NBA

Illustration of Lakers championship banners under a spotlight in a dark arena

Lakers Sold for Record $12.5 Billion as Buss Family Goes to War Over the Team

By The Sports Nus Staff | October 14, 2026

The Los Angeles Lakers are about to change hands at a staggering $12.5 billion valuation, the richest sale in sports history. Former Disney CEO Bob Iger and venture capitalist Josh Kushner agreed to buy the franchise from Dodgers mogul Mark Walter, who had purchased control from the Buss family just 14 months earlier at roughly $10 billion. The team gained $2.5 billion in paper value in barely a year.

The number is real. Sportico's latest franchise valuations pegged the Lakers at exactly $12.5 billion, trailing only the Warriors at $14.5 billion and the Knicks at $12.8 billion. Even commissioner Adam Silver admitted the speed of the flip caught him off guard, saying his surprise was less about the price and more that Walter had any reason to sell at all.

But the sale has detonated a civil war inside the Buss family. Five of the six Buss siblings voted to exercise the family trust's tag-along provision and sell its remaining 17.82 percent stake, worth about $2.2 billion, to the Iger-Kushner group. Jeanie Buss went to court in August to block them, and on October 7 the five siblings filed their formal opposition, calling her petition legally and factually baseless and accusing her of putting her own position above her duty to the trust.

The stakes are Jeanie's crown. NBA rules require a governor to hold at least 15 percent of the team. If the family's remaining stake is sold, Jeanie loses the controlling role she has held for over a decade, despite a side agreement with Walter meant to keep her as governor for five years. A court hearing is set for December 8, and the NBA's board of governors is expected to vote on the sale in November.

What it means

The most expensive transaction in sports history is closing while the family that built the modern Lakers sues itself in open court. For fans, the basketball question is what Iger and Kushner do with a franchise entering a new era around Luka Doncic. For the league, it is another data point in the runaway inflation of franchise values, with the coming Las Vegas expansion team likely to push the ceiling even higher.

Key Facts

Sale price: $12.5 billion valuation, a sports record. Buyers: Bob Iger and Josh Kushner. Seller: Mark Walter.
Flip: Walter bought from the Buss family in June 2025 at about $10 billion, roughly 14 months before selling.
Valuation check: Sportico values Lakers at $12.5B, behind Warriors ($14.5B) and Knicks ($12.8B).
Family war: Five siblings (Jimmy, Johnny, Janie, Joey, Jesse) voted to sell the trust's remaining 17.82% (about $2.2B). Jeanie sued to block in August. Siblings filed opposition October 7.
Governor rule: NBA requires 15% ownership to serve as governor. Jeanie loses the role if the stake sells.
Next dates: NBA board of governors vote expected November. Court hearing December 8.
Staying put: Minority owner Patrick Soon-Shiong (4%) is not selling.