Overview
- Joshua Kushner and Bob Iger have agreed to acquire majority control of the Los Angeles Lakers at a reported $12.5 billion valuation with the transaction pending NBA Board of Governors approval and routine due diligence.
- The purchase is led by Kushner and Iger but financed by a broader investor group rather than only the two buyers’ personal funds.
- ESPN reporting says the new ownership plans to continue the Dodgers-derived front-office strategy already put in motion, keeping many recent hires and structures intact.
- Luka Dončić was not consulted before the sale but has opened a line of communication with the incoming owners and has held a videoconference to begin building a working relationship.
- The price reflects a surge in team values driven by large media-rights deals and new revenue streams and follows Mark Walter’s brief year-long control of the franchise during a period of public scrutiny of his finances.