Nov 23, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Magic Johnson attends the 2024 NWSL Championship match at CPKC Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Lakers Legend Magic Johnson Reacts to Historic Team Sale

Originally posted on Los Angeles Lakers on SI
By James Brizuela | Last updated Jun 18, 2025 6:04 PM ET

The Los Angeles Lakers have shocked the sports world, as the Buss Family has agreed to sell majority ownership of the franchise to Mark Walter. The historic sale is the largest in sports history, as Walter acquired majority ownership for a staggering $10 billion.

Jeanie Buss is set to be retained as governor of the team, and there are no details regarding when anf if she plans to step down from that role.

Considering how historic and massive the sale of the team is, there are sure to be plenty of reactions from the larger sports world pouring in over the coming days and weeks. However, there is one person who could not wait to speak on the sale.

Lakers legend Magic Johnson took to X to offer his take on the sale, including offering tons of support for Walter acquiring a majority stake in the team.

Laker fans should be estatic. A few things I can tell you about Mark - he is driven by winning, excellence, and doing everything the right way. AND he will put in the resources needed to win! I can understand why Jeanie sold the team to Mark Walter because they are just alike -…
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) June 18, 2025

"Laker fans should be estatic. A few things I can tell you about Mark - he is driven by winning, excellence, and doing everything the right way. AND he will put in the resources needed to win! I can understand why Jeanie sold the team to Mark Walter because they are just alike - they are competitive people, l have big hearts, love to give back, and both prefer to be behind the scenes. This makes all the sense in the world. I am so so SO happy and excited for fans all over the world!!", the post reads.

Johnson is clearly excited that the Lakers are moving in a new direction. He also has plenty of experience with Walter, as both Johnson and Walter are part owners of the Los Angeles Sparks.

Walter has plenty of experience with having stakes in LA teams, as he is part-owner of the Sparks and is the controlling owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

It will be interesting to see what changes, if any, Walter plans to make immediately to the Lakers franchise. Rob Pelinka just received a contract extension in April and was also named as president of basketball operations including being the general manager.

For now, Walter might not make any big changes, other than possibly getting involved in the team acquiring star talent to surround around Luka Doncic.

This article first appeared on FanNation All Lakers and was syndicated with permission.

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