
Imago
Los Angeles Lakers at Orlando Magic, Orlando, Florida, USA Orlando, Florida, USA, March 21, 2026, Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic 77 at the Kia Center. Copyright: xMartyxJean-Louisx

Imago
Los Angeles Lakers at Orlando Magic, Orlando, Florida, USA Orlando, Florida, USA, March 21, 2026, Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic 77 at the Kia Center. Copyright: xMartyxJean-Louisx
The Lakers this offseason said goodbye to LeBron James. Luka Doncic became the outright face of the franchise, and the Lakers won’t play on opening night for the first time in eight years. Changes all offseason, and on Wednesday, a big change arrived, prompting a response from Doncic.
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The Lakers, according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, have a new owner. They have been sold to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger for $12.5 billion. Doncic took to social media to react to the news.
“Being a Laker means everything to me, and I’m excited to get back on the court and bring a championship to LA,” Doncic tweeted. “I’ve gotten used to big changes over these last few years, but I know that no matter what, there is no limit to the potential of this iconic franchise. I look forward to meeting Josh and Bob so we can get to work building something special in LA together.”
The sale also generated buzz over one of the owners’ connections to U.S. President Donald Trump. Josh has three siblings and one of them, Jared Kushner, served as a senior White House adviser during Donald Trump’s first term and is married to Ivanka Trump.
Kushner and Iger released a joint statement:
“As lifelong NBA fans, we are deeply honored for the opportunity to become stewards of the Los Angeles Lakers, one of the most iconic sports franchises in the world. We have immense respect for the leadership and vision of Jerry and Jeanie Buss. Our long-term commitment is to build on that foundation, compete at the highest level, and serve this extraordinary team, its fans, and the city of Los Angeles.”
Kushner and Iger’s weren’t interested in the Lakers initially. They discussed a potential NBA expansion franchise in Las Vegas before moving to the Lakers after a reported conversation with Walter on Sunday.
Walter is selling amid reports that the Securities and Exchange Commission and federal prosecutors are investigating potential financial improprieties at two of his insurance companies and at Guggenheim Partners, the financial firm he co-founded.
“I wouldn’t say I am a conspiracy theorist, but it does seem weird that a guy who owns multiple sports teams and was in the middle of rebuilding the Lakers entire business operation would sell the team for a 20% gain in 2 years at the same time he is being investigated for fraud,” Joe Pompliano tweeted.
Mark Walter took over from Buss roughly a year earlier. He bought out the Buss family’s controlling stake at a then-record $10 billion valuation. The Lakers transaction does not affect his ownership of the Dodgers, which he retains along with his other sports holdings, as well as the Buss family’s remaining shares.
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