LA Lakers to be sold in record $12.5bn deal

What the report says

The Los Angeles Lakers are set to change hands in a reported $12.5 billion deal, which would be the most expensive sale of a sports team on record, according to Nile Post citing BBC Sport. The buyers are said to be Josh Kushner, the brother of Jared Kushner, and former Disney chief executive Bob Iger, who would take control of one of the NBA’s best-known franchises.

The report says the transaction comes less than a year after Mark Walter acquired a majority stake in the team. Walter had previously bought his share from the Buss family in a deal valued at about $10 billion, which the NBA Board of Governors approved in October 2025. The Lakers have been controlled by the Buss family for decades, dating back to Jerry Buss’s purchase in 1979.

Kushner and Iger said in a joint statement that they view the Lakers as an iconic franchise and want to build on the leadership already in place. Walter also said owning the team has been a major honor and expressed confidence in the club’s future.

The Lakers’ sale matters because the team is one of the NBA’s most successful and recognizable brands, with 17 championships, one behind the Boston Celtics’ record 18. Separately, Nile Post noted that Kushner has recently been linked to other high-profile sports business discussions through his venture capital firm, Thrive Eternal.