The Los Angeles Lakers, arguably one of the most iconic franchises in the NBA, have been sold for $10 billion, marking the largest sale in the history of sports.
The team was originally bought by Jerry Buss in 1979 for $67.5 million, and will now be owned by Mark Walter, who is also co-owner of English football club Chelsea and part of the ownership group of MLB’s Los Angeles Dodgers, another legendary American sports team.
Since Buss acquired the Lakers, the team has become one of the most successful and valuable sports franchises in the world, winning 17 championships. After his death in 2013, control of the team passed to his daughter Jeanie Buss and the rest of the Buss family.
The Lakers boast a star-studded fan base including J. Nicholson and L. DiCaprio, and have featured basketball legends such as K. Bryant, K. A. Jabbar, and L. James
The previous record for the biggest sale in sports was set in March, when the Lakers’ biggest rivals, the Boston Celtics, were sold for $6.1 billion. The Celtics overtook the Lakers in total championships last year, reaching 18 titles, further intensifying one of the fiercest rivalries in American sports.
That rivalry even extends to franchise value, as highlighted by Lakers legend Magic Johnson, who posted on social media: “Just like I thought, when the Celtics sold for $6B, I knew the Lakers were worth $10B!”.