The Washington Wizards play the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on March 30, 2026.
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Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
The Los Angeles Lakers are changing hands again. Venture capitalist Joshua Kushner and former Disney CEO Bob Iger confirm they are buying the team. The Associated Press, citing anonymous sources, reports the price is $12.5 billion.
NPR has not independently confirmed that amount, and the sale still needs league approval. If confirmed, it would be the highest sale price for a sports team in history.
In a statement, Kushner and Iger say they are “deeply honored by the opportunity to become stewards of the Lakers.”
The team’s current owner, investment manager Mark Walter, bought a controlling stake last year at a $10 billion valuation. Mike Vorkunov, who covers the NBA and the business of basketball for The Athletic, told NPR’s Michel Martin the sale would give Walter a substantial return in less than a year. He also pointed to reporting from Bloomberg that the federal government is investigating Walter and his companies for potential financial improprieties, suggesting the sale could provide Walter with additional cash as he deals with those legal issues.
Kushner, the brother of President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, has recently expanded his sports investments, including buying a minority stake in the San Francisco Giants. His firm had also been poised to lead investment in a proposed FIFA commercial venture involving the World Cup and other events, but the plan was dropped after facing opposition.
Vorkunov says buying the Lakers offers something exceptional: control of one of the NBA’s marquee franchises. The deal now goes to the league’s board of governors for approval.
Listen to the full interview by clicking the play button above.
The digital version of this interview was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.
