🔥 Trending Lakers Sold for $12.5 Billion: What It Means for the Team and LeBron James

The Los Angeles Lakers, one of the NBA's most iconic franchises, have recently undergone a significant ownership change, marking a new era for the team.

Lakers Sold for Record-Breaking $12.5 Billion

On Wednesday, August 12, 2026, it was announced that the majority stake in the Los Angeles Lakers was sold for an unprecedented $12.5 billion ¹³. This record-setting valuation makes it one of the largest transactions in sports history.

New Ownership Group

The franchise was acquired by an ownership group led by former Disney CEO Bob Iger and venture capitalist Joshua Kushner ¹³. Iger is expected to be the public face of this new ownership group ⁴.

Previous Ownership

The seller was Mark Walter, who had purchased majority control of the Lakers from the Buss family approximately 14 months prior to this sale, for about $10 billion ¹.

Timeline of the Sale

The process leading to the sale was remarkably swift. According to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, the incoming ownership group first approached Mark Walter on Sunday, August 9, 2026, with the sale agreement coming together quickly thereafter ². It appears that Iger and Kushner initially explored acquiring an ownership stake in a potential NBA expansion team in Las Vegas. However, they learned last weekend that Walter might be open to selling his stake in the Lakers ⁶.

Reasons for the Sale

While Mark Walter had reportedly expressed long-term plans for his ownership, the quick sale has raised questions. Ramona Shelburne suggested that Walter's decision to sell might be linked to "a time when he's dealing with a lot of other legal issues," including a federal investigation into Walter and his companies ⁵.