Overview
- The agreement announced Wednesday would transfer Mark Walter’s controlling stake in the Lakers to former Disney chief Bob Iger and investor Josh Kushner for $12.5 billion, according to ESPN and multiple outlets.
- The sale is not final and must clear NBA board-of-governors approval, routine due diligence and the requirement that Kushner divest his existing minority NBA holdings before closing.
- Mark Walter will retain his other sports assets, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, while federal and SEC probes into his insurance-related businesses continue without charges tied to the Lakers deal.
- Iger brings deep media and league relationships from his years at Disney and ESPN while Kushner, a venture investor, pivoted from pursuing an NBA expansion franchise in Las Vegas to this purchase.
- The deal reflects a rapid rise in elite franchise values, delivers an immediate ownership change less than a year after Walter’s purchase, and hands new stewards a Lakers roster now led by Luka Dončić after LeBron James’ departure.