his sister.
“A familial relationship of trust, without more, is not a fiduciary or transactional relationship giving rise to a duty to disclose,” his lawyers stated in the court filing.
Lissa filed the lawsuit in July, alleging that her brother promised to purchase a California home for her nearly two decades ago.
She claimed Davis told her that the property would remain in his name for tax purposes, despite the understanding that it was intended to be her home.
According to her allegations, she subsequently sold her previous house and invested her personal savings in renovating the property.
However, she claimed that she discovered earlier this year that Davis was attempting to sell the house without informing her, prompting her to take legal action.
Davis, however, has disputed his sister’s claims, arguing that she lived in the property rent-free for nearly 20 years and that the alleged verbal promise did not give her legal ownership rights.
The former basketball star is asking the judge to dismiss the complaint without granting his sister an opportunity to amend it.
A court hearing on the matter has been scheduled for February 2027.
The court is expected to consider the arguments presented by both sides as the legal dispute over ownership of the California property continues.
