5 weird facts about the Los Angeles Lakers sale to Mark Walter
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The $10 billion sale of the Los Angeles Lakers completely shook an unsuspecting sports world on Wednesday afternoon.
Mark Walter's surprise purchase of the Buss family's 66 percent controlling stake in the iconic franchise shattered records just a few months after the Boston Celtics sale did the same thing. There is a ton to sort through and unpack in the coming days, but one thing is for certain:
Who is Mark Walter? What to know about the new Lakers owner
This deal is absolutely wild. And weird. And astounding. Truly just jaw dropping stuff.
Don't believe me? Here are five things to consider as you process the massive transaction.
1. How quietly this deal came together
There's actually a good reason for this but that we'll get to in a moment, but take a second to consider the fact a $10 billion deal to purchase one of the most iconic teams in the world without a single leak or announcement until the sale was agreed upon.
That's actually an incredible accomplishment in 2025.
Now, the reason is that Walter, who already owned 26 percent of the team, reportedly had a first right of refusal if the Buss family ever decided to sell. So it's not like the Lakers needed to but a call out for buyers or anything.
Walter earned the first right of refusal if the Buss family ever decided to sell their 66 percent stake when he purchased Phil Anschutz’ 26 percent stake in 2021. In other words, this has been positioned to go this way. There are a lot of ties between the Lakers and Dodgers… https://t.co/GlLkBFVkRs— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) June 18, 2025
2. Jeanie Buss is staying in her role
The Buss family isn't just giving up on the Lakers. Jeanie Buss will remain the franchise governor. Some things, apparently, are just too hard to quit.
3. Walter nearly purchased the Los Angeles Clippers first
Now he'll be their biggest rival.
Walter joined David Geffen's bid for the Clippers that reportedly came in slightly over $1.5 billion. Ultimately, Steve Ballmer won the right to purchase the club for $2 billion.
4. Magic is back!?...Maybe!?
Magic Johnson was last a member of the Lakers organization in 2019, when he stepped down as president of basketball operations. He helped put up the money for Walter's controlling stake in the Los Angeles Dodgers at a value of $2 billion.
While Jeanie Buss isn't leaving the organization, the door is now wide open for Magic Johnson to find his way back into the executive suite in the Lakers' facilities. Really, who could've seen this coming?
Job well done to my sister Jeanie Buss for striking an incredible deal and picking the right person to carry on the @Lakers legacy and tradition of winning - Mark Walter, my business partner and friend! Mark Walter is the best choice and will be the best caretaker of the Laker…— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) June 18, 2025
Laker fans should be estatic. A few things I can tell you about Mark - he is driven by winning, excellence, and doing everything the right way. AND he will put in the resources needed to win! I can understand why Jeanie sold the team to Mark Walter because they are just alike -…— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) June 18, 2025
5. Mark Walter and LeBron James are English Premier League rivals
There are some layers here, but on paper, the part owner of Liverpool F.C. is now an employee of the owner of Chelsea F.C.
LeBron is an investor in Fenway Sports Group, which aside from owning the Boston Red Sox — another Dodgers rival — also controls the reigning Premier League champion Liverpool F.C. Walter, on the other hand, is part of the BlueCo group that purchased Chelsea F.C. in 2022 for $4.8 billion.
This should be fun.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: 5 weird facts about the Los Angeles Lakers sale to Mark Walter
