The Los Angeles Lakers are entering another stunning ownership shift, but this one feels different. Just last year, Jeanie Buss and Co. gave way to Mark Walter in a deal that valued the franchise at $10 billion. Now, Bob Iger and Josh Kushner are ready to take over at $12.5 billion. The valuation keeps climbing, but something feels missing. For a franchise built on winning and family, has the business finally overshadowed the game?
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NBA legend Byron Scott shared his two cents on the matter. On Byron Scott’s Fast Break, the Lakers’ icon said, “It ain’t about knowing basketball anymore. And that’s what it used to be about when you owned the team, is because you were not only a big fan and a businessman. That’s it. But you wanted to win, cuz most businessmen they’ve been winning all their life.”
“These guys are doing it now cuz it’s something to talk. It’s a hobby. It ain’t about winning. It’s a toy. It’s a hobby,” Byron Scott further pointed out. The ownership flip happened way too quickly for the Lakers, and that just doesn’t feel right to Byron Scott.
Scott then took Mark Cuban as an example. Cuban entered NBA ownership with a genuine desire to win. He did not simply treat the Dallas Mavericks as a financial investment. Cuban immediately focused on improving the organization, upgrading the arena and locker rooms, and giving players better facilities and support. His actions showed that winning was central to his ownership philosophy.
Mark Cuban took control in 2000 at a $280M valuation. His ambition went beyond financial returns; he did not treat the Mavericks as a pure investment. He wanted to build a winning team and change the franchise’s culture. “Never crossed my mind as an investment. I did it because I love basketball,” he told CNBC Make It.
“I love the Mavericks; I am just a huge Mavericks fan. And I have just been blessed and put in a position where I can contribute,” the former majority owner added. Cuban, however, eventually noticed the shifting business landscape and sold the Mavericks for $3.5 billion.
However, the story feels different in the case of the Los Angeles Lakers. The sheer need to switch ownership and the spiking high valuation feels more like business than a championship mindset. Therefore, Byron Scott has a message for the possible new owners, Josh Kushner and Bob Iger.
Byron Scott’s message to the Lakers’ new owners
“I would say, go back 30, 40 years and look at how Dr. Buss ran this organization, my man. That’s the blueprint of being successful, right?” Byron Scott said. “You got to remember when Dr. Buss bought the Lakers, this was his money.”
According to Scott, Dr. Jerry Buss viewed the Lakers as more than a business investment. He wanted the franchise to remain within the Buss family for generations. His goal was long-term ownership, not a quick sale or profit-driven transaction.
In 1979, Buss bought the Los Angeles Lakers for $67.5 million. Back then, he did not know that his dream of owning a franchise would eventually lead them to become one of the most iconic teams in the NBA’s history. Buss’ investment wasn’t just about business, but about championships and family values.
Sadly, one cannot say the same about the current Lakers. The team now comes with a $12.5 billion price tag. And if Kushner and Iger want to move on as Mark Walter did by next year, then the Purple and Gold could be more valuable in the eyes of business. But values? Well, that is something worth thinking about.