Lakers Rival Gets Blunt About New Owner Following $10 Billion Team Sale

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Alex Kirschenbaum | Last updated Jun 19, 2025 1:01 PM ET

The Los Angeles Lakers made professional sports history on Wednesday, when it was announced that the Buss family was selling controlling ownership of the franchise for a record $10 billion to Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter, who had previously bought 27% of the team along with Todd Boehly in 2021.

The news arrives mere weeks before the 2025 NBA Draft. Los Angeles possesses just one pick, the No. 55 selection, this year.

Dr. Jerry Buss purchased the team, its home arena at the time (the Forum), and the L.A. Kings for a combined $67.5 million in 1979. The Lakers won 10 titles with Buss at the helm. After his 2013 passing, ownership of the team fell to a trust controlled by his six children. His daughter Jeanie Buss is the club's current governor, and was in control when the Lakers won their 11th championship under the family's stewardship in 2020.

With All-Stars Luka Doncic and LeBron James at the helm, the Lakers are expected to at least be chippy contenders in a loaded Western Conference going forward, although they've only returned to the West Finals once since winning it all.

That Western Conference Finals appearance happened with Doncic's All-Star predecessor, center Anthony Davis, still on the team in 2023.

Shams Charania of ESPN reports that the Buss family will retain "just over" a 15% minority ownership stake in the franchise even after the historic sale.

Reporting for @SportsCenter on the Los Angeles Lakers' historic $10 billion sale and what it means, including the Buss family retaining just over 15% of minority ownership: pic.twitter.com/UHZLyiU7ZZ
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 18, 2025

Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic reveals why fans should be optimistic about the Lakers' impending Walter era.

A rival team executive broke down how Walter's handling of the Dodgers franchise could presage a massive qualitative upgrade for L.A.'s internal team management. Walter has won two World Series championships since buying into the Dodgers.

From @TheAthletic: After five decades of control by the Buss family, the Lakers will be sold to Mark Walter, the lead owner of the Dodgers, at a valuation of at least $10 billion. The sale price marks the largest for a North American sports franchise. https://t.co/FMLWZ2BiZE
— The New York Times (@nytimes) June 18, 2025

“A key difference between baseball and basketball is that you can’t simply outspend everyone on payroll the way the Dodgers do,” an NBA executive told Vorkunov. “But what most people overlook is how much the Dodgers invest beyond just players. They spend at an elite level on infrastructure: front office talent, analytics and player development. Each area is essentially run by a GM-level executive, enabling them to retain top-tier personnel across the board.”

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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