Alright, buckle up, because the Lakers just pulled off another monster sale, hitting a mind-boggling $12.5 billion valuation! Bob Iger and Josh Kushner are buying a controlling interest in the team, and that number isn’t just big, it’s almost $3 billion more than the Seahawks sale we just saw.
The Quick Flip and a Federal Investigation
This isn’t just any sale either; it’s the second time the Lakers have gone on the market in just 14 months! Mark Walter bought them for $10 billion just over a year ago, and now they’re selling for $2.5 billion more. What’s the rush? Well, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN reports Walter is currently under a federal investigation for tax fraud. Coincidence? Maybe, maybe not. Iger and Kushner even eyed an expansion team in Las Vegas before this, so they clearly wanted an NBA stake.
Emerald City Sticker Shock
Now, for us here in the Emerald City, this deal hits a little different. Just weeks ago, Vinod Khosla’s group bought our beloved Seahawks for a record-breaking $9.612 billion. That shattered the previous NFL record of $6.05 billion! It was a huge moment for Seattle, showcasing the value of our team and the 12s. But then the Lakers turn around and sell for *nearly three billion dollars more*? It makes you wonder how an NBA team, which the source itself calls a “lesser pro sports league” in comparison, can fetch such a higher price. What could the Cowboys go for if they ever hit the market, $15 billion? $20 billion? This Lakers sale just reset the bar for *all* sports franchises.
So what does this mean? Money talks, and right now it’s screaming that NBA franchises are hotter than a summer day at T-Mobile Park. For Seattle fans, we just saw our Hawks set an NFL record, only to be dwarfed in a blink. It just shows the insane money sloshing around in pro sports right now, and how quickly those valuations can climb. Keep your eyes peeled, because who knows what record gets broken next!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pro Football Talk.
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